Articles by Justin Niessner
Advantage backs Japan coffeeshop chain
Advantage Partners has agreed to invest about JPY7 billion ($64.6 billion) in Tokyo-listed coffeeshop and bakery chain Saint Marc.
Indonesia’s TaniHub secures $65.5m Series B
TaniHub, a platform that connects farmers with customers and other agriculture industry suppliers, has closed a $65.5 million Series B round led by MDI Ventures.
Lilly Asia leads $90m round for China's Duality Biologics
Lilly Asia Ventures has led a $90 million Series B round for Duality Biologics, a Chinese developer of oncology and autoimmune drugs.
Singapore fintech provider Thunes gets $60m
Insight Partners has led a $60 million round for Thunes, a Singapore-based financial technology provider specializing in B2B cross-border payments in developing markets.
Japan's UTEC seeks $275m for Fund V
University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC) has secured a first close of undisclosed size on its fifth deep tech fund and expects to exceed a target corpus of JPY30 billion ($275 million) next month.
India's Moglix raises $120m Series E at $1b valuation
Indian B2B services player Moglix has raised a $120 million Series E round led by Falcon Edge Capital and Harvard Management Company at a valuation of $1 billion.
Vietnam SOEs: Diverted divestments
Murky accounting and politics have rapidly decelerated the privatization of Vietnam’s government-owned companies in recent years. Private equity is biding its time and testing creative inroads
Japan microsatellite developer gets $24m Series C
Japanese microsatellite developer Axelspace has raised JPY2.6 billion ($24 million) in Series C funding from a group of domestic VCs, including Sparx Group.
KKR invests $95m in India's Lenskart
KKR has invested $95 million in Indian eyewear retail leader Lenskart via a secondary transaction that facilitated partial exits of undisclosed size for TPG Growth and TR Capital.
Hong Kong NFT player raises $89m at $1b valuation
Hong Kong’s Animoca Brands, a blockchain-based games developer diversifying into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), has raised $88.9 million from a group of VCs at a valuation of $1 billion.
Korea's VIG buys The Skin Factory
Korean mid-market private equity firm VIG Partners has acquired 100% of The Skin Factory, operator of domestic home and personal care products brand Kundal.
Philippines digital bank Tonik raises $17m
Tonik, which claims to be the first digital bank in the Philippines, has raised $17 million in pre-Series B funding led by Singapore’s iGlobe Partners.
Hong Kong crypto start-up gets $40m Series A
Sequoia Capital China, Tiger Global Management, and Boyu Capital have joined a $40 million Series A round for Hong Kong cryptocurrency services provider Babel Finance.
DFIs help Nepal impact fund to $40m first close
Development finance institutions (DFIs) featured prominently in a $40 million first close for the second impact fund from Nepal-focused Dolma Fund Management. The target is $75 million.
India retail: Bazaar bedrock
Traditional micro-retailers continue to dominate India’s consumer economy, thriving amid COVID-19, encroaching supermarkets, and the rise of e-commerce. So, why is investing in them so hard?
Japan's Infinity Ventures joins global alliance
Japan’s Infinity Ventures has teamed up with US and Europe-based E.ventures as well as its Brazilian affiliate Redpoint Eventures to form a global VC under the name Headline.
Blackstone sweetens offer for Australia's Crown Resorts
The Blackstone Group has improved its take-private offer for Crown Resorts, valuing the Australian casino operator at about A$8.3 billion ($6.5 billion).
China's MSA Capital backs Saudi B2B start-up
China’s MSA Capital has joined a $30.5 million round for Saudi Arabian B2B services marketplace Sary as part of a deepening Asia-Middle East agenda.
India's Teachmint raises $16.5m Series A
Indian education technology provider Teachmint has raised a $16.5 million Series A round led by US-based specialist investor Learn Capital.
Asia Partners leads round for SE Asia e-commerce enabler
Asia Partners has led an approximately S$50 million ($37.4 million) round for Southeast Asia-focused cross-border e-commerce enabler SCI Ecommerce.
Female-focused Indonesia lending platform raises $28m
Amartha, a financial services provider for women-led micro and small to medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Indonesia, has raised $28 million in VC funding.
L Catterton backs Indonesia's Social Bella
L Catterton has made its first investment in Indonesia, leading a $56 million round for Social Bella, operator of the beauty industry platform Sociolla.
GP profile: Samena Capital
Conservative yet contrarian, Samena Capital has carved its own path prioritizing patience, trust, and transparency. A younger generation of leadership is guiding entry into a new digital landscape
Australia's SafetyCulture hits $1.7b valuation
Australian workplace safety platform SafetyCulture has achieved a valuation of A$2.2 billion ($1.7 million) following a A$99 million round led by Insight Partners.