manufacturing
Baidu Ventures joins Series B for China retail AI player
Baidu Ventures has joined a Series B round of undisclosed size for SandStar, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) developer focused on the retail sector. It brings total investment to date to $25 million.
Thailand's Pomelo gets $52m Series C
Thailand-based fashion retailer Pomelo has raised a $52 million Series C round from a group including Hong Kong’s Provident Growth. It is being called the first-ever Series C for a Thai start-up.
Tencent, Sequoia lead $100m Series C for China’s Smart Fabric
Smart Fabric, a start-up that seeks to digitize China’s textile industry, has received a $100 million Series C round jointly led by Tencent Holdings and Sequoia Capital China.
Quadrant to acquire Australia's Love To Dream
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity has agreed to acquire a majority interest Love To Dream, a domestic baby care brand focused on swaddles and sleepwear.
Korea culture plays: Brands apart
Korean pop music is being used as a marketing tool for a long tail of consumers products and services. While investors are keen to leverage star power, they recognize it doesn’t last forever
Everstone invests in India's Translumina
The Everstone Group has invested in Translumina Therapeutics, a global manufacturer of medical devices based in India.
Japan's JPIC backs $33m round for Atonarp
Japan Post Investment Corporation (JPIC) has backed a $33 million Series C round for Atonarp, a Tokyo-based molecular diagnostics systems developer that uses artificial intelligence (AI).
J-Star exits Japanese auto industry supplier
J-Star has sold Tokai Trim, a Japanese manufacturer of seat covers for cars and motorcycles, to domestic hotel chain operator Rembrandt Holdings.
PEP to acquire APAC business of US-based Horizon
Australia’s Private Equity Partners (PEP) has agreed to pay A$340 million ($230 million) for the Asia Pacific division of US automotive industry equipment supplier Horizon Global.
Korea's Pavilion to pay $54m for firefighting business
Korea’s Pavilion Private Equity has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in domestic firefighting equipment maker Paratech for about KRW65 billion ($54 million).
KKR to acquire China business of Hong Kong-listed NVC
KKR has announced a strategic partnership with Hong Kong-listed lighting solutions company NVC Lighting in which the GP will acquire a controlling stake in NVC’s mainland China business.
Japan Industrial Partners makes tender offer for Nippon Avionics
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has agreed to buy NEC Corporation's majority stake in Tokyo-listed electronics supplier Nippon Avionics and launched a tender offer that values the company at about JPY3.1 billion ($28.4 million).
Japan space tech start-up raises $100m
Synspective, a Japan-based satellite developer and orbital data services provider, has raised $100 million in a Series A round with participation from a group including SBI Investment.
Korea's Moiin launches $100m VR fund
Korean virtual reality (VR) hardware developer Moiin has announced plans to launch a $100 million venture capital fund in the US focused on immersive gaming companies globally.
Chinese B2B electronic components platforms raises Series A
Sequoia Capital China and Eastern Bell Venture Capital have led a RMB250 million ($36.3 million) Series A round for Lichuang Mall, a Chinese B2B online trading platform that specializes in electronic components.
Chinese smart robot maker files for US IPO
Chinese cloud-based robotics developer CloudMinds has filed for an IPO in the US with a view to raising up to $500 million.
Samsung Ventures makes first India investments
Samsung Ventures has made its first Indian investments, committing $8.5 million across four local start-ups.
Japan's JBIC backs $788m Russian chemicals project
The Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) has teamed up with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), a sovereign wealth fund, to invest at least RUB50 billion ($788 million) in a chemical complex in western Russia.
KKR agrees $2.2b sale of Japan's Kokusai Electric
KKR will sell Kokusai Electric – a semiconductor-focused thin film manufacturing business acquired from Hitachi approximately 18 months ago – to US-listed Applied Materials for $2.2 billion in cash.
Deal focus: Peepul’s power grab pays off with CNPS exit
Peepul Capital has secured an exit from Indian power supply maker CNPS, selling the business to Japan's Fuji Electric seven years after acquiring a majority stake
Deal focus: KKR drives KCF ahead of schedule
KKR generates a healthy exit for its third pan-Asian fund by helping Korean copper components supplier KCF Technologies build up exposure to a booming electric vehicle market
VIG to make full exit from Korea's Samyang Optics
VIG has agreed to make a full exit from Korean camera lens manufacturer Samyang Optics – having taken the business public in 2017 – and will realize a 3.5x gross return on its investment.
Peepul sells Indian UPS maker to Fuji
Peepul Capital has agreed to sell its entire stake in Consul Neowatt Power Solutions (CNPS), a maker of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) based in India, to Japan's Fuji Electric.
Trade war to trigger manufacturing revolution - M&A Forum
China-US trade tensions will drive a second wave in the One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR) as Chinese companies relocate lower-end manufacturing to new markets, according to Victor Fung, group chairman of Fung Group, a Hong Kong multinational with interests...