International investment fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) announced Wednesday an additional investment of US$200 million in Masan Consumer Corporation (Masan Consumer), a subsidiary of consumption company Masan Group (MSN).

The investment will be carried out via a combination of primary and secondary shares, bringing KKR up to an 18 percent share in the company.

In 2011, KKR spent US$159 million to acquire a 10 percent stake in Masan Consumer in what was then the largest-ever private equity deal in Vietnam.

“Doubling our investment in less than two years demonstrates our strong conviction in Vietnam’s growth story,” said Ming Lu, KKR’s regional head.

In explaining why KKR decided to continue investing in Masan Consumer, Lu said he preferred this attractive sector “because of a young population, urbanization and fast rising income, even though the economy is still in a downturn, affecting almost every industry within the country, especially the stock market.”

He also expressed confidence that his fund’s investment would prosper.

“Vietnam’s young population makes it attractive to many industries, so KKR also plans to invest in other sectors such as education, healthcare and retail,” he added.

Meanwhile, Masan Consumer CEO Truong Cong Thang said the partnership with KKR will help strengthen their strategy to penetrate other fast-moving consumer goods categories in the near future.