Articles by Justin Niessner
Capricorn acquires Hong Kong corporate services player
UK-based family office Capricorn Capital has made its second investment in Asia with the 100% acquisition of Hong Kong corporate services provider Ethos for an undisclosed sum.
Portfolio: Navis Capital Partners and Hanoi French Hospital
Navis Capital Partners has taken a boutique private hospital to a new level of competence and professionalism just in time for the biggest healthcare emergency in living memory
Fund focus: Coral targets Japan’s Series B gap
Having previously raised dedicated vehicles to support follow-on rounds for Japanese start-ups, Coral Capital has gone a step further with a fund dedicated to the strategy
Vietnam e-commerce enabler OnPoint raises $8m
OnPoint, a Vietnam-based start-up that provides corporate clients with e-commerce support services, has raised an $8 million Series A round backed by Korea’s Kiwoom Investment.
GIC backs $1b Japan data center rollout
Singapore’s GIC Private and cloud services provider Equinix have agreed to jointly invest $1 billion in data centers in Japan.
Coronavirus & North Asia VC: Diverging fortunes
Speed of response to COVID-19 has led to differing outcomes for VC investment in Korea and Japan. But structural issues are also a factor
ADB Ventures raises $50m for debut fund
ADB Ventures, a VC unit of the Asian Development Bank launched earlier this year, is set to begin investment after raising $50 million for its debut impact fund.
GLP closes latest China logistics fund at $2.1b
GLP, a PE-owned warehouse operator based in Singapore, has closed its latest China logistics fund at RMB15 billion ($2.1 billion).
Singapore GP launches $500m Japan-Israel tech fund
Singapore private equity firm Chartered Group has teamed up with Israel’s Ministry of Defense to launch a Japan-Israel cross-border technology fund targeting $500 million.
Lightspeed leads $20m round for India conversational AI platform
Lightspeed Venture Partners and Lightspeed India Partners have led a $20 million Series B round for Indian conversational artificial intelligence (AI) provider Yellow Messenger.
Australia's Airwallex gets $160m Series D
The VC divisions of ANZ Bank and Salesforce have led a $160 million Series D round for Australian financial technology company Airwallex.
Malaysia's COPE launches COVID-19 support program
Malaysia’s COPE Private Equity has set up a MYR180 million ($41.5 million) investment program dedicated to supporting companies struggling with business stresses related to COVID-19.
Japan's Hiroshima Venture launches start-up, SME fund
Japan’s Hiroshima Venture Capital has established a JPY1 billion ($9.3 million) fund that will invest in local start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Deal focus: Integral discovers booming cosmetics niche
Now under private equity ownership, T-Garden is credited with pioneering fashion model-led contact lens marketing in Japan - and helping an often-overlooked market creep into the mainstream
Japan's Coral launches $25m growth fund
Coral Capital, formerly known as 500 Startups Japan, has set up a JPY2.7 billion ($25 million) growth fund to help top-performing portfolio companies navigate the COVID-19 downturn.
Japan's Paidy tops up Series C round
Japanese payments start-up Paidy has topped up its Series C round with an additional commitment from Itochu Corporation. It brings the company's total capital raised to date to $281 million.
Hong Kong online banking start-up Neat raises $11m
Neat, a Hong Kong-based financial services start-up targeting digital entrepreneurs, has raised an $11 million Series A round with support from Visa.
Macquarie buys Asia data center player Airtrunk
Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets (MIRA) is leading a consortium to acquire an 88% stake in Asia-focused data center player AirTrunk at a valuation of A$3 billion ($1.9 billion).
TDM leads $35m round for Australia’s SafetyCulture
Australia’s TDM Growth Partners has led a A$60 million ($35 million) Series C round for SafetyCulture, a locally-based software provider for safety compliance inspectors.
Roc Partners hits $120m third close on fourth Asia fund
Australia-based private equity firm Roc Partners has reached a third close of $120.1 million for its fourth Asia Pacific fund-of-funds.
Southeast Asia VC: Different strokes
Ahead of an expected increase in LP interest, Southeast Asian VCs vie to stand out from the crowd by fine-tuning strategies to capture the virtues of both generalists and specialists
Hostplus backs $19m Series B for Australia's Myriota
Hostplus, an Australian superannuation fund known for its VC activity, has backed a $19.3 million Series B round for local space technology start-up Myriota.
KKR joins $120m investment in Philippines’ Voyager
KKR is re-upping in Philippines-based financial technology company Voyager Innovations as part of a $120 million growth round.
Korean GP invests $16m in electronics industry supplier
Moat Private Equity, a Korea GP set up last year, has taken an approximately 14% stake in KOSDAQ-listed electronics industry supplier Exax for KRW19.8 billion ($16 million).