Articles by Justin Niessner
India blockchain player raises $100m Series A
India’s 5ire, a one-year-old blockchain infrastructure provider focused on promoting sustainable crypto-relate practices, has raised USD 100m in Series A funding at a valuation of USD 1.5bn.
Glade Brook leads $20m round for Indonesia's Kitabeli
Glade Brook Capital Partners has led a USD 20m round for Kitabeli, which claims to be the largest fast-moving consumer goods social commerce platform in Indonesia’s lower-tier cities.
Australia retail AI player raises $30m
Tiger Global Management has led a USD 30m Series B round for Australia’s Hivery, an artificial intelligence (AI) developer for the retail industry.
Japan's MPower backs construction workers' platform
Japanese environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focused private equity firm MPower has led a JPY 1.8bn (USD 13.4m) investment in Sukedachi, a jobs platform for construction workers.
Global Brain leads $14.5m round for Japan's SmartBank
Japan’s Global Brain has led a JPY 2bn (USD 14.5m) Series A round for SmartBank, a local start-up that provides prepaid Visa cards and accompanying expense management apps.
India credit card player OneCard raises $100m
India’s OneCard, which operates a credit scoring platform and issues own-branded credit cards, has raised a USD 100m round led by Temasek Holdings.
TGVest helps Taiwan's KKday lift Series C to $95m
Taiwanese e-commerce and travel platform KKday has closed a protracted Series C capital raising process with USD 95m. Local private equity firm TGVest Capital led the latest tranche.
Hong Kong's Animoca Brands raises another $75m
Hong Kong’s Animoca Brands – a start-up with interests spanning gaming and the metaverse – has raised USD 75.3m from several VC firms. It brings total funding in the past eight months to about USD 500m.
Navis backs Singapore expansion for family office software provider
Navis Capital Partners has led a USD 38m Series C round for Eton Solutions, a US software provider for family offices currently establishing a Singapore office.
Lightspeed raises $500m for India, Southeast Asia
Lightspeed India Partners, which also targets Southeast Asia, has closed its fourth early-stage VC fund with USD 500m in commitments.
Southeast Asia tech: Resilient with an asterisk
Southeast Asia’s booming tech space no longer lends itself to an easy narrative. As start-up fever cools globally, the region charges forward. Cracks are beginning to show but so are counterintuitive bright spots
India's Axilor targets $100m for second seed fund
Indian seed investor Axilor Ventures has launched its second fund with a target of USD 100m. This compares to USD 30m for its first fund.
Singapore blockchain gaming start-up gets $20m
Singapore’s Oasys, a blockchain technology developer focused on web3 gaming, has raised USD 20m from several specialist crypto investors.
Quadrant exits Australia underwear brand to Swedish strategic
Quadrant Private Equity has exited Australian hygiene apparel brand Modibodi to Swedish strategic Essity for AUD 140m (USD 96m).
Navis exits Hong Kong's Texon to global strategic
Navis Capital Partners has exited its entire controlling position in Hong Kong footwear components supplier Texon to UK-listed Coats Group for an enterprise value of USD 237m.
Deal focus: Carlyle targets consumerism in ceramics
The Carlyle Group, like many investors, sees premiumisation as a natural outcome of the expansion of India’s middle class. It could be the first to test this thesis in the local building materials industry
Deal focus: India’s Shubham sees opening to accelerate
Shubham believes its long-curated datasets and institutional memory differentiate it from a growing pack of low-income housing lenders. Global impact investors appear convinced
Deal focus: Novel angle on mobile adoption gains traction
Cashify is leveraging and propelling India’s mobile penetration narrative at the most fundamental level. Adding tech to the secondhand smart phone space has allowed it to create a first-of-its-kind brand
Singapore blockchain player Rubix raises $100m
Singapore-based crypto transaction infrastructure provider Rubix has raised USD 100m from US-based LDA Capital to transition into a more web3-oriented and “green blockchain” model.
PAG launches Asia renewables platform
PAG plans to commit more than USD 1bn to renewables over the next several years with the launch of a platform dedicated to the development, construction, and operation of projects in Asia.
BII names new India head
British International Investment (BII), a UK development finance institution formerly known as CDC Group, has named 20-year private equity veteran Manav Bansal as its head of India.
Arpwood leads acquisition of India's Sterling Hospitals
Indian private equity firm Arpwood Capital has led the acquisition of Sterling Addlife India, operator of the Sterling Hospitals chain, for an undisclosed sum.
India affordable housing player raises $112m
Indian lower-income mortgage lender Shubham has raised USD 112m led by British International Investment (BII). It facilitates exits for Elevar Equity and Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE).
Bertelsmann to invest $500m in India
Bertelsmann India Investments has earmarked USD 500m, provided by its eponymous German parent, for investment in local start-ups. The VC unit’s total deployment since its launch in 2013 is USD 285m.