Articles by Justin Niessner
Vickers Venture Partners raises $63m
Singapore’s Vickers Venture Partners has reached an S$86 million ($63.3 million) first close for its fifth fund, which is targeting early and expansion stage Asian companies.
Brookfield, State Bank of India plan $1b distress fund
Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management has signed a preliminary agreement with the State Bank of India (SBI) to invest about INR70 billion ($1 billion) in stressed assets in India.
KKR’s Kravis sees Asia promise amid global macro volatility
Henry Kravis, co-founder of KKR, emphasized the importance of Asia’s rising middle class and the diversification of his firm’s investment approach as continued volatility globally is likely to deliver both uncertainty and opportunity.
New Zealand’s Oceania Natural gets $2.5m for HK base
New Zealand-listed health food and supplements producer Oceania Natural has secured HK$19.5 ($2.5 million) from a group of domestic and Chinese investors for the establishment of a Hong Kong subsidiary.
Diamedica gets $4m for China push
Hermed Capital Healthcare Fund, a PE vehicle managed by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group and Korea’s SK Group, has committed $4 million to a China expansion drive by US-based Diamedica.
500 Startups raises $8.3m for enlarged Thai fund
US-based 500 Startups has received $8.3 million in LP commitments for its Thailand-focused early-stage fund 500 TukTuks after expanding its targeted scope on the back of increased investor interest.
Protean Electric gets $70m round led by GSR, targets China expansion
GSR Ventures has participated in a $70 million financing round for Protean Electric, a US automobile equipment developer with an expanding operations base in China.
Chinese consortium agrees scaled back Opera deal
A PE-backed Chinese consortium has agreed a $600 million acquisition of the web browser business of Norway’s Opera Software after a full takeover bid worth $1.2 billion failed to attain government approval.
ChrysCapital, Reliance among anchors in L&T Infotech’s Indian IPO
ChrysCapital Investment Advisors India and Reliance Capital were among the anchor investors in L&T Infotech ahead of the IT services company’s INR12.4 billion ($184 million) Indian IPO.
Bain, Goldman Sachs to acquire Korea’s Carver
Bain Capital Private Equity and Goldman Sachs have agreed to acquire a majority position in Carver Korea, a specialist cosmetics supplier.
Nalanda part exits India's Carborundum Universal
Nalanda Capital has sold shares worth INR4.4 billion ($65.1 million) in Indian industrial materials company Carborundum Universal.
India’s VC-backed Yatra Online agrees backdoor US listing
VC-backed Yatra Online, an Indian travel services provider, has agreed to be acquired by a special purpose US buyout firm as part of a backdoor NASDAQ listing scheme that values the company at $218 million.
Mekong invests $6.9m in Vietnam's Wrap & Roll
Mekong Capital has invested $6.9 million in Wrap & Roll, a Vietnamese cuisine restaurant operator aiming to expand internationally.
Brookfield closes $14b global infrastructure fund
Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management has achieved a final close of $14 billion for a global infrastructure fund, exceeding the vehicle’s original target corpus of $10 billion.
Singapore VC: Get smart
Singapore’s smart nation urban development policy has attracted noticeable interest from the VC industry. The plan’s broad inclusiveness and lack of hard targets could bode well for its sustainability
BOV Capital launches $14.9m Sri Lanka VC fund
Sri Lanka and Singapore-based venture firm BOV Capital has launched its maiden INR1 billion ($14.9 million) vehicle, with a mandate to invest in early-stage Sri Lankan technology companies.
Terra Firma to exit Odeon & UCI Cinemas to Wanda's AMC
UK private equity firm Terra Firma will exit Odeon & UCI Cinemas for GBP921 million ($1.2 billion) to AMC Entertainment, a US-listed cinema chain operator owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group.
Greenstone acquires 20% stake in Australia's Metro Mining
Commodities-focused private equity firm Greenstone Resources has paid A$8.9 million ($6.7 million) for about a 20% stake in Australian coal and bauxite project developer Metro Mining.
Baring Asia, Onex buy Thomson Reuters unit for $3.5b
Baring Private Equity Asia and Canadian buyout firm Onex Corporation have agreed to acquire Thomson Reuters’ Intellectual Property and Science (IP&S) business for $3.5 billion.
Singapore’s Hera backs social media content publisher
Singapore private equity firm Hera Capital has made an undisclosed equity investment in My Social Book, a company that publishes personalized hardback scrapbooks, diaries and photo albums based on customers’ timestamped social media resources.
Advent makes two investments in Australia
Australia’s Advent Private Capital has made investments in two separate domestic social services companies on the back of two exits.
Singapore's Aslan Pharma raises $23m pre-IPO round
Singapore-based biotech company Aslan Pharmaceuticals has raised $23 million in a pre-IPO financing round that attracted participation from a range of new investors, including a number of Taiwanese groups.
Farallon raises $1.1b for Asia, Latin America special situations fund
Farallon Capital Management has closed its third special situations fund focused on Asia and Latin America at $1.1 billion.
Australia's Alchemy Ventures launches $150m fund
Australian venture capital firm Alchemy Ventures has launched a A$200 million ($150.3 million) fund that will focus largely on regional start-ups specializing in electric vehicle (EV) batteries.