Articles by Justin Niessner
Deal focus: Carlyle targets consumerism in ceramics
The Carlyle Group, like many investors, sees premiumisation as a natural outcome of the expansion of India’s middle class. It could be the first to test this thesis in the local building materials industry
Deal focus: India’s Shubham sees opening to accelerate
Shubham believes its long-curated datasets and institutional memory differentiate it from a growing pack of low-income housing lenders. Global impact investors appear convinced
Deal focus: Novel angle on mobile adoption gains traction
Cashify is leveraging and propelling India’s mobile penetration narrative at the most fundamental level. Adding tech to the secondhand smart phone space has allowed it to create a first-of-its-kind brand
Singapore blockchain player Rubix raises $100m
Singapore-based crypto transaction infrastructure provider Rubix has raised USD 100m from US-based LDA Capital to transition into a more web3-oriented and “green blockchain” model.
PAG launches Asia renewables platform
PAG plans to commit more than USD 1bn to renewables over the next several years with the launch of a platform dedicated to the development, construction, and operation of projects in Asia.
BII names new India head
British International Investment (BII), a UK development finance institution formerly known as CDC Group, has named 20-year private equity veteran Manav Bansal as its head of India.
Arpwood leads acquisition of India's Sterling Hospitals
Indian private equity firm Arpwood Capital has led the acquisition of Sterling Addlife India, operator of the Sterling Hospitals chain, for an undisclosed sum.
India affordable housing player raises $112m
Indian lower-income mortgage lender Shubham has raised USD 112m led by British International Investment (BII). It facilitates exits for Elevar Equity and Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE).
Bertelsmann to invest $500m in India
Bertelsmann India Investments has earmarked USD 500m, provided by its eponymous German parent, for investment in local start-ups. The VC unit’s total deployment since its launch in 2013 is USD 285m.
Entrepreneur First raises $158m, targets SE Asia
UK-headquartered incubator Entrepreneur First (EF) has raised USD 158m, targeted in part at investment in Southeast Asian start-ups and expanding its reach in the region.
Tiger Global, Google join $40m round for India's Progcap
Tiger Global Management, Google, and Creation Investments have led a USD 40m investment in India’s Progcap, a financing services provider for small businesses.
India's Pine Labs buys VC-backed Setu
Indian financial technology company Pine Labs, which has raised more than USD 1.5bn in private funding, has acquired VC-backed counterpart Setu.
Deal focus: Confidence unwavering in SE Asia e-commerce
Singapore online shopping platform ShopBack hopes to extend a fledgling theme of Southeast Asian IPOs in the US amid threats to discretionary spending in its core markets
SeaTown invests $50m in Vietnam e-commerce enabler
SeaTown Holdings International, an alternatives manager owned by Temasek Holdings, has provided a USD 50m Series B round for Vietnamese e-commerce enabler OnPoint.
Asia Partners leads $80m round for Singapore's ShopBack
Singapore’s Asia Partners has led a USD 80m growth round for local e-commerce and retail rewards platform ShopBack.
India's Fundamental VC launches debut fund
Fundamental VC, an early-stage investor set up by two Indian angel investors and start-up ecosystem professionals, has launched its debut fund with a target of USD 130m.
NewQuest, Prosus lead $90m Series E for India’s Cashify
NewQuest Capital Partners and Prosus Ventures have led a USD 90m Series E round for India’s Cashify, a marketplace for used smart phones and gadgets.
Matrix seeks $450m for fourth India fund
Matrix Partners has launched its fourth India venture capital fund with a target of USD 450m.
Openspace, VI Group lead $25m round for Vietnam's Finhay
Openspace Ventures and VI Group have led a USD 25m Series B round for Vietnamese digital investment platform Finhay.
Malaysia's RPG Commerce raises $29m Series B
East Ventures has led a USD 29m Series B round for Malaysia-based direct-to-consumer (DTC) social e-commerce company RPG Commerce.
India's LeadSquared raises $153m Series C
Indian customer relationship management software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider LeadSquared has raised a USD 153m Series C round led by WestBridge Capital at a post-money valuation of USD 1bn.
Singapore e-commerce aggregator gets $45m
Singapore’s Rainforest, an aggregator of Amazon marketplace sellers, has raised a USD 45m round led by Southern Capital, which provided USD 15m.
Placement agents: Asian entries
Asia’s sparse placement agent scene is fleshing itself out despite macro headwinds, but the model is being revised to adapt to a changing market. This appears irreversible
LP interview: Hywin Holdings
US-listed Hywin Holdings is plugging China’s rich into private asset classes one handshake at a time despite increasing digitisation in this wealth migration theme. PE is a fast-growing slice of the pie