Technology
Philips uncertain over Lumileds sale to China's Go Scale
Dutch electronics giant Philips has cast doubt on the sale of its LED components and automotive lighting unit to a Chinese private equity consortium as it emerged that US regulators were looking into the deal.
Google invests in VC-backed Chinese start-up Mobvoi
Google has agreed to buy a significant minority stake in Mobvoi, a Chinese voice-activated mobile search services provider, as part of a $75 million Series C round of funding.
India delivery start-up Opinio gets $7m Series A round
Opinio, a hyperlocal delivery start-up based in India, has raised $7 million in a Series A round led by Indian logistics firm Delhivery. Sands Capital Ventures and existing investor Accel Partners also participated.
Q&A: Vertex China's Choon Chong Tay
Vertex Ventures’ China team recently raised their first fund independent of the Singapore parent. Managing Director Choon Chong Tay explains the organizational changes and discusses the team’s investment strategy
Tiger, Flipkart lead $7.7m round for India's Cube26
Tiger Global and Flipkart have led a INR500 million ($7.7 million) seed round for Cube26, an India-based developer of gesture control technology for smart phones.
Providence makes buyout offer for Australia's iSelect
Providence Equity Partners has submitted a buyout offer for iSelect, an Australian Securities Exchange-listed product comparison site specializing in insurance, household utilities and personal finance.
China's Wuxi Healthcare VC joins round for US genetics start-up
Wuxi Healthcare Venture, a corporate venture fund owned by China-based Wuxi Pharmatech, has participated in a $115 million Series E round of funding for 23andMe, a Silicon Valley-based genetics-testing company.
Hera Capital exits China's ActSocial to Linkfluence
Singapore-based private equity investor Hera Capital has agreed to sell its entire stake in Shanghai and Singapore-based social media analytics firm ActSocial to Linkfluence, a European company with a similar remit.
Monk's Hill commits $5m to Hong Kong-based Playlab
Hong Kong-based mobile game studio Playlab has raised $5 million in Series B funding from Monk's Hill Ventures.
IFC to invest $25m in India's BigBasket
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, will commit $25 million to Indian online grocer BigBasket.
SoftBank backs US-based Cybereason, supports Japan expansion
SoftBank Corp. has led a $59 million Series C round of funding for US-based Cybereason and will help the company distribute its cyber-security platform in the Japanese market.
Australian LPs and domestic VC: Toe in the water
Australian super funds are showing renewed interests in domestic venture capital, supporting firms that offer flexible structures with co-investment opportunities. Can this approach work for all GPs?
Hong Kong vs Singapore VC: Flawed comparisons
Singapore has easily surpassed Hong Kong in terms of venture capital investment for the last four years, but that data should be assessed in the context of wider industry dynamics
Deal focus: Electra plays the long game
Electra Partners Asia's exit of Zensar Technologies to Apax Partners brings to an end one of the longest investment holding periods ever seen in the region's private equity industry
Temasek, Silver Lake back Dell in $67b acquisition of EMC
Singapore's Temasek Holdings is supporting the $67 billion acquisition of data storage and cloud computing company EMC Corporation by US-based computer maker Dell. Other backers include Silver Lake and MSD Partners.
Apax buys stake in Indian IT player Zensar, Electra exits
Apax Partners has acquired a 23.2% stake in India-based Zensar Technologies for $129 million, providing an exit for Electra Partners, which has been an investor in the business since 1997.
Philippines' PLDT Capital backs US start-up
PLDT Capital, the recently-formed investment arm of Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), has committed $10 million to US mobile app development platform Phunware and will support expansion in Southeast Asia.
Sequoia, Kalaari commit $10m to India's Grabhouse
Sequoia Capital and Kalaari Capital have committed $10 million in Series B funding to Indian start-up Cryptopy Technologies, the developer of rental property listing platform Grabhouse.
Lippo sponsors Southeast Asia VC fund
Former Monk's Hill Ventures partner Stefan Jung has announced the launch of Venturra Capital, a new Southeast Asia-focused VC fund backed by the Lippo Group.
AGIC reaches $550m first close on China-Europe fund
Asia-Germany Industrial Promotion Capital (AGIC), a PE firm focused on China-Europe cross-border investments, has reached a first close of $550 million on its debut fund.
Convergence, Golden Gate in Series A for Singapore's MoneySmart
Singapore-based personal finance portal MoneySmart has raised S$2.8 million ($2 million) in a Series A round led by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Media Fund, with participation by Convergence Ventures, OPT SEA and Golden Gate Ventures.
Fund focus: Vertex strengthens its global foothold
Vertex Venture Holdings will use its new $600 million allocation from Temasek Holdings to invest in Vertex family funds across the US, Israel and China
Deal focus: H&Q’s reinvigoration factor
H&Q Asia Pacific's Silicon Valley-based innovation hub is intended to help established Asian companies find new avenues of growth in an increasingly challenging commercial landscape
Peepul Capital commits $15m to Indian online jeweler Voylla
Peepul Capital has committed $15 million to Indian online jewelry and accessory retailer Voylla.