Articles by Justin Niessner
EQT buys Australian aerospace business
EQT Partners has agreed to pay Australian logistics conglomerate Brambles $130 million for its aviation industry services unit, Chep Aerospace Solutions.
Sequoia leads $55m round for India, US-based Freshdesk
Sequoia Capital has led a $55 million Series F round of funding for India and US-based customer support platform provider Freshdesk.
Blockchain: Ethereal frontiers
As blockchain segments mature in Asia, private equity and venture capital investors will benefit from a range of new entry points. Pitfalls related to the technology’s obscure nature, however, will persist
J-Star owned insurer makes bolt-on acquisition
J-Star will take control of Japanese insurance provider Hunel FEA through a bolt-on acquisition by existing portfolio company Nihon Hoken Service.
J-Star acquires Japan’s Asiro
J-Star has acquired Japan’s Asiro, an online marketing platform provider for lawyers, for an undisclosed sum.
India's Ather Energy raises $31m for electric motorcycles
Indian motorcycle giant Hero MotoCorp will invest about INR2 billion ($31 million) in domestic VC-backed electric vehicle (EV) start-up Ather Energy.
NZVIF, Enterprise Angels to invest $14m in NZ start-ups
The New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), a government-sponsored fund-of-funds, and domestic investor Enterprise Angels plan to commit about NZ$20 million ($14.3 million) to local start-ups over the next four years.
Simmons invests in Malaysia's Leap Energy
Simmons Private Equity (SPE), an energy-focused investor based in the US, has acquired Malaysian oil company Leap Energy as part of a plan to establish a global upstream consulting group.
Deal focus: IFM swoops on Australian energy assets
With recent bids by Chinese investors for Australian power network Ausgrid blocked by regulators, IFM saw an opportunity to salvage the deal for itself
IDG, Walden lead $65m round for US-China AI start-up
IDG Capital Partners and Walden International have led a $65 million Series B funding round for US and China-based artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics company Rokid.
US-based PE firm to pay $53m for Australian bookkeeping assets
A consortium led by US private equity firm Housatonic Partners will acquire a majority stake in the Australian records management unit of New York-listed business services provider Iron Mountain for $A70 million ($53 million).
Intel Capital announces two China investments
Intel Capital, the captive VC arm of Intel Corp, is backing two Chinese data and connectivity start-ups as part of a $38 million investment package across 12 companies.
US fintech raises $5m for Philippines, Southeast Asia push
Quona Capital has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for US-based financial technology start-up Coins. It will support an expansion in Southeast Asia with an emphasis on the Philippines.
India's Techcelx launches $15m tech fund
Indian technology investment firm and accelerator Techcelx has launched a INR1 billion ($15 million) venture fund targeting domestic companies in banking, education and healthcare.
Indian government sets up $9m VC fund
The Indian government has launched a INR600 million ($9 million) fund-of-funds to support domestic start-ups in rural and agriculture-focused industries.
Deal focus: VIG sees upside in sector that will never die
Korea's ageing population means greater demand for funeral services and smaller household sizes suggest a growing need for support to pay for them. In Good Sangjo, VIG Partners believes it has a business that can capitalize on these trends
Deal focus: Korean start-up looks beyond fintech logjam
Viva Republica's payments app is said to be the fastest-growing of its kind globally, but the company is now looking to expand into other geographies and other areas of financial services
IFC commits $11m to Indonesian gas producer's IPO
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested $11 million in Indonesia-based Aneka Gas Industri as part of the gas production company’s domestic IPO.
China regulation: Low-gear revolution
A nationwide extension of the relaxed foreign investment policies available in China's free trade zones should simplify a cumbersome deal-making environment. Wider sector openings, however, remain on hold
Genuine Startups, Ideo launch Japanese VC fund
Japan’s Genuine Startups and US design company Ideo have launched a Tokyo-based venture capital unit that will invest in domestic early-stage companies with plans for international expansion.
500 Startups launches $50 million Southeast Asia fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has launched its second seed fund focused on Southeast Asia, with a targeted corpus of $50 million.
PE-backed ZTO Express files for US IPO
China-based logistics operator ZTO Express has filed for an IPO in the US. Sequoia Capital and Warburg Pincus are the most significant private equity backers with stakes of 7.2% and 6.1%, respectively.
J-Star buys Japan aged care services provider
J-Star will take control of Japanese aged care provider Live Cross through a bolt-on acquisition by the firm’s existing portfolio company Kairos Tokyo.
PE-backed Continental Warehousing files for India IPO
Indian logistics provider Continental Warehousing has filed for a domestic IPO, setting up The Abraaj Group for a full exit. Warburg Pincus is expected to make a partial exit.