Leadership

Kane Black is the Founder and Principal of Severn Capital, a Singapore-based private investment company, and an entrepreneur, investor and public markets executive with a career spanning more than two decades across Asia and Europe.

He began his career in Tokyo with Adtec Corporation K.K., then listed on JASDAQ, serving as Director for the UK & Europe and later based in London. He was involved in the company's acquisition by Shinden Hightex Corporation (TYO:3131) before moving to Hong Kong in 2009 to join a private family office focused on healthcare and life sciences.

In 2012, Kane co-founded Nova Satra Health, which led to the establishment of Nova Satra Dx in Singapore, a molecular diagnostics company backed by Genting Berhad. In 2019, Nova Satra Dx merged with INEX Innovations Exchange in a US$72 million transaction to create INEX Innovate.

As Chief Executive of INEX Innovate, Kane led the company through a period of significant growth, building a regional platform across women's health, molecular diagnostics and advanced laboratory services. The Financial Times ranked INEX the second-fastest-growing healthcare company in Singapore and seventh-fastest across Asia-Pacific. In 2023, Kane received the President's Certificate of Commendation from then President of Singapore Halimah Yacob, on behalf of the team.

In 2022, Kane was named EY Entrepreneur Of The Year – Biotechnology in Singapore. He has served on the NUS Medicine International Council since 2020 and is also a member of the Hong Kong Biotechnology Organization.

In 2024, after a decade building Nova Satra and INEX, Kane stepped down as Chief Executive, remaining a shareholder and joining the Board as a Non-Executive Director. That same year, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of London Stock Exchange-listed investment company Ikigai Ventures.

At Ikigai, Kane led the company's transaction strategy, culminating in the acquisition of Dotlines Group and Audra Solutions and the admission of the enlarged group to AIM in May 2026 as Dotlines Global, with a market capitalisation of £57.9 million (US$77 million) on admission.

Today, Kane invests through Severn Capital and originates and participates in transactions involving London-listed companies and acquisition vehicles. Severn focuses on situations where it can invest alongside other shareholders and play an active role in shaping both the transaction and the development of the underlying business.

The firm maintains interests across healthcare, medical technology, technology-led businesses and selected real estate.

Kane is a fluent Japanese speaker and Singapore Permanent Resident, and divides much of his time between Singapore and London.