Articles by Justin Niessner
Qiming joins $12.6m round for China's Wuxi Vision
Qiming Venture Partners and Ruijan Capital have contributed RMB80 million ($12.6 million) to a Series B round for Wuxi Vision Pro, a Chinese ophthalmic medical device maker with operations in the US.
Australia's NAB to sell MLC wealth management arm
National Australia Bank (NAB) has confirmed it will sell MLC, a wealth management unit that operates the country’s largest retail superannuation fund.
ESG: Policy pitfalls
Environmental, social and governance management must be handled properly to leverage its promised performance improvements. Risks around poor execution cut across all aspects of private equity
Deal focus: CITIC backs China geothermal energy player
Investing in Icelandic geothermal energy required a certain level of creative thinking from CITIC Capital and China Everbright. But their partner, Artic Green Energy, is already making a difference in China's polluted cities
HQ raises $250m for Asia secondaries fund
HQ Capital has closed an Asia-focused secondaries fund at the hard cap of $250 million as part of an oversubscribed global fundraising drive that has received $674 million in third-party commitments.
Lilly Asia leads $25m round for US-based Avedro
Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) has led a $25 million round for Avedro, a US-based ophthalmic pharmaceutical and medical devices company with a view to expanding in Asia.
Fund focus: Pencarrow underlines New Zealand interest
Pencarrow Private Equity closed its fifth fund at $176 million without the support of long-time backer New Zealand Superannuation Fund. Other LPs were happy to come in for a piece of the country's lucrative middle market
Singapore's Dymon closes Fund II at $450m
Singapore-based Dymon Asia Private Equity (DAPE) has closed its second fund targeting lower middle-market companies in Southeast Asia with $450 million in commitments. It had initially targeted a corpus of $350 million.
EV in Asia: Easy riders
Higher scooter and motorcycle use rates in Asia suggest an opening for the region to take the lead in clean mobility. Early investors in electric two-wheelers have outlined the opportunity
SIG leads $13.5m round for US, China-based Castbox
SIG China has led a $13.5 million Series B funding round for Castbox, a US and China-based podcasting platform with content in multiple languages.
China VC specialization to accelerate as ecosystem expands
China’s venture capital ecosystem is set to see a rapid proliferation of niche sector funds as overall economic growth piques domestic competition in the asset class.
New Zealand's Pencarrow closes Fund V at $176m
New Zealand-based Pencarrow Private Equity has reached a first and final close of NZ$250 million ($176 million) for its fifth fund after eight weeks on the market. It had targeted a corpus of NZ$200 million.
Deal focus: MiningLamp brings AI to low-tech China
China Renaissance backs MiningLamp's ambitions to power the information processing needs of China's small businesses
Japan’s D4V closes debut venture fund at $46m
D4V, a firm set up by Japanese seed-stage investor Genuine Startups and US-based design consultancy Ideo, has closed its debut venture capital fund with more than JPY5 billion ($46 million) in commitments.
Sinovation confirms Fund IV close at $500m
Chinese VC firm Sinovation Ventures has confirmed a final close for its fourth fund at the targeted corpus of $500 million.
CPPIB promotes Kim in Asia leadership reshuffle
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has promoted Suyi Kim to the role of senior managing director and head of Asia Pacific, along with additional changes in the firm’s Asian leadership.
Singapore accelerators: Corporate orientation
The rise of corporate-backed innovation programs in Singapore suggests the emergence of a new model for start-up development. Stakeholders are monitoring the pros and cons of the phenomenon
Eight Roads launches $275m China tech fund
Eight Roads Ventures, the proprietary investment arm of Fidelity International, has launched a China-focused technology fund worth $275 million. The parent company is the sole LP.
Shenzhen Capital backs Asia push by US 3D printing player
Shenzhen Capital has joined a $30 million Series C round for US-based 3D printing company Formlabs that will support an expansion effort in China and Asia.
PE to find few inroads in renewable energy
Renewable energy appears set to remain a fringe interest for private equity investors despite rapid sector growth and significant opportunity for disruption.
PE investment in Indonesia infra set to increase
Indonesia appears set to see more private equity investment in its growing infrastructure space as an early phase of government-dominated investment transitions into a more complex financing environment.
Japan hiking app provider gets Series B
Japan-based hiking app provider Yamap has raised a JPY1.2 billion ($11.1 million) Series B funding round from a group of domestic investors including Advantage Partners-owned outdoor sports equipment retailer Ishii Sports.
Paragon leads $20m round for India's Chai Point
Paragon Partners has led a $20 million Series C funding round for India-based Chai Point, a chai tea store operator that claims to be the country’s largest brand in its category.
VCs invest $25m in Japan's Plaid
Japanese digital marketing services provider Plaid has raised JPY1.5 billion ($25.1 million) from a group of VCs including existing investor Eight Roads Ventures Japan and Femto Partners.