China
China social e-commerce platform Yunji targets US IPO
Yunji, a Chinese membership-based e-commerce platform that typically works with small-scale retailers that don’t have the resources to compete online, has filed to list in the US.
GPs bullish on Chinese IPOs - AVCJ Forum
Private equity investors believe it will become easier to take companies public in China as the country steps up the pace of capital markets reform, creating a system that is more in line with international norms.
LPs emphasize self-awareness in China GPs - AVCJ Forum
Chinese GPs that can identify where their strategies might go wrong – and therefore avoid problems before they emerge – are most likely to emerge as winners in a market characterized by rising competition and changing economic circumstances, LPs told...
Preferred equity: Last in, first out
Issuing preferred equity to secondary investors is a short-cut to liquidity for China VCs with valuable portfolios but few exits. The strategy isn’t universally popular, but what will it take for GPs to make the leap?
FOMO is the biggest risk for China investors - AVCJ Forum
The best way for private equity and venture capital investors to manage their China risk is to not deploy capital if they are only motivated by a fear of missing out (FOMO), GPs told the AVCJ China Forum.
China's Up Fintech trades up after $104m US IPO
Up Fintech, an online brokerage firm focused on global Chinese investors that operates in Asia as Tiger Brokers, gained more than 36% in its first day of trading on NASDAQ after raising $104 million in its IPO.
Chinese camera maker Insta360 gets $30m
Insta360, a China-based camera maker specializing in immersive imaging and virtual reality applications, has raised a $30 million funding round from a group of investors including Everest Venture Capital.
China PE investors prioritize long-term development - AVCJ Forum
Long-term structural reforms rather than short-term issues regarding trade tensions and liquidity preoccupy China-focused private equity investors, though they are happy to take advantage of any immediate moderation in valuations.
Deal focus: Mofang pursues quality and scale
Mofang raises $150 million to bring consistency to China’s fragmented rental housing market. Leveraging big data and targeting millennials are key strategies
Book review: Weijian Shan's Out of the Gobi
Weijian Shan’s memoir ends before his private equity career begins, but it represents a remarkable on-the-ground account of a difficult period in the 20th century evolution of China
Carlyle buys stake in Chinese textiles manufacturer
The Carlyle Group has agreed to invest RMB726 million ($108 million) for a 10% stake in Chinese home textiles maker Luolai Lifestyle Technology.
Institutional investors: China access
Are concerns over trade and the economy causing US LPs to back away from Chinese private equity? The more pertinent question is whether - and how - they already have exposure to the market
Warburg Pincus invests $100m in China B2B platform Yijiupi
Yijiupi, a China-based online B2B trading platform that established itself in liquor before expanding into other consumer goods categories, has raised 100 million in an extended Series D round from Warburg Pincus.
Chinese robotics developer secures $15m Series A
Hangzhou Guochen Robotic Technology, a Chinese company that manufactures intelligent service robots and incubates start-ups in this field, has raised RMB100 million ($15 million) in a Series A round led by domestic VC firm Yingshi Jijin.
Asian PE firms still struggle with tech investments - Bain & Co
Private equity firms are deploying increasing amounts of capital into Chinese internet plays without having a clear understanding of what the target businesses are worth or how to add value to them, according to Bain & Company.
China ESG: Societal shift
China’s ESG compliance drive reflects a long structural change for financial markets and an evolutionary process for local business culture. Many investment variables are unique
China B2B trading platforms: Business friendly
Online B2B trading platforms have the potential to bring efficiency and pricing transparency to the more fragmented segments of China’s industrial economy. It’s all about picking the right vertical at the right time
China enterprise SaaS provider raises $45m from Sequoia
Jushuitan, a China-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider of operating management systems to small to medium-sized e-commerce operators, has received RMB300 million ($45 million) from Sequoia Capital China.
China's Lufax hits $39.4b valuation with Series C round
Lufax, a Chinese online lending and wealth management platform established by Ping An Insurance, has achieved a post-money valuation of $39.4 billion with the completion of the Series C funding round. It comes after the company was said to have postponed...
Shunwei leads round for Chinese apparel platform Yi Shou
Shunwei Capital, a VC firm established by Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, has led a RMB55 million ($8 million) Series B round for B2B apparel sourcing and wholesaling platform Yi Shou.
China investment: Looking up in a downturn
Private equity firms that held back from investing in 2018 as uncertainty gripped China’s economy now see reasons to get busy again. With few macro tailwinds, GPs will be judged on their ability to pick winners
SoftBank to invest $1.6b in China's Didi Chuxing
SoftBank plans to invest around $1.6 billion in Chinese ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing, marking the Japanese internet giant’s third investment in the company.
Hony co-leads $700m round for US-based STX
Hony Capital has co-led a $700 million funding round for US film and TV studio STX Entertainment along with TPG Growth, the mid-market investment platform of TPG Capital.
China distress: Dining on defaults
GPs expect a wave of non-performing loan sales in China as the slowing economy leaves banks with more bad debts to resolve, but could the distress investment opportunity be even broader than they envisage?