Articles by Justin Niessner
NDE reaches $357m close on Fund II, raises hard cap
Chinese private equity firm NDE Capital has confirmed a third close for its second fund with $357 million in commitments, surpassing a $350 million hard cap. It has raised the targeted corpus to $450 million.
New Zealand PE: Hidden gem
Private equity is taking a bigger piece of New Zealand’s small economic pie. Investors must act opportunistically to exploit substantial potential in an inconspicuous but engaging middle market
Monk's Hill names new Malaysia venture partner
Singapore-based Monk’s Hill Ventures has engaged Mohd Ridzwan (Reez) Nordin as a Malaysia-based venture partner.
Warburg Pincus establishes Vietnam infrastructure platform
Warburg Pincus and industrial conglomerate Becamex IDC have agreed to set up a $200 million platform to develop institutional-grade infrastructure and logistics properties in Vietnam.
India's HealthifyMe gets $12m Series B
Sistema Asia Fund, a VC unit of Russian conglomerate Sistema, has led a $12 million Series B funding round for Indian fitness lifestyle app operator HealthifyMe.
NAB Ventures backs $4.6m round for Australia's ActivePipe
NAB Ventures, a unit of National Australia Bank (NAB), has invested A$5.9 million ($4.6 million) in ActivePipe, a Melbourne-based software supplier for the real estate industry.
Deal focus: Navis thinks long, goes fast with MFS
Navis Capital Partners sees MFS Technology - the first exit from its seventh fund - as the initial manifestation of a strategy that takes a long-term view on a target industry's development but focuses on rapid implementation of value creation plans
Allergan to acquire Australia's VC-backed Elastagen
Allergan, a US-listed pharmaceutical company and the owner of Botox cosmetic injectable products, has agreed to acquire Elastagen, an Australian skin treatment developer backed by a number of VCs, in a deal worth up to $260 million.
Sailing invests $30.6m in China-US biopharma player
Sailing Capital has invested $30.6 million in Cellular Biomedicine Group (CBMG), a China and US-based biopharmaceutical company focused on immunotherapy cancer treatments.
VCs back New Zealand supercomputing company
A group of VCs including Tokyo-headquartered East Ventures has completed an $8.5 million Series A round for New Zealand big data computing company Nyriad.
Japan Post: Stamp of approval
A newly launched private equity vehicle under the Japan Post brand is being hailed as a validation of the asset class domestically. It could be a critical juncture for the development of local technology markets
VCs back $41m investment in Japan's WealthNavi
Japanese financial technology company WealthNavi has raised JPY4.5 billion ($41.3 million) through a combination of domestic venture capital funding and loans from financial institutions.
EDBI joins $100m Series B for flying taxi start-up
Singapore’s EDBI has joined a group of venture investors in a $200 million Series B round for US-based Joby Aviation, a developer of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft envisioned for use as taxis.
CITIC Capital leads Series D for Organica Water
CITIC Capital has led a $21 million Series D investment in Organica Water, a US-based environmental infrastructure company with extensive operations in Asia.
Navis to exit Singapore's MFS Technology with 3x return
Navis Capital Partners has agreed to exit its controlling position in Singapore-based circuit board maker MFS Technology. The GP will generate a 3x money multiple and an IRR of more than 40% on the investment.
Asia VCs invest $10m in US-Singapore biotech player
A group of VCs led by China’s 6 Dimensions Capital and Sino-US investor Danhua Capital (DHVC) has committed $10 million to US and Singapore-based Engine Biosciences.
Q&A: WisdomTree's Jesper Koll
Jesper Koll, head of Japan for WisdomTree Asset Management, summons 30 years of Japanese investment experience to predict a durable growth story where an aging population has its advantages
Accel invests $50m in India’s BrowserStack
Accel Partners has invested $50 million in BrowserStack, an Indian IT company that supplies enterprise clients with internet and mobile software testing infrastructure.
Partners Group nets 3.2x on Japan Solar through Equis Energy sale
Partners Group has confirmed a 3.2x return on its investment in Japan Solar as part of a previously announced larger Asia energy acquisition by Global Investment Partners (GIP).
Vertex leads $5m round for Malaysia's StoreHub
StoreHub, a Malaysia-based business that helps retailers digitize their operations, has raised a $5.1 million Series A round of funding led by Vertex Ventures.
VCs back Singapore's Bluzelle in $19.5m ICO
A group of venture capital firms specializing in blockchain technologies, including Hong Kong’s Kenetic Capital, has joined a $19.5 million initial coin offering (ICO) investment in Singapore-based database provider Bluzelle.
Deal focus: Rokid attracts interest as household AI heats up
The Series C round for smart household device manufacturer Rokid underlines investor interest in China-based artificial intelligence plays
LeapFrog leads $47m round for India's NeoGrowth
LeapFrog Investments has led a $47 million funding round for NeoGrowth Credit, a financial technology company that offers flexible loans to small retailers in India.
Atinum leads $9m round for Korean fintech player
Korean venture capital firm Atinum Investment has led a KRW10 billion ($9.4 million) funding round for domestic financial technology company Tera Funding.