Articles by Justin Niessner
Australia’s Square Peg raises $240m for third VC fund
Australian VC firm Square Peg Capital has received initial commitments of A$350 million ($240 million) for its third fund from investors including Hostplus and AustralianSuper.
Redmayne leaves CVC to join Searchlight
James Redmayne, a 14-year veteran of CVC Capital Partners who spent the last seven years in Asia, has joined the London-based team at Searchlight Capital Partners.
Sequoia joins $21m Series A for Philippines digital bank
Sequoia Capital India and US-based Point72 Ventures have led a $21 million Series A round for Tonik, a Singapore-based digital bank launching initial operations in the Philippines.
Asia gyms: Muscling through the mire
Fitness centers have continued to woo investors during COVID-19 despite patchy progress in the reopening of gyms and difficult-to-digitize business models
US-Singapore food tech fund to target Asia
Big Idea Ventures, a US and Singapore-based food technology investor, has launched its debut fund with a target of $50 million. Asia is a core market.
Korea commits $1.7b to start-up ecosystem
Korea has committed KRW2.1 trillion ($1.7 billion) to local start-ups in biotechnology and non-contact technologies as part of a KRW5.8 trillion private sector COVID-19 recovery agenda.
Singapore venture debt provider wins US strategic support
Singapore-based venture debt provider Genesis Alternative Ventures has secured an investment of undisclosed size for its debut fund from US-based Capria Ventures.
Singapore's Vulpes launches COVID-19 opportunities fund
Singapore-based Vulpes Investment Management has launched a special opportunities fund of undisclosed size targeting VC-backed companies struggling with the effects of COVID-19.
L Catterton recruits co-head of Asia
Consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton has hired Scott Chen, previously a partner at TPG Capital, as its co-managing partner for Asia.
CDIB adds managing director in China
CDIB Capital has named Stephen Li, previously a managing director at Ping An Trust Private Equity Capital, as a managing director responsible for China.
Singapore VCs commit $204m in COVID-19 support
Singapore government-connected VC investors Seeds Capital and EDBI have committed S$285 million ($204 million) to support local start-ups facing challenges related to COVID-19.
Korea GPs back $281m Malaysia VC fund
Korea’s SK Group, Hanwha Asset Management, and KB Investment have contributed to a MRY1.2 billion ($281 million) VC fund launched by the Malaysian government.
Portfolio: Anacacia Capital and Duncan Solutions
Following its investment in Duncan Solutions in 2018, Anacacia Capital is helping the parking management systems provider tap into demand arising from Australia’s smart city movement
Asia distress: Band-aids for corpses
Many companies are rolling liabilities forward, supported by accommodating government policy intended to maximize liquidity. It can't go on forever, but distress and private debt investors must be careful where they tread
Q&A: ClearVue Partners' Harry Hui
Harry Hui, founder of ClearVue Partners, explains how this week’s investment in car wash operator 1km reveals an omni-channel approach to China able to carve through COVID-19
Japan agtech player raises $7m Series A
Japan’s Beyond Next Ventures has led a JPY800 billion ($7.4 million) Series A round for local cell-based agricultural technology specialist IntegriCulture.
Exacta leads acquisition of Anytime Fitness Asia
Exacta Capital Partners, a Singapore-based private equity firm affiliated with Mizuho Bank, has led an acquisition of gym operator Anytime Fitness Asia for an undisclosed sum.
Deal focus: Bobobox rethinks budget hotels
Bobobox's flexible solution to accommodation for frontline healthcare workers in Indonesia led to support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation and helped secure a Series A from Li's Horizons Ventures
Mitsubishi UFJ invests Japan vegetarian meat player
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital has joined a Series A round for Japanese plant-based meat producer Daiz that brings the company’s total funding to JPY1.2 billion ($11.2 million).
IDG, Accel back take-private of Hong Kong’s Sky Solar
IDG Capital Partners and Accel Partners have joined a take-private bid for Sky Solar Holdings that values the Hong Kong-based and NASDAQ-listed power provider at around $2.5 billion.
Shaw Kwei invests in Hong Kong cosmetics industry supplier
Shaw Kwei & Partners has announced an investment in International Cosmetics Suppliers (ICS), a Hong Kong-based packaging specialist for the global beauty industry.
IAG invests in Australia agtech player
Insurance Australia Group (IAG) has made an investment of undisclosed size in local start-up Digital Agriculture Services (DAS) via its VC unit Firemark Ventures.
Indonesia capsule hotel Bobobox raises $11.5m
Bobobox, an Indonesian start-up that operates capsule hotels, has raised an $11.5 million Series A round led by Horizons Ventures and Alpha JWC Ventures.
EQT faces legal action after scrapping NZ aged care deal
New Zealand retirement village operator Metlifecare has filed legal action aimed at forcing EQT Partners to fulfill an acquisition that it decided to terminate due to COVID-19.