Logistics
Alibaba plans IPO for PE-backed logistics unit
Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, the private equity-backed logistics unit of Alibaba Group, will be spun off via an IPO as part of the parent company’s broader restructuring effort.
Deal focus: Indonesia food delivery goes daily
Indonesia’s Uena claims to have penetrated an untapped corner of Indonesia’s booming app-driven food delivery space. Scaling shouldn’t be overly costly, but there are menu-level nuances to consider
South by Southeast: Asia’s next growth engine?
Grouping together markets based on growth and scale is a problematic with South Asia and Southeast Asia as it was with the BRIC economies. But to some extent, investors are buying into the story
Apax invests $450m in India’s IBS Software, Blackstone exits
Apax Partners has agreed to pay USD 450m for a significant minority stake in India’s IBS Software, a travel and logistics industry supplier, enabling an exit for The Blackstone Group.
Singapore wine cleantech start-up raises $10m
Singapore’s EcoSpirits, a start-up focused on low-carbon technology for the wine industry, has raised a USD 10m Series A round led by US circular economy specialist Closed Loop Partners.
Fireside leads $40m Series B for India's Ripplr
Fireside Ventures has led a USD 40m Series B round for India-based distribution and logistics platform Ripplr. The round comprised USD 28m in equity funding and USD 12m in debt.
Dymon backs take-private of Singapore’s Penguin International
Dymon Asia Private Equity has teamed up with the executive chairman of Penguin International on a take-private bid that values the Singapore-listed shipbuilder at SGD 29.2m (USD 22m).
East leads $20m Series A for Indonesia's Praktis
East Ventures has led a USD 20m Series A round for Indonesian logistics technology start-up Praktis with support from Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV).
India's Iron Pillar leads $30m round for logistics SaaS company
Iron Pillar and Uncorrelated Ventures have co-led a USD 30m investment in Pando, a US-headquartered logistics software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider with an India-based development team.
India's Ace Turtle raises $34m Series B
India’s Ace Turtle, an omnichannel platform used by lifestyle and fashion retailers such as Wrangler and Toys R Us, has raised USD 34m in Series B funding featuring Singapore’s Vertex Ventures.
Khazanah commits $40m to India's Xpressbees
Malaysia sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has invested USD 40m in India-based logistics start-up Xpressbees through the acquisition of shares from one of the company’s early backers.
BP, Morgan Stanley back India EV charging station provider
BP Ventures and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure have made a USD 22m equity investment in Magenta Mobility, an Indian electric vehicle (EV) charging station provider.
Logistics start-up Lalatech pursues Hong Kong IPO
Lalatech Holdings, the parent company of Hong Kong delivery platform Lalamove, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong. This would represent a liquidity event for the likes of Hillhouse Capital, MindWorks Ventures, and Shunwei Capital.
LG backs US, China autonomous logistics start-up
LG Technology Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based VC arm of Korea’s LG Group, has led a USD 28.8m Series A round for US and China-based logistics automation player Venti Technologies.
Samsung backs Korea autonomous delivery start-up
Samsung Venture Investment has invested in Korea’s Neubility, a robot maker aiming to “automate urban sidewalks” via autonomous rolling boxes capable of on-demand deliveries.
Deal focus: Glimmer in a dormant Pakistani ecosystem
Pakistan’s Trukkr quietly spent a hardscrabble pre-seed period building infrastructure while competitors leveraged a short-lived VC boom to grow quickly. The patience appears set to pay off
Premji Invest leads $110m round for India's Mintifi
Premji Invest has led a USD 110m Series D round for Indian financial services platform Mintifi with support from Norwest Venture Partners, Elevation Capital and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
US, UK VCs invest Pakistan logistics start-up Trukkr
US-based Accion Venture Lab and Sturgeon Capital of the UK have led a USD 6.4m seed round for Pakistan’s Trukkr, a financial technology provider for the trucking industry.
Deal focus: Indian drone maker takes flight
Recently launched Indian VC firm SphitiCap is making a high-conviction investment in local industrial drone maker Garuda Aerospace. It hopes a sizeable debut fund will help carry the start-up to IPO
AVCJ Awards 2022: Deal of the Year – Mid Cap: Honour Line Shipping
Nexus Point Capital secured the acquisition of Honour Line Shipping despite higher offers from rival bidders because it did its homework on the industry and established good relations with the founders
Indian drone start-up Garuda Aerospace raises $22m
Recently established Indian VC firm SphitiCap has led a USD 22m Series A round for Garuda Aerospace, a local industrial drone maker and related services provider.
Advantage exits Japan dental supplier to local strategic
Japan’s Advantage Partners has agreed to sell Dental Holding, a local dental industry equipment distribution company, to Askul, an office equipment supplier, after a 2.5-year hold.
Deal focus: EdenFarm rethinks Indonesian agriculture
EdenFarm is tackling Indonesia’s fragmented agribusiness space with a B2B fresh produce marketplace that not only helps distribute crops, but helps them grow in the first place
Singapore accelerator targets packaging industry
Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and US packaging giant Avery Dennison are bankrolling a start-up accelerator that will explore everything from new boxing materials to tech-enabled tags.