Articles by Justin Niessner
VCs back $40m round for Korea's Fantom Foundation
Fantom Foundation, a Korean blockchain technology company, has received a $40 million funding round from a number of specialist investors, including US-based 8 Decimal Capital and Singapore’s Link VC.
NZ Super names Whineray as new CEO
New Zealand Superannuation (NZ Super) has appointed its CIO Matt Whineray as CEO following a global search process.
Delta Capital closes Myanmar fund at $70m
Delta Capital Myanmar, formerly known as PMM Partners, has achieved a final close of about $70 million for its second private equity fund. The GP was targeting $100 million.
Deal focus: Byton plans China luxury breakthrough
Legend Capital-backed Byton plans to pursue global expansion in the luxury electric car market with the help of a $500 million Series B round
Macquarie exits 80% stake in Australia wind farm
Macquarie Capital has exited an 80% holding in Australian wind farm project Lal Lal, with Canada-based Northleaf Capital Partners and UK-based Infrared Capital Partners each taking 40% stakes.
Qiming leads $37m round for China's Alpha Biopharma
China’s Qiming Venture Partners has led a $37 million Series A investment in domestic biopharmaceutical start-up Alpha Biopharma.
Deal focus: Australia’s Propeller reaches new heights
Australian big data start-up Propeller Aero raises $10 million round aimed at developing its aerial data analytics software
Korea’s Viva Republica raises $40m
Singapore’s GIC Private and Sequoia Capital China have invested a combined $40 million in Korean financial technology company Viva Republica.
CEO of Malaysia's Cradle Fund killed by mobile phone malfunction
Nazrin Hassan, CEO of Cradle Fund, died on June 14 due to blast injuries incurred when his mobile phone exploded, the Malaysian venture capital firm has confirmed.
China's Ono gets $16m Series A round
A group of VCs including China Growth Capital have agreed to invest $16 million in Ono, a China-based company that claims to be the creator of the first decentralized social network.
Singapore's M17 abandons US IPO
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has abandoned plans for a $60.1 million IPO in the US citing unspecified difficulties with some investors.
Oaktree-backed DDH1 makes Australian drilling bolt-on
DDH1, an Australian drilling company backed by Oaktree Capital Management, has acquired 100% of domestic counterpart Strike Drilling as part of a platform-based consolidation plan.
China early-stage investment round-up
Venture capital deals involving IDG Capital, Orchid Asia, Fosun Group, Matrix Partners, ZhenFund, Sky9 Capital, CDH Investments, Meridian Capital, Eastern Bell Venture Capital, SIG, and Qianhai FoF
Blackbird leads $10m round for Australia's Propeller Aero
Blackbird Ventures has led a $10 million Series A round for Propeller Aero, a cloud-based analytics technology supplier focused on drone use in heavy civil and resources industries.
Japan demographics: New normal, new entries
Private equity investors see potential for growth in Japan’s demographic contractions. Countercyclical and tangential consolidation strategies are the preferred gambits in a churning macro environment
CVC acquires Malaysia's Munchy Food Industries
CVC Capital Partners has acquired 100% of Malaysia-based food company Munchy Food Industries for an undisclosed sum.
Blackstone closes debut Asia PE fund at $2.3b
The Blackstone Group has achieved a final close on its maiden Asia-focused private equity fund at a revised hard cap of $2.3 billion.
Chinese smart vehicle start-up raises $500m
Byton, a China-based manufacturer of smart electric cars backed by Legend Capital, has secured a $500 million Series B funding round from a group of domestic strategic investors.
Beyond backs Hong Kong electric motor company
Hong Kong-based Beyond Ventures has joined a $10 million round for ePropulsion Innovation, a domestic technology developer focused on electric motors for recreational boating.
Pivotal China seeds Sino-US cancer drug developer
Pivotal BioVenture Partners China, an investment platform of Hong Kong conglomerate Nan Fung Group, has led a $16.5 million seed round for Sino-US cancer drug developer Oncologie.
Australia's Prospa delays trading after $112m IPO
Prospa, an Australian financial technology company backed by a number of local VCs, has raised A$146.5 million ($112 million) in a domestic IPO. Trading of the stock has been postponed, however, amid a regulatory review.
US PE firm acquires India's Shakedeal
US-based private equity firm Vora Ventures has acquired Indian B2B marketplace operator Shakedeal for an undisclosed amount.
Bain makes Australia education bolt-on
Bain Capital Private Equity has acquired Australian child care services provider Little Learning School in a bolt-on to existing portfolio company Only About Children (OAC).
PE-backed Bigo raises $272m Series D
Chinese media platform operator YY has led a Series D round for Bigo Live, a Singapore-based video streaming company backed by Ping An Insurance, with a $272 million commitment.