Articles by Justin Niessner
China's Ono gets $16m Series A round
A group of VCs including China Growth Capital have agreed to invest $16 million in Ono, a China-based company that claims to be the creator of the first decentralized social network.
Singapore's M17 abandons US IPO
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has abandoned plans for a $60.1 million IPO in the US citing unspecified difficulties with some investors.
Oaktree-backed DDH1 makes Australian drilling bolt-on
DDH1, an Australian drilling company backed by Oaktree Capital Management, has acquired 100% of domestic counterpart Strike Drilling as part of a platform-based consolidation plan.
China early-stage investment round-up
Venture capital deals involving IDG Capital, Orchid Asia, Fosun Group, Matrix Partners, ZhenFund, Sky9 Capital, CDH Investments, Meridian Capital, Eastern Bell Venture Capital, SIG, and Qianhai FoF
Blackbird leads $10m round for Australia's Propeller Aero
Blackbird Ventures has led a $10 million Series A round for Propeller Aero, a cloud-based analytics technology supplier focused on drone use in heavy civil and resources industries.
Japan demographics: New normal, new entries
Private equity investors see potential for growth in Japan’s demographic contractions. Countercyclical and tangential consolidation strategies are the preferred gambits in a churning macro environment
CVC acquires Malaysia's Munchy Food Industries
CVC Capital Partners has acquired 100% of Malaysia-based food company Munchy Food Industries for an undisclosed sum.
Blackstone closes debut Asia PE fund at $2.3b
The Blackstone Group has achieved a final close on its maiden Asia-focused private equity fund at a revised hard cap of $2.3 billion.
Chinese smart vehicle start-up raises $500m
Byton, a China-based manufacturer of smart electric cars backed by Legend Capital, has secured a $500 million Series B funding round from a group of domestic strategic investors.
Beyond backs Hong Kong electric motor company
Hong Kong-based Beyond Ventures has joined a $10 million round for ePropulsion Innovation, a domestic technology developer focused on electric motors for recreational boating.
Pivotal China seeds Sino-US cancer drug developer
Pivotal BioVenture Partners China, an investment platform of Hong Kong conglomerate Nan Fung Group, has led a $16.5 million seed round for Sino-US cancer drug developer Oncologie.
Australia's Prospa delays trading after $112m IPO
Prospa, an Australian financial technology company backed by a number of local VCs, has raised A$146.5 million ($112 million) in a domestic IPO. Trading of the stock has been postponed, however, amid a regulatory review.
US PE firm acquires India's Shakedeal
US-based private equity firm Vora Ventures has acquired Indian B2B marketplace operator Shakedeal for an undisclosed amount.
Bain makes Australia education bolt-on
Bain Capital Private Equity has acquired Australian child care services provider Little Learning School in a bolt-on to existing portfolio company Only About Children (OAC).
PE-backed Bigo raises $272m Series D
Chinese media platform operator YY has led a Series D round for Bigo Live, a Singapore-based video streaming company backed by Ping An Insurance, with a $272 million commitment.
ICOs: Normalizing the future
The application of virtual tokens as investment instruments is modernizing the venture capital industry. Stakeholders are discovering a range of pitfalls and possibilities during the transition
GIC-backed Greenko raises $447m, plans acquisition
Greenko Energy, an Indian renewable energy producer owned by the Singapore sovereign wealth fund, GIC Private, has raised $447 million primarily from GIC and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA).
VIG invests $129m in Korean eyewear retailer
VIG Partners has agreed to pay KRW137.5 billion ($129 million) for an approximately 42% stake in Korean beauty contact lens and fashion sunglasses retailer Star Vision.
US, China-based Protean gets $40m Series E
Chinese automotive industry supplier Weifu High Technology Group has led a $40 million Series E round for Protean Electric, a US and China-based auto equipment developer backed by a number of VC investors.
Warburg Pincus launches India BPM platform
Warburg Pincus has established an India-based platform for investment globally in business process management (BPM), an area of enterprise services focused on systems modelling and technical consulting.
Japan's Gumi raises $30m for blockchain VC fund
Gumi, a Japanese mobile game publisher backed by a number of VCs, has secured $30 million for a venture capital fund that will invest in blockchain and cryptocurrency start-ups.
SoftBank's Japanese AI incubator targets $55m fund
Deepcore, a Japanese incubator focused on artificial intelligence (AI) that was set up last year by Softbank Corp, has launched a fund targeting JPY6 billion ($55 million) for seed to early-stage companies.
Ijara Capital acquires Pakistan's Quick Foods
Pakistan-based private equity firm Ijara Capital Partners has acquired a 100% stake in domestic frozen food company Quick Foods Industries for an undisclosed sum.
Wine in China: Nurturing the vine
Private equity interest in wine is set to increase as its role in the China luxury goods thesis comes further into focus. Culture, character, and copycatting will be at the top of investors’ strategic agenda