Financial Services
India microfinance: Acorns to oaks
Several large funding rounds – plus the birth of a new bank – have shown how far India’s microfinance institutions have come in just four years. But more is to come, and more VC backing will be required
PEs seek a harvest in rural India
A tractor is one of the most versatile tools on a farm, but it is out of reach for many in rural India because they have no access to credit.
Magma Fincorp raises $80m from KKR, Leapfrog, IVFA
Magma Fincorp, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC), has raised INR5 billion ($80 million) from KKR, LeapFrog Investments, and India Value Fund Advisors' (IVFA) Indium V.
Maybank, 1337 Ventures launch fintech accelerator
Malaysian financial group Maybank has set up a financial technology (fintech) accelerator with local early-stage investor 1337 Ventures.
CDH participates in $483m round for Chinese P2P lending platform
CDH Investments has participated in a RMB3 billion round ($483 million) round of funding for Shanghai Lujiazui International Financial Asset Exchange (Lufax), a Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform controlled by Ping An Insurance Group.
PE investors to make partial exits from India's AGS, S.H. Kelkar
Three private equity firms – TPG Capital, Actis and The Blackstone Group – are set for partial exits from their Indian investments as payment solutions provider AGS Transact Technologies and fragrances manufacturer S.H. Kelkar both filed for IPOs.
TA sees promise in YeePay's offline offering
China's third-party online market hit RMB8.08 trillion ($1.3 trillion) by gross merchandise volume (GMV) last year. Alipay, Alibaba Group's payment platform, is the dominant player with a 49.6% share, according to consultancy iResearch. Tencent Holdings'...
JD.com invests in VC-backed Chinese payment platform Fenqile
Chinese online retailer JD.com has invested in Fenqille.com, a Chinese installment payment platform backed by several VC investors.
PE-backed Asia-targeted remittance service raises $12.5m
Remitly, a US-based remittance service that targets Asian expatriates, has raised $12.5 million in a Series B funding round led by DFJ.
India mobile payment start-up raises Series B round
India-based mobile payment provider Mosambee has raised a Series B round of funding from Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) and existing investor SIDBI Venture Capital.
PE investors commit $96m to Indian microfinance player
A consortium of private equity firms, including CX Partners, CDC Group, NewQuest Capital Partners and Bajaj Holdings, have invested INR6 billion ($96.2 million) in Indian microfinance institution (MFI) Ujjivan Financial Services.
ChrysCapital invests $8.4m in South Indian Bank
ChrysCapital Partners has paid INR527.8 million (about $8.4 million) for a stake in listed lender South Indian Bank (SIB).
CDH invests in Southeast Asia equipment leasing business
CDH Investments has committed an undisclosed sum to Aver Asia Corporation, a Southeast Asia-based equipment leasing business. It is the latest in a clutch of deals the China-based GP has secured outside of its home market.
Sequoia supports Noah’s online China financial platform
Sequoia Capital has invested in Shanghai Noah Yijie Financial Tech, an internet finance subsidiary owned by Noah Holdings. The investment amounts to multi-millions of dollars.
Creador commits $24m to Indonesia's Bank Index
Creador Capital has paid IDR290 billion ($24 million) for a 20% stake in Indonesian lender Bank Index Selindo.
HK’s Nest appoints ex-Intel executive to set up accelerator franchise
Hong Kong-based seed investor Nest has appointed Peter Dingle, formerly of Intel Corporation, to lead its newly-established Branded Accelerators program.
Indonesia middle market: Slow-burn story
Indonesia’s middle market is a proxy for the robust services sector, but it is difficult for investors to penetrate and deal flow has been slow in recent years. Are we are about to see more?
TA Associates, Far East Horizon back China’s YeePay
TA Associates has invested an undisclosed sum in YeePay, a Chinese payments provider that has previously received backing from several VC players. Hong Kong-listed financial leasing business Far East Horizon also contributed to the investment.
KKR consortium buys GE’s Australia consumer finance unit
A consortium comprising KKR, Värde Partners and Deutsche Bank has agreed to buy GE Capital’s Australia and New Zealand consumer lending unit for an enterprise valuation of A$8.2 billion ($6.3 billion).
Tiger Global, Accel commit $5m to India's ChargeBee
US-based Tiger Global has led a $5 million Series B round for India-based subscription billing system developer ChargeBee. Existing backer Accel also participated.
Sydney launches financial technology start-up hub
Sydney has launched a hub for financial technology start-ups, supported by initial funding of A$2 million ($1.6 million) from a string of Australian banks, property and technology firms in collaboration with the New South Wales government.
PEP exits the last of its stake in Australia's Veda
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has sold all of its remaining 20% stake in Australian Securities Exchange (ASX)-listed credit-checking firm Veda Group for A$382 million ($301 million).
SAIF, Accion invest in India’s Aye Finance
SAIF Partners and Accion - a global non-profit organization - have invested $1 million in Aye Finance, an India-based lender that serves profitable micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
TPG, Northstar make another part exit from Indonesia's BTPN
TPG Capital and Northstar Pacific Partners have made another partial exit from Indonesian lender Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional (BTPN), selling a 17.5% stake to Japan's Sumitomo Corp. for IDR5.93 trillion ($461.8 million)