Articles by Justin Niessner
AVCJ Awards 2021: Exit of the Year – Small Cap; Operational Value Add: Integreon
Helping Integreon, an over-diversified outsourcing services company, re-focus and renew management was all part of the plan. Postponing the exit as COVID-19 amplified demand was the unexpected coup
Q&A: Sylvan Group’s Gerald Leong
Gerald Leong, a 25-year veteran of Asian private equity, believes returns-focused impact investment is the future of the industry. His new firm, Singapore-based Sylvan Group, will attempt to prove it
Deal focus: Quadria goes shopping in Vietnam
Singapore’s healthcare-focused Quadria Capital has made its most overtly consumer retail-oriented investment with Vietnam’s Con Cung. But the endgame is considered squarely on-strategy
Crescendo closes third Korea fund on $910m
Korean middle-market private equity firm Crescendo Equity Partners has confirmed a final close of USD 910m on its third flagship fund, beating a target of USD 700m.
Deal focus: Affirma sees promise in Asia e-scooters
Affirma Capital has led a USD 93m Series B round for Singapore-based e-scooter provider Beam, citing its ability to internationalise a locally-focused and increasingly popular business model
India banking start-up Niyo raises $100m Series C
Accel Partners and Lightrock India have led a USD 100m Series C round for India’s Niyo, which offers digital savings accounts and other banking services in partnership with traditional banks.
A91, Z3Partners lead Series B for India's Shipsy
A91 Partners and Z3 Partners have led a USD 25m Series B round for India-based Shipsy, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that helps companies automate logistics.
India's MediBuddy gets $125m Series C
Quadria Capital and Lightrock India have led a USD 125m Series C round for Indian healthcare platform MediBuddy.
Mubadala leads $500m round for Princeton Digital
Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment has contributed USD 350m to a USD 500m equity round for Singapore-based data centre developer Princeton Digital Group (PDG).
CLSA launches $500m China growth fund
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has launched a China growth fund focused on healthcare, smart manufacturing, renewable energy, tech-enabled media. The target is USD 500m.
GP profile: Creador
Creador claims to be Southeast Asia’s only middle-market GP with on-the-ground capacities across the region. But in-house post-deal support and nimble deal sourcing are its key differentiators
Deal focus: Tapping a soft spot for Asian VCs
Investment professionals in Asia know on a personal level exactly what education technology provider Cialfo is doing and why the service is a big help. Now they’re taking it to the next level
Navis poised for 6x return on TES-Envirocorp
Navis Capital Partners is set to generate a 6x return on its investment in Singapore-based TES-Enivrocorp, following an agreement to sell the environmental services provider to Korea’s SK Ecoplant at a valuation of USD 1bn.
Blue Owl recruits Pak-Seng Lai from UBS
Blue Owl Capital, a US alternatives manager expanding its Hong Kong operations, has hired Pak-Seng Lai, a managing director at UBS, to head its Asia Pacific private wealth business.
India's Uniphore raises $400m Series E
New Enterprise Associates (NEA) has led a USD 400m Series E round for Uniphore, an India and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer focused on speech recognition.
Vision Fund leads $144m round for Singapore lending platform
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a USD 144m equity round for Singapore small business lending platform Funding Societies.
Singapore's Sylvan buys four local healthcare companies
Sylvan Group, a Singaporean private equity firm set up by Hyundai scion Kyungsun Chung, has acquired majority stakes in four local healthcare companies for USD 140.5m. These represent its first investments.
New Zealand's Soul Machines raises $70m
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a USD 70m round for New Zealand-based Soul Machines, which specialises in creating lifelike digital employees for customer engagement.
US GP invests $30m in Australia's Protecht
US venture capital and private equity firm Arrowroot Capital has invested AUD 42m (USD 30m) in Australian enterprise risk management software and services provider Protecht Group.
Singapore's Next Gen Foods raises $100m Series A
Singapore-based Next Gen Foods, maker of vegetarian chicken brand Tindle, has raised a USD 100m Series A round featuring GGV Capital and Temasek Holdings’ Asia Sustainable Foods Platform.
India consumer media: Showtime
Investors navigate slim margins and a complex cultural landscape as new digital channels help Indian media rebound from COVID-19. Sector leaders are flirting with global expansion, but is it too early?
AVCJ Awards 2021: Exit of the Year – Mid Cap: Infogain
ChrysCapital has realized its largest-ever exit from a single-fund investment with IT services provider Infogain. In the process, it opened one of private equity’s richest cross-border opportunity sets
Altara raises $130m for Southeast Asia VC fund
Altara Ventures, a Singapore-based firm set up in 2020 by Boon Hwee Koh, former chairman of Singapore Airlines, Singapore Telecom, and DBS Bank, has closed its debut fund at USD 130m.
Monk's Hill names new partner in Indonesia
Singapore-based Monk’s Hill Ventures has appointed Jakarta native Susli Lie as a partner responsible for building the firm’s Indonesia business.