Articles by Justin Niessner
Pacific Century’s insurtech business extends Series A to $210m
Pacific Century Group’s insurance technology business, Bolttech, has extended a recent $180 million Series A round to $210 million in total.
Australia's Liverpool Partners acquires coffee brand
Australian private equity firm Liverpool Partners has acquired a majority stake in Seven Miles Coffee Roasters, a branded coffee supplier to the local cafe segment.
Hong Kong’s Airwallex raises $200m at $4b valuation
Hong Kong-based Airwallex has raised a $200 million Series E round led by Lone Pine Capital at a valuation of $4 billion. A $300 million Series D in March valued the company at $2.6 billion.
LP interview: Japan Investment Corporation
Japan Investment Corporation aims to help a sparse venture capital market catch up with a slightly more mature buyout space. Balancing private and public interests remains the key challenge
Fund focus: Lever leverages spiking food tech appetite
The debut fund from Hong Kong’s Lever VC has tapped an infection point in global demand for food innovation. A mix of motivators for entering this space makes the hype feel less like a bubble
8F reaches $61m first close on SE Asia aquaculture fund
8F Asset Management, a Singapore-based GP dedicated to developing a sustainable salmon business, has hit a first close of $61 million on its second fund, which will build out Southeast Asian operations.
India's Cars24 closes Series F, sees valuation double
Indian used car platform Cars24 has closed a $450 million Series F round and received $110 million in debt funding. It nearly doubles the company’s valuation to $1.84 billion.
Invesco commits $100m to India's Pine Labs
Invesco has announced a $100 million commitment to Indian financial technology provider Pine Labs. It comes two months after the company closed a $600 million pre-IPO round.
500 Startups closes $140m global fund, rebrands
500 Startups has closed its largest-ever global fund at $140 million, while simultaneously rebranding as 500 Global and expanding its strategy to include later-stage deals.
Australia's Canva raises $200m at $40b valuation
Australian design and workplace collaboration platform Canva has raised $200 million at a valuation of $40 billion - up from $15 billion five months ago and $3.2 billion in 2019.
STIC leads $100m round for Carousell at $1.1b valuation
Korea’s STIC Investments has led a $100 million round for Carousell, a Singapore-based mobile classifieds marketplace for secondhand goods, at a valuation of $1.1 billion.
Indonesia payments player Xendit raises $150m Series C
Indonesian digital payments infrastructure provider Xendit has raised a $150 million Series C round led by Tiger Global Management at a valuation of around $1 billion.
Hong Kong’s Lever VC closes food fund at $80m
Hong Kong-based food tech investor Lever VC has reached a final close of $80 million on its debut fund, which launched in August last year with a target of $50 million.
Australia's SiteMinder secures $73m pre-IPO round
Australia-based hotel booking platform has raised a A$100 million ($73 million) pre-IPO round led by BlackRock and AustralianSuper.
India blue-collar HR start-up gets $24m
Indian blue-collar workforce management platform BetterPlace has raised a $24 million Series C round led by CX Partners and Jungle Ventures.
EQT extends Australia IT rollup play
EQT-owned Nexon Asia Pacific, an Australia-based IT services provider, has acquired local counterpart Veridian Solutions for an undisclosed sum. This is its third bolt-on in as many months.
Virtual reporting: Lost in translation
GP-LP reporting in the age of remote portfolio assessments and stilted video catchups leaves much to be desired. Both sides are trying to bridge the divide, but no best-practice approach has emerged
Square Peg leads $55m round for Indonesia's Pluang
Square Peg Capital has led a $55 million Series B round for Indonesian micro-savings and micro-investment app Pluang.
Jungle hits $225m first close on fourth SE Asia VC fund
Singapore-based Jungle Ventures has reached a first close of $225 million for its fourth Southeast Asia fund after four months in the market. The target is $350 million.
India home interiors player raises $50m Series E
IIFL Asset Management has led a $50 million Series E round for Indian interior design start-up HomeLane.
India's Leap Finance raises $55m Series C
US education technology specialist Owl Ventures has led a $55 million Series C round for Leap Finance, an Indian start-up that helps students pay for overseas studies.
Carlyle joins $221m round for Japan's Spiber
The Carlyle Group’s Japan team has completed its first minority deal, participating as a cornerstone investor in a JPY24.4 billion ($221 million) round for local biomaterials developer Spiber.
PayPal to acquire Japan's Paidy for $2.7b
PayPal has agreed to buy Japan’s Paidy, a specialist in deferred e-commerce payments backed by several private equity investors, for about JPY300 billion ($2.7 billion).
Baring Asia invests $150m in Singapore game developer
Baring Private Equity Asia has invested $150 million in Singapore-based game developer Virtuos, becoming the largest external shareholder.