Articles by Justin Niessner
Boulevard Capital invests $20m in Singapore's Stratech
Boulevard Capital Partners, a private equity investor focused on infrastructure including telecom towers, has agreed to invest $20 million in Singapore-listed surveillance technology specialist Stratech.
Vietnam e-commerce player Sendo gets $51m Series B
Sen Do Technology (Sendo), a Vietnamese e-commerce company that operates a C2C platform and payment service, has secured $51 million in Series B funding led by Japan’s SBI Group.
Golden Equator launches Brunei accelerator
Singapore’s Golden Equator has launched an accelerator in Brunei aimed at helping local small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) expand across Southeast Asia.
China-US computer vision start-up Clobotics gets $11m
Clobotics, a China and US-based computer vision start-up backed by a number of venture capital firms, has raised $11 million in Series A funding.
Japan's Line launches $10m token fund in Korea
Japan’s Line Corporation has set up a $10 million fund via a Korean subsidiary that will make token investments in early-stage blockchain start-ups.
Deal focus: BlackRock finds an entry into Taiwan solar
BlackRock Real Assets acquires a solar power portfolio from a Taiwan renewable energy specialist, marking a number of firsts for the firm
Data infrastructure: Steel and thin air
Wrongly dismissed as a mere communications upgrade, data infrastructure is a new asset sub-class unto itself. A growing field of investors is recognizing the evolving opportunity set
Nexus leads $8m Series A for India-US BPO platform
Nexus Venture Partners has led an $8 million Series A funding round for Observe.AI, a business process outsourcing (BPO) services provider based in the US and India.
Chinese electric car maker Nio files for US IPO
China’s Nio, an electric vehicle (EV) maker backed by a number of private equity firms, has filed for an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange that is expected to be the largest US listing for a Chinese car company to date.
Q&A: GLP's Yoshiyuki Chosa
Warehouse operator GLP is betting heavily on technology as it builds out capacity in the Tokyo region. Yoshiyuki Chosa, president of the company’s Japan unit, sketches a difficult but rewarding logistics market
Taiwan blockchain player Dexon gets $20m from IDG
IDG Capital has led a $20 million investment in Taiwan-based blockchain technology developer Dexon Foundation.
China commercial space start-up raises $44m Series B
China International Capital Corp (CICC) has led a RMB300 million ($44 million) Series B funding round for Chinese commercial space industry start-up One Space.
Golden Gate launches crypto, blockchain fund
Singapore’s Golden Gate Ventures has launched a cryptocurrency and blockchain fund in partnership with LuneX Ventures, a new firm established by Kenrick Drijkoningen (pictured), Golden Gate’s former head of growth.
Mekong exits Vietnam's Asia Chemicals for $8.9m
Vietnam-based Mekong Capital has exited its stake in Asia Chemical Corporation (ACC), a domestic industrial supplier, for $8.9 million, generating a gross return multiple of 2.6x and a gross IRR of 15.1%.
Sequoia, Accel lead $12m Series A for India's Metro Bikes
Sequoia Capital India and Accel Partners have led a $12.2 million Series A funding round for Metro Bikes, an India-based scooter rental provider. It coincides with the company rebranding as Bounce.
India's ASK Investment files for IPO
Indian asset and wealth management firm ASK Investment Managers, which operates private equity fund ASK Pravi as a joint venture with Pravi Capital, has filed for a domestic IPO.
Samsung to expand VC program in $22b innovation drive
Korea’s Samsung has committed KRW25 trillion ($22 billion) to a technology innovation drive that will focus strongly on domestic R&D and include an expansion of the company’s venture incubation program.
Hong Kong's Klook gets $200m Series D
Hong Kong travel services company Klook has closed a $200 million Series D funding round from a group of investors including Sequoia Capital China, Matrix Partners, and Goldman Sachs.
Malaysia's Khazanah names EPF CEO as managing director
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has appointed Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan, CEO of state-controlled Employees Provident Fund (EPF), as its new managing director.
China's CureGenetics gets $17m Series A round
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $17 million Series A funding round for Chinese biotechnology company CureGenetics.
GLP invests $58m in China's Wangjiahuan
GLP, a private equity-owned warehouse operator based in Singapore, has invested RMB400 million ($58 million) in Chinese agricultural products distributor Wangjiahuan.
Decheng leads Series C for China's Impact Therapeutics
Chinese biopharmaceuticals developer Impact Therapeutics has raised $30 million in Series C funding from a group of investors led by Decheng Capital.
Australia's OneVentures launches $74m venture debt fund
Australia’s OneVentures has partnered with Israel-based Viola Credit to launch a A$100 million ($74 million) venture debt fund that is said to be the first vehicle of its kind in Australia.
Technology risk: Big brother
Advanced technologies experiencing rapid commercialization such as artificial intelligence will be subject to a range of social and regulatory risks. Investors must not ignore the debate on ethical deployment