Articles by Justin Niessner
ESG and VC: Deferred dialogue
Institutional LPs are traditionally less engaged with VC versus PE when it comes to responsible investment standards. A multitude of drivers are changing this, but not quickly
Australia workforce training start-up Go1 gets $40m
Australian workforce training services start-up Go1 has raised a $40 million Series C round led by local strategic Seek and US-based Madrona Venture Group.
Bangladesh-focused VC makes debut investment
Anchorless Bangladesh, a New York-headquartered VC firm dedicated to the country, has made its debut investment in a local logistics start-up.
Optum, Health Catalyst back Singapore's Holmusk
US investors Optum Ventures and Health Catalyst Capital have co-led a $21.5 million Series A round for Singapore-based healthcare technology developer Holmusk.
TA backs Australia's Honan Insurance
TA Associates has confirmed a growth investment of undisclosed size in Australian corporate insurance provider Honan Insurance.
Japan biotech player raises $25m Series B
Japanese biotech developer Modulus Discovery has raised $25.5 million in Series B funding from a group of local VCs including SBI Investment.
Intel Capital backs three Chinese start-ups
Intel Capital has invested in two Chinese semiconductor suppliers and a Chinese medical technology developer as part of a $132 million commitment spread across 11 start-ups.
Coronavirus & Vietnam: Hobbled winner
A successful COVID-19 containment plan has underlined Vietnam’s status as a leading investment destination in Southeast Asia. GPs are impressed but still hamstrung
Sequoia leads $109m round for Indonesia coffee chain
Sequoia Capital India has led a $109 million Series B round for Kopi Kenangan, an app-driven grab-and-go coffee chain based in Indonesia.
Vertex leads $26.5m Series D for Taiwan’s M17
Vertex Ventures, the VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has led a $26.5 million Series D round for Taiwan-based media streaming company M17 Entertainment.
Korea's Kurly raises $164m Series E
Kurly, operator of Korean grocery delivery platform Market Kurly, has raised KRW200 billion ($164 million) Series E round from a group of domestic and international VCs.
KDB, K-Growth commit $2b to Korea VC ecosystem
State-owned Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Korea Growth Investment (K-Growth), a fund-of-funds, have jointly committed KRW2.5 trillion ($2 billion) to the local VC ecosystem.
Virtual realism: Realizing investments remotely
Does Capricorn Capital's recent acquisition of a Hong Kong corporate services business, which was negotiated and transacted via Zoom, represent the future of dealmaking? Only if due diligence processes are uncompromised
Australia SME lender Judo raises $147m
Judo Bank, a PE-backed start-up that provides loans to Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), has raised A$230 million ($147 million) from existing investors.
Q&A: Viola Ventures' Ronen Nir
Ronen Nir is a general partner at Viola Ventures, an early-stage technology investor under Israel’s Viola Group looking to expand its presence in Asia
Singapore's Ninja Van raises $279m Series D
GeoPost, a logistics division of French postal services giant La Poste, has led a $279 million Series D round for Singapore last-mile delivery start-up Ninja Van.
Deal focus: Circulate makes early moves in a must-win battle
Specialist venture capital firm Circulate Capital is targeting overlooked start-ups with a view to stemming a global environmental crisis that puts Asia at center stage
Navegar backs Series B for Australia's Cloudstaff
Manila-based GP Navegar has joined a $20 million Series B round for Cloudstaff, an Australian staff outsourcing services player with core operations in the Philippines.
CLSA acquires Japan IT services provider
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has acquired a majority stake in Japanese IT services provider Earth Technology for an undisclosed sum.
LP interview: Roc Partners
Having transitioned from a locally focused fund-of-funds into pan-Asian multi-strategy investor, Roc Partners is finding new ways to branch out in the current downturn
Go-Jek completes acquisition of VC-backed Moka
Indonesia’s Go-Jek has completed its acquisition of Moka, a local financial technology provider with several VC backers, in a deal estimated to be worth $130 million.
Singapore’s Circulate Capital makes debut investments
Circulate Capital, a Singapore investor dedicated to ocean pollution management, has made its first investments in two plastic recycling start-ups in India and Indonesia.
Tikehau Capital names NAB's Parekh as Asia head
Tikehau Capital, a French private equity firm expanding in Asia, has appointed Neil Parekh, currently the Asia lead at National Australia Bank (NAB), as its regional head.
Coronavirus & MAC clauses: Devil in the details
Business breakdowns caused by COVID-19 have spurred investors to re-examine their legal options with deals in pre-close limbo. That could spark a major evolution in M&A contracting