Articles by Justin Niessner
Salesforce invests $15m in India's Darwinbox
Salesforce Ventures has invested $15 million in Darwinbox as part of the Indian staff management technology provider's latest growth round. It brings funds raised to date to about $35 million.
Prosus leads $30m Series C for India agtech start-up
Prosus Ventures, formerly a VC arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers, has led a $30 million Series C round for Indian agricultural technology provider DeHaat.
Fund focus: Endiya sees India’s early-stage upside
Having scaled up in fund size to $75 million for its second vintage, Endiya Partners is looking for opportunities in an increasingly attractive yet competitive Indian start-up ecosystem
Asia fund administration: Odd jobs
COVID-19 is the latest in a growing list of drivers causing private equity firms to outsource various operations. The trend is implacable but inherently flexible
Lake Bleu raises $560m for Asia pre-IPO healthcare fund
Lake Bleu Capital, a Hong Kong-based private equity investor focused on healthcare, has raised $560 million for a pre-IPO fund targeting Asia with an emphasis on Greater China.
Navis invests in Singapore fintech supplier Moneythor
Navis Capital Partners has made an investment of undisclosed size in Moneythor, a Singapore financial technology supplier focused on digital banking.
SEAF hits first close on Southeast Asia women’s fund
The Southeast Asia division of US-headquartered impact private equity firm SEAF has reached a first close of at least $16 million for a women’s economic empowerment fund.
SoftBank Ventures backs Japanese sneaker marketplace
SoftBank Ventures Asia has led a JPY2.2 billion ($21.2 million) Series B round for Japan’s Soda, operator of the online sneaker marketplace Snrk Dunk.
Silver Lake raises $20b for global tech fund
Silver Lake has closed its sixth global buyout fund at the hard cap of $20 billion as the US tech investor exhibits a growing appetite for mega-deals in Asia. Its prior vintage raised $15 billion in 2017.
Portfolio: MSPEA and Korres
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia helped ethical Greek cosmetics maker Korres beef up an underweight international presence with a plan that will see China become the main growth engine
Australia's VC-backed Xpansiv raises $40m pre-IPO round
Australia and US-based Xpansiv CBL, a VC-backed marketplace for clean commodities such as carbon offsets and renewable fuels, has raised $40 million with plans to list in Sydney this year.
Hanwha leads $300m Series A for Grab's financial unit
Korea’s Hanwha Asset Management has led a $300 million Series A round for the financial services unit of Singapore-based ride-hailing and services platform Grab.
Fund focus: Asian LPs amplify Mekong’s ambitions
Travel restrictions forced Mekong Capital to look closer to home when raising its latest fund, but the manager was already building out a more Asia-centric LP base
Korea media platform gets $12m Series C
Korea’s SV Investment has led a $12 million Series C round for local media and advertising platform Dable at a valuation of around $90 million.
Novo Tellus backs Singapore semiconductor industry supplier
Novo Tellus Capital Partners has invested S$23.6 million ($17.7 million) in Grand Venture Technology, a Singapore-listed provider of testing, assembly, and engineering services for semiconductor manufacturing.
Hong Kong's ORI hits first close on Fund II, exits Kymab
Hong Kong healthcare-focused VC firm ORI Capital has reached a first close of $112 million on its second fund and exited its largest investment, UK biotech developer Kymab, as part of a $1.1 billion deal.
Myanmar's Ascent appoints two managing partners
Myanmar-based private equity firm Ascent Capital Partners has strengthened its leadership with the naming of two new managing partners. It follows a final close for the firm’s debut fund.
KKR closes Asia infrastructure fund at $3.9b
KKR has reached a final close on its first Asia Pacific-dedicated infrastructure fund at the hard cap of $3.9 billion. It is being called the largest pan-regional infrastructure fund ever raised.
Sequoia leads $150m Series B for China's Visen Pharma
China’s Visen Pharmaceuticals, a drug developer targeting glandular conditions such as dwarfism and growth deficiency has raised a $150 million Series B round led by Sequoia Capital China.
Adamantem sells Australia's Servian to US strategic
Australia’s Adamantem Capital has agreed to sell its position local data analytics consultancy Servian to US counterpart Cognizant for an undisclosed sum.
Carlyle leads $123m Series D for China's Abbisko
The Carlyle Group - investing through its Asia growth fund - has led a $123 million Series D round for Chinese cancer-focused biotech developer Abbisko Therapeutics.
India's Z3 Partners hits first close on debut VC fund
India venture capital firm Z3 Partners has reached a first close of INR1 billion ($13.6 million) on its debut fund, which will invest in early-stage technology start-ups.
India B2B marketplace Udaan raises $280m
Udaan, an India-based B2B marketplace, has raised $280 million from an investor group that includes existing backers Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tencent Holdings, DST Global, GGV Capital, and Altimeter Capital.
India's Endiya closes second fund at $75m
India’s Endiya Partners has closed its second early-stage venture capital fund with about $75 million in commitments.