Articles by Justin Niessner
CLSA launches early-stage fintech unit
Hong Kong’s CLSA has launched an investment unit called AlphaLabs that will back early-stage financial technology companies in Asia.
Chinese autonomous driving player RoboSense raises $45m
RoboSense, a VC-backed company based in China that develops sensing technology for autonomous cars, has raised about $45 million from strategic investors including Alibaba Group and domestic carmaker SAIC Motor Group.
Philippines investors defy systemic risks – AVCJ Forum
Industry participants at the AVCJ Philippines Forum praised the country’s macro fundamentals but attributed slow maturation of the local investment environment to a range of complex underlying factors.
US regulation: Cold shoulder
New trade legislation in the US is set to have important ramifications for Chinese private equity deal making in a range of data-related technology segments. Macro effects, however, may be muted
Sequoia leads $27m round for India's BlackBuck
Sequoia Capital India has led an approximately $27 million investment in Indian logistics services company BlackBuck.
India's Droom gets $30m Series E round
The family office of Joe Hirao, founder of Japanese media platform ZigExN, has led a $30 million Series E round for Indian used-car trading marketplace Droom.
Riverside exits Australian orthopedics player
The Riverside Company has sold Australia’s Global Orthopaedic Technologies (GOT) for an undisclosed sum to Corin Orthopaedic, a UK-based firm recently bought by Permira.
KKR, Tencent lead $175m investment in PLDT fintech unit
KKR and Tencent Holdings have led a $175 million investment in a financial technology unit of Philippines telecom giant PLDT. It is said to be the largest ever investment in a local technology company.
Mitsui leads $40m Series B for Singapore's Campana
Mitsui & Co has led a $40 million Series B round for Campana Group as the data network infrastructure company advances the installation of an undersea fiber cable system between Singapore and Myanmar.
Venturra leads $26m round for Philippines' First Circle
Venturra Capital has led a $26 million Series A round for First Circle, a Philippines-based lending platform operator focused on small to medium-sized enterprises (SME).
Blockchain VCs invest $20m in Singapore's AI Grid
A group of VCs specializing in blockchain-related investments has backed a $20 million round for The AI Grid Foundation, a Singapore-based company that promotes decentralized renewable energy usage.
Direct Capital exits New Zealand's Cavalier Wool
New Zealand’s Direct Capital has exited its remaining 13.7% stake in domestic carpet manufacturing industry services provider Cavalier Wool Holdings (CWH) for an undisclosed sum.
Australia's Blue Sky agrees $36m debt deal with Oaktree
Special situations investor Oaktree Capital has extended a loan package worth up to A$50 million ($36 million) to Australia-listed Blue Sky Alternative Investments following a string of regulatory breaches.
Blackbird joins $14m round for Australia space player
Australia’s Blackbird Ventures has joined a A$19 million ($13.7 million) Series B round for local rocket developer Gilmour Space Technologies.
Deal focus: PingCap sees borderless future in the cloud
Fosun Group and Morningside Venture Capital lead a $50 million Series C round to support PingCap's US-China cloud database services push
Deal focus: Fave scales fast as Southeast Asia goes O2O
Malaysia-based Fave raises $20 million to connect Southeast Asia's conservative small businesses with the region's emerging cashless economy
Partners Group agrees $142m Australia wind farm acquisition
Partners Group has agreed to pay Macquarie Capital and Renewable Energy Systems (RES) A$200 million ($142 million) for a construction-stage wind power project in Australia.
FountainVest pursues $5.3b European sports acquisition
A consortium including FountainVest Partners and Chinese athletics supplier Anta Sports have made a preliminary offer to acquire Finland-based Amer Sports for about EUR4.6 billion ($5.3 billion).
Secondary staples: Structural dynamics
GP-led restructurings are going mainstream, including complex transactions that combine primary and secondary commitments. As deal demand grows, so do concerns about risk
GLP, GIC to establish $2b China logistics fund
GLP, a private equity-owned warehouse operator based in Singapore, has teamed up with GIC Private to establish a $2 billion logistics fund focused on China.
Carlyle invests in Chinese pharma industry supplier
The Carlyle Group has paid an undisclosed sum for a significant minority stake in Ambio, a US-based pharmaceuticals company with substantial operations in China.
Temasek commits $400m to India's NIIF
Temasek Holdings has agreed to invest up to $400 million in India’s National Investment Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).
Accel-KKR backs New Zealand's Seequent
Accel-KKR, a US-based private equity firm created by Accel Partners and KKR, has made a growth-stage investment of undisclosed size in New Zealand data visualization software provider Seequent.
Sequoia joins $20m Series B for Malaysia's Fave
Sequoia Capital India has joined a $20 million Series B funding round for Fave, a Malaysia-based online-to-offline (O2O) platform operator that covers a range of consumer categories across Southeast Asia.