DFJ-VinaCapital has recently made a big investment in Chicilon Media, a joint venture with a little-known Chinese media company.

Why do I guess it’s “a big investment”?
“The financial terms are not unveiled. However, Andy Ho, managing director of VinaCapital, said that the sum invested by VinaCapital in the media company would enable Chicilon to buy at least 7,000 more LCD screens for its expansion.” (Saigon Times Daily no 3107)

Even after taking discounts into consideration, I think the ballpark amount needed to buy 7,000 LCDs is 4 to 5 million US dollars.

A while ago, GoldSun Focus Media, affiliated with the Chinese NASDAQ-listed advertising giant Focus Media, also received investment from IDG.

The new capital infusion and VinaCapital’s  long list of portfolio companies should help Chicilon compete with GoldSun Focus Media on a more leveled playing field.

As tech companies started to jump on internet advertising, out-of-home (OOH) advertising opportunities seems to be abundant and lucrative, albeit not without competition. If you are interested in this topic, make sure to check out the Economist’s recent take on in-store advertising, as well as opinions from Vietnamese marketing professionals.