Articles by Justin Niessner
India’s HealthifyMe raises $30m
LeapFrog Investments and Khosla Ventures have led a USD 30m pre-Series D round for India-based mobile health and fitness app HealthifyMe.
Hong Kong's AIA commits $200m to LeapFrog
Hong Kong-listed insurance company AIA Group has agreed to commit USD 200m to various funds managed by LeapFrog Investments, a UK-based impact investor with an extensive Asia footprint.
Nuvama leads $53m round for India's Course5
India’s Nuvama Asset Management, formerly Edelweiss Wealth Management, has led a USD 53m investment in local data analytics start-up Course5 Intelligence.
Deal focus: Evermos extends impact to social commerce
Indonesia’s Evermos has more than doubled its total funding as investors see promise in a social commerce model that prioritises cottage industries and underemployed women
Q&A: Jafco Asia’s Shahan Sud
Singapore’s Jafco Asia, a division of Japanese VC mainstay Jafco, hired Shahan Sud last year as its first in-country investment director for India. He explains a cross-border bridge long in the making
Praxis invests $170m in Korea's Beyond Music
Korean private equity firm Praxis Capital has led a USD 170m investment in local music rights investment and management company Beyond Music.
Canadian pensions retreat from China
Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) is the latest investor identified as part of an apparently sweeping reduction of Canadian pension fund exposure to China.
EMIA backs Cambodia logistics provider
Singapore-based private equity investor Emerging Markets Investors Alliance (EMIA) has confirmed an investment of undisclosed size in Cambodia’s FWF Full Well and Nisshin Logistics.
Australia's PE-backed Silk Laser set for take-private
Australia-listed Silk Laser Clinics, a non-surgical aesthetics business backed by local PE firm Advent Partners, has signalled it intends to accept a take-private offer from Hong Kong’s EC Healthcare.
Kazakhstan investor backs TVM SE Asia healthcare fund
Qazaqstan Investment Corporation (QIC), a private equity fund-of-funds set up by the Kazakhstan government, has invested in a Southeast Asia fund managed by TVM Capital Healthcare.
Singapore’s Capillary Technologies gets $45m Series D
India-founded and Singapore-headquartered retail industry software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider Capillary Technologies has raised a USD 45m Series D round featuring India’s Avaatar Ventures.
HSBC commits $3bn to Greater China venture debt fund
HSBC has earmarked USD 3bn for a Hong Kong and mainland China start-up lending programme. It marks the bank’s first foray into venture debt in Asia.
Dymon backs take-private of Singapore’s Challenger Technologies
Dymon Asia Private Equity has launched a SGD 224m (USD 180m) take-private bid for Challenger Technologies in conjunction with the Singapore-listed electronics retailer's CEO.
Asia private credit: Muffled momentum
The conservative virtues of private credit relative to private equity have come into fashion in a risk-off world. But global participation in the Asian side of the story will be limited
Square Peg leads round for India payments start-up
Australia’s Square Peg Capital has led a USD 10.2m pre-Series A round for India-based payments technology provider XFlow.
Indonesia e-commerce player Evermos gets $39m Series C
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has led a USD 39m Series C round for Evermos, an Indonesian social commerce platform that positions itself as an impact play.
Australian satellite provider Fleet gets $33m Series C
Australian satellite maker and services provider Fleet has closed a AUD 50m (USD 33m) Series C round led by Blackbird Ventures following an aggressive foray into mining.
Singapore's BandLab raises $25m
Singapore-based social music creation platform BandLab has raised USD 25m from Cercano Management, formerly Vulcan Capital, a vehicle established by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen.
UK, India-based Builder.ai raises $250m Series D
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has led a USD 250m Series D round for UK and India-based Builder.ai, a low-code business software platform that compares is modularity to Lego blocks.
Deal focus: PrimeMovers buys Malaysia machinist in debut deal
PrimeMovers, which spun out from Platinum Equity last year, and UK-based Lingotto Investment Management have jointly acquired Malaysian precision manufacturing company EngTek
Fund focus: Foreign LPs creep into Japan VC
Japan’s Dimension has closed its first fund since spinning out from Dream Incubator, more than doubling its prior vintage and tracking increased interest among regional institutional investors
Australia's Giant Leap closes second impact fund with $30m
Australian impact VC investor Giant Leap has closed its second fund with about AUD 45m (USD 30m) in commitments. The firm raised AUD 15m for Fund I in 2016.
General Atlantic raises exposure to India's PhonePe
General Atlantic has invested USD 100m in India’s PhonePe only four months after providing the payments platform with a USD 350m round at a pre-money valuation of USD 12bn.
KKR invests $120m in Vietnam school operator
KKR has invested USD 120m in Vietnam school operator EQuest Education via its global impact fund. The deal comprises a combination of debt and equity.