Articles by Justin Niessner
Consumer hardware: Some assembly required
Consumer hardware is a cratered landscape in venture capital, and the risk-reward equation is not particularly well understood. New ways of looking at a traditional industry are needed
Go-Jek founder accepts Indonesian government role
Nadiem Makarim, co-founder and CEO of Indonesia’s Go-Jek, has stepped down from his duties at the ride-hailing and online services platform to assume a high-level government position.
Australia's Athena Home Loans gets $48m Series C
Australian financial technology start-up Athena Home Loans has raised A$70 million ($48 million) in Series C funding from a group of investors led by AustralianSuper.
Merck launches China seed fund
Germany-based life sciences and healthcare technology giant Merck has launched a RMB100 million ($14.1 million) seed fund targeting Chinese start-ups.
Kejora, InterVest lead $30m Series B for Malaysia's Aerodyne
Indonesia’s Kejora Ventures and Korea’s InterVest have jointly led a $30 million Series B investment in Malaysian drone technology supplier Aerodyne.
India's MyGate gets $56m Series B
Tencent Holdings, JS Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Prime Venture Partners have provided a $56 million Series B round to India’s MyGate, a security app for gated communities.
China's MSA receives VC fund commitment from Al Waha
China-based MSA Capital, also known as MagicStone Alternative Investments, has confirmed that Middle Eastern investor Al Waha has made an LP commitment to its second venture capital fund.
Australia’s Canva raises $85m at $3.2b valuation
Australia’s Canva has raised an $85 million growth round led by Bond Capital, the new vehicle of Silicon Valley veteran Mary Meeker. It values the graphic design start-up at $3.2 billion.
Permira closes seventh global PE fund at $12b
Permira has reached a final close on its seventh global private equity buyout fund at the hard cap of EUR11 billion ($12.1 billion).
Indonesia advertising tech supplier gets $5.5m
East Ventures and Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV) have co-led a $5.5 million Series A round for StickEarn, an Indonesian advertising technology supplier.
Philippines PE: Power dynamics
A virtually impenetrable middle market under the control of incumbent conglomerates is the least governable of the systemic obstacles facing private equity hopefuls in the Philippines
GGV backs Singapore dental 3D printing company
GGV Capital has joined a group of investors in a venture round of undisclosed size for Structo, a Singapore-based 3D printing company focused on the dental industry.
Korea blockchain developer Iconloop gets $8m
Iconloop, a Seoul-based blockchain technology developer focused on digital currency services, has raised a KRW10 billion ($8 million) Series A round led by Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC).
LGT closes fourth Asia fund-of-funds at $1b
LGT Capital Partners has closed its fourth Asia Pacific fund-of-funds at the hard cap of $1 billion. It had initially targeted a final close in October 2020.
Lakeshore secures 2.75x return on Bangkok steakhouse deal
Thailand-based Lakeshore Capital has exited Bangkok area steakhouse chain Santa Fe to Singha Corporation for $50 million, generating a 2.75x return.
Deal focus: CDC gets comfortable in Bangladesh
Backing small business lender BRAC Bank and establishing an office in Dhaka is part of CDC Group's wider plan to more than double its exposure to Bangladesh over the next three years
Deal focus: Udaan signals India’s digital progress
B2B marketplace Udaan has achieved unicorn status faster than any of its illustrious Indian forbears. A readymade national broadband infrastructure certainly helped
India's Inventus closes third VC fund at $52m
India and US-focused Inventus Capital Partners has closed its third fund at INR3.6 billion ($52 million). It is the early-stage investor's first vehicle dedicated solely to India.
VinaCapital invests Vietnam industrial supplier
A VinaCapital-led consortium will invest $21.4 million in Ngoc Nghia, a Vietnam-based plastics supplier that claims to be the largest local packaging materials producer of its kind.
India’s Oyo raises $700m in ongoing Series F
Indian hotel platform Oyo has raised $700 million from RA Hospitality Holdings, an entity controlled by founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal, as part of a Series F round targeting $1.5 billion.
No easy answers in Philippines’ sluggish VC market – AVCJ Forum
Industry participants at the AVCJ Philippines Forum were hard-pressed to explain a disappointing lag in local venture capital ecosystem development.
Q&A: Natixis' Raghu Narain
Raghu Narain, head of investment banking for Asia Pacific at Natixis, discusses the macro backdrop for China’s M&A market and how shifting priorities will color deal flow to come
India’s Udaan closes Series D at $585m
India’s Udaan has closed its Series D round at $585 million, with the latest contribution featuring Tencent Holdings and the VC arm of Citi. It values the B2B online marketplace at $2.5-3 billion.
Japanese flying car developer receives $14m
Japanese flying car developer SkyDrive has raised a $14 million funding round from a group including Itochu Technology Ventures and Strive.