Articles by Justin Niessner
Indonesia tech: Sleeping giant
Bullishness around Indonesia’s young online economy has been encouraged by a handful of VC-backed homeruns and promising demographics. Achieving scale in new business models remains a sticking point
Singapore's RE Lee Capital launches alternatives program
Singapore-based RE Lee Capital has confirmed it will launch a series of alternative asset investment products across the next three months and commit up to $60 million to pre-seed technology start-ups.
Softbank leads $25m round for Singapore fintech player
Softbank Ventures Korea has led a $25 million Series B round for Funding Societies, a Singapore-based financial technology company focused on crowdfunding and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending.
VCs back $12m Series B for Japan's Optical Comb
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has joined a group of VCs in a JPY1.3 billion ($12 million) Series B round for Optical Comb, a Tokyo-based auto industry supplier that uses advanced 3D scanning technology.
Singapore's Zimplistic gets $30m Series C round
Singapore-based household automation technology developer Zimplistic has raised a $30 million Series C funding round led by Credence Partners and EDBI.
Australia’s QIC receives $427m super fund mandate
The global private capital division of Australia’s QIC has received a A$550 million ($427 million) private equity mandate from domestic superannuation fund Rest.
India's Reliance to acquire VC-backed Embibe
Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries has agreed to invest up to $180 million for a 73% stake in Embibe, a domestic educational technology start-up backed by Kalaari Capital and Lightbox Ventures.
VCs invest $12m in US, Southeast Asia-based Element
A number of Asian VCs including MDI Ventures, a unit of Telkom Indonesia, have joined a $12 million Series A round for Element, a biometrics technology developer based in New York, Jakarta, and Singapore.
Allianz invests $35m in Indonesia's Go-Jek
Germany-based financial services giant Allianz Group has confirmed a $35 million investment in Indonesian ride-hailing and delivery platform operator Go-Jek.
Panasonic invests $100m in US-Japan VC fund
Panasonic has committed $100 million as the sole LP in a fund managed by US-based Conductive Ventures that will focus on helping technology start-ups access Japanese markets.
Japan's KDDI, Global Brain launch third VC fund
Japan’s KDDI Corporation and Global Brain have established their third VC fund with a view to investing JPY20 billion ($187 million) over the next five years.
Deal focus: CHAMP wine exit seen as the toast of Australia
CHAMP Private Equity took two divisions of Constellation Brands and turned them into a diversified portfolio of premium wine brands. It has secured a more than 5x money multiple for its efforts
New Zealand's Farm Venture launches $109m agri fund
Farm Venture, a farm property investment and operations management business based in New Zealand, has launched an agribusiness fund that aims to raise NZ$150 million ($109 million).
Singapore's Pavilion commits $50m to education fund
Pavilion Capital, a private equity unit of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has agreed to invest $50 million in an education fund that will support various country-specific preschool acquisition programs.
TPG, CX exit India's Healthium to Apax
Apax Partners has acquired Indian medical devices supplier Healthium Medtech, facilitating exits for TPG Growth and CX Partners.
China's CMAB Biopharma gets $34m Series B
CD Capital, a Chinese healthcare-focused VC also known as CDBI Partners, has led a $34 million Series B round for CMAB Biopharma, a manufacturing services provider for biologic product developers.
Qiming appoints Steven Hu as partner
Qiming Venture Partners has rehired a former partner, Steven Hu (pictured), as a partner focused on investment in the internet and consumer sectors.
Temasek, Sailing lead $114m round for Impossible Foods
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and China’s Sailing Capital have led a $114 million round for Impossible Foods, a US-based vegetarian food technology company currently expanding into Asia.
Macquarie closes Asia infra fund at $3.3b
Australia’s Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has achieved a final close for its second Asia-focused infrastructure fund at the hard cap of $3.3 billion.
Tokio Marine sells Japanese food wholesaler to iSigma
Tokio Marine Capital has sold Japanese food wholesale distribution business Shokukai to iSigma, a buyout firm controlled by trading and investment conglomerate Marubeni.
Unison buys Japanese restaurant chain
Unison Capital has acquired Sukesan, a Japanese udon noodle restaurant operator, for an undisclosed sum.
VCs back $60m round for US, China-based Singlera Genomics
Chinese VCs Green Pine Capital Partners and Prosperico Ventures have led a $60 million Series A investment in US and China-based cancer diagnosis specialist Singlera Genomics.
Fund focus: CIC fund sees upside in trade chaos
A China-Europe cross-border VC fund backed by CIC plans to back technology companies positioned to benefit from new trade dynamics
VCs invest $15m in Australian space, IoT start-up
Myriota, an Australian space technology company focused on orbital internet-of-things (IoT) connectivity systems, has closed a $15 million Series A round led by Main Sequence Ventures and Blue Sky Venture Capital.