Articles by Justin Niessner
Exacta seeks $350m for SE Asia fund, wins ADB support
Singapore’s Exacta Capital Partners, a PE firm affiliated with Mizuho Asia Partners, has received USD 25m from Asian Development Bank (ADB) for its latest fund. The target is USD 350m.
Australia, US carbon reporting start-up raises $9m
Understory Ventures, an Australian environmental impact investor, has led a USD 9m Series A round for Australia and US-based carbon reporting technology provider Flintpro.
India's 360 One invests $28m in data analytics provider
India’s 360 One Asset Management, formerly IIFL Wealth & Asset Management, has invested USD 28m in local data analytics start-up Course5 Intelligence.
Constantinople raises Australia's largest-ever seed round
Australia’s Square Peg Capital has led a AUD 32m (USD 21.3m) seed round for local banking software provider Constantinople. It is being called the largest-ever seed investment in Australia.
Singapore's Bolttech raises $196m
Singapore’s Bolttech, the insurance technology business of Pacific Century Group, has raised a USD 196m round led by Japanese insurer Tokio Marine at a valuation of USD 1.6bn.
Investcorp completes debut China control deal
Investcorp has acquired a controlling stake in China’s Shandong Jianuo Electronics, a components supplier for the electric vehicle (EV) and renewable energy industries, for an undisclosed sum.
East Ventures closes follow-on fund at $250m
East Ventures has announced a first and final close of USD 250m on its latest follow-on fund, bringing capital raised in the past 12 months to USD 835m.
Deal focus: Indonesia food delivery goes daily
Indonesia’s Uena claims to have penetrated an untapped corner of Indonesia’s booming app-driven food delivery space. Scaling shouldn’t be overly costly, but there are menu-level nuances to consider
Fund focus: Patience pays for off for Movac
New Zealand VC firm Movac has exceeded expectations with its latest vintage, trading individuals and families for institutions, some of which are entering the asset class for the first time
Profile: Mandala Capital’s Uday Garg
Uday Garg realised an unlikely career arc from tennis to private equity with the establishment of India’s Mandala Capital. This was guided by a passion for achieving impact in food and agriculture
India's Convergent invests $49m in Puma sportswear spinout
Convergent Finance, a private equity firm founded by former Fairfax India head Harsha Raghavan, has invested INR 4bn (USD 49m) in Agilitas Sports, a local spinout of German sportswear giant Puma.
Apax invests $450m in India’s IBS Software, Blackstone exits
Apax Partners has agreed to pay USD 450m for a significant minority stake in India’s IBS Software, a travel and logistics industry supplier, enabling an exit for The Blackstone Group.
Japan’s Dimension closes second VC fund on $75m
Dimension, a spinout of Japan’s Dream Incubator, has closed its second VC fund with JPY 10.1bn (USD 75m) in commitments.
Macquarie Capital acquires majority stake in India’s CloudExtel
Macquarie Capital, the investment arm of Australia’s Macquarie Group, has acquired a 51% stake in Indian digital connectivity technology provider CloudExtel for about USD 100m.
Blackstone falls short in bid to delist India's R Systems
The Blackstone Group has failed to delist Indian IT provider R Systems due to insufficient interest from public shareholders six months after agreeing on a majority acquisition.
Singapore coffee chain raises $50m Series B
US-based VC firm White Star Capital has led a USD 50m Series B round for Singapore's Flash Coffee, an app-driven coffee chain.
Singapore wine cleantech start-up raises $10m
Singapore’s EcoSpirits, a start-up focused on low-carbon technology for the wine industry, has raised a USD 10m Series A round led by US circular economy specialist Closed Loop Partners.
Bessemer pledges USD 1bn for global AI deals
Bessemer Venture Partners, a US-based early-stage investor currently expanding a longstanding presence in India, has earmarked USD 1bn for artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups globally.
Japan's Genesia closes Fund III on USD 110m
Japan’s Genesia Ventures, a seed-stage tech investor with a presence in Indonesia and Vietnam, has closed its third fund on USD 110m.
CLSA exits Japan parking lot operator to Advantage
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has agreed to sell Japanese coin-operated parking lot business Ecolocity to Advantage Partners for an undisclosed sum.
Japan's SMBC, Incubate set up USD 200m Asia VC fund
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) has established a USD 200m growth and late-stage pan-Asian VC fund in partnership with Japan’s Incubate Fund, which will co-manage the vehicle.
Japan VC: Global appetites
The relatively recent advent of sizeable VC funds and high-profile start-ups in Japan has exposed long-simmering ambitions to be more international. This could be a breakout moment
Sweef's Asia women-focused fund makes debut investment
Singapore’s Sweef Capital, a women-focused impact investor, has made its first investment, providing an undisclosed sum to Vietnamese children’s technical academy Teky Alpha.
India EV player BluSmart raises $42m
India’s BluSmart, an integrated electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing and charging business, has raised USD 42m in a funding round featuring BP Ventures.