Articles by Justin Niessner
Australia's Anacacia completes final exit from debut fund
Australia’s Anacacia Capital has realized the final exit from its debut fund with the sale of its majority stake in workplace equipment provider RIS Safety to domestic investor Bricktop Group.
Thailand's Beacon leads $6.5m round for local fintech player
Beacon Venture Capital, the VC unit of Thailand’s Kasikornbank, has led a $6.5 million investment in Jitta, a local financial technology provider and stock analysis platform operator.
New Zealand’s Direct Capital invests retirement village operator
New Zealand’s Direct Capital has acquired a minority stake in local retirement village operator Qestral Corporation for an undisclosed sum.
Australia's EVP closes second VC fund at $25m
Australia’s Equity Venture Partners (EVP) has closed its second VC fund at A$35 million ($25 million). It will make early-stage investments in local B2B software companies.
Intudo closes second Indonesia fund at $50m
Intudo Ventures has closed its second fund focused exclusively on Indonesian early-stage companies at $50 million. The firm raised $20 million for its debut vehicle last year.
Warburg Pincus backs $200m investment in Indonesia's NWP
Warburg Pincus has backed a $200 million funding round for Indonesian shopping mall developer NWP Retail.
Sequoia leads $226m Series D for Singapore’s Zilingo
Sequoia Capital India has led a $226 million Series D round for Singapore-based Zilingo, a fashion e-commerce platform and provider of ancillary services.
New Zealand's Enterprise Angels launches third fund
Enterprise Angels, a New Zealand angel investor network that focuses on domestic IT, agriculture, food, horticulture, life science and biotech companies, has launched its third early-stage VC fund.
General Atlantic seeks to leverage local presence in Indonesia
General Atlantic has opened an office in Indonesia, citing a need for an intensified local presence to leverage strong domestic growth trends in the firm’s core domains of technology, financial services, healthcare, and consumer.
India's 3one4 achieves first close on $50m VC fund
Indian venture capital firm 3one4 Capital has reached a first close on a INR3.5 billion ($50 million) fund with INR1.5 billion in commitments.
GP due diligence: Stones unturned
The expansion of private equity activity in developing markets is translating into greater due diligence pressure on LPs seeking reliable fund managers. Solutions are intuitive but difficult
Japan Airlines launches $70m VC fund
Japan Airlines (JAL) has provided $70 million for a venture capital fund focused on transportation technology start-ups. It will be managed by US-based TransLink Capital.
CDC appoints new managing director
CDC Group has named Stephen Priestley (pictured) as a new managing director with a focus on South Asia and Africa.
VCs commit $15m to Japanese AI specialist
A group of venture capital firms, including SBI Investment, have invested $15 million in a Series B round for Cinnamon, a Japanese artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on office automation.
Nomura, Carlyle bid for Japan’s Orion Breweries
Japanese investment bank Nomura and The Carlyle Group have made a JPY52.1 billion ($477 million) tender offer as part of a proposed management buyout of Japan-based beer maker Orion Breweries.
Corsair exits DP World Australia
Corsair Capital has agreed to exit most of its controlling stake in DP World Australia to the shipping services provider’s original corporate parent.
Malaysia's OSK invests Singapore's Blue Planet
Malaysian private equity firm OSK Ventures International has made an investment of undisclosed size in Singapore waste management company Blue Planet Environmental Solutions.
Japan’s TEPCO backs $100m Southeast Asia cleantech fund
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), Singapore’s WEnergy Global, and ICMG Partners, a start-up accelerator with bases across Asia and the US, have launched a $100 million fund focused on clean energy innovation in Southeast Asia.
Co-investment: Partners in time
The decision to commit due diligence resources to a potential co-investment balances complex factors around timing, strategy, and relational comfort. Efficiency and patience are indispensable virtues
China's Gobi makes its first two Philippines investments
China’s Gobi Partners has made its first investments in the Philippines with early-stage commitments of undisclosed size for online healthcare services provider Maria Health and student portal operator Edukasyon.
Immunochina secures $20.5m Series C round
Beijing-based Immunochina Pharmaceuticals has closed a RMB140 million ($20.5 million) Series C round with support from a group of investors including PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
Indonesia's Warung Pintar gets $27.5m Series B
Warung Pintar, an Indonesia-based smart kiosk start-up, has raised IDR390 billion ($27.5 million) in Series B funding from a group of investors including East Ventures.
China VC firm Qiming announces promotions
China’s Qiming Venture Partners has announced the promotion of several staff members, including Stella Zhou (pictured), who is the first person to be elevated from associate to partner within the firm.
Macro uncertainty: Mind games
A maze of strategies, philosophies, and preconceptions is underpinning a sense of confidence among alternatives investors as global economic uncertainty mounts. It must be navigated carefully