Articles by Justin Niessner
Sequoia, Matrix join $20m round for Chinese fintech player
Sequoia Capital China and Matrix Partners have joined a $20 million round for Chinese financial technology provider QFPay.
China's 01VC closes second early-stage fund at $100m
China’s 01 Venture Capital (01VC) has closed its second US dollar-denominated fund for early-stage investments with $100 million in commitments.
Naspers leads $125m round for India's Meesho
Naspers has led a $125 million round for Indian e-commerce platform Meesho with support from Facebook and a number of existing VC investors.
Kleiner Perkins, Aspex lead $64m round for Korea's Viva Republica
Kleiner Perkins and Aspex Management, a pan-Asia investor founded in Hong Kong last year, have led a $64 million round for Korean financial technology start-up Viva Republica.
Partners Group invests Australian wind farm
Partners Group has made an investment of undisclosed size in an Australian wind power project. It is the firm’s fourth wind farm investment in the country in three years.
Women entrepreneurs: Tales from the coalface
Women remain underrepresented in start-up ecosystems across Asia, but for those who have taken the plunge, there is potential to make a social impact that transcends their respective target markets
Hong Kong’s AMTD trades up after US IPO
Shares in AMTD International, a PE-backed division of Hong Kong financial advisor AMTD Group, traded as much as 28% above initial pricing following a $174 million IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
Carbon recycling specialist raises $72m Series E
Novo Holdings, a Danish venture and growth equity investor focused on life sciences, has provided $72 million in Series E funding to LanzaTech, a US carbon recycling specialist with a significant Asia presence.
CDC leads $21m round for Indian fintech player
UK government-backed development finance institution CDC Group has led a $21 million round for Indifi Technologies, a company that facilitates loans for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) in India.
CITIC Capital closes fourth China buyout fund at $2.8b
CITIC Capital has closed its fourth China buyout fund at the hard cap of $2.8 billion. It is the private equity firm’s largest fund raised to date.
Macro and diversity: All hands on deck
As women participate in economies across Asia in larger numbers, investors must consider how this impacts their target markets. Gender-balanced portfolios will no longer be a nice-to-have
ChrysCapital joins $30m round for Indian co-working space Awfis
Indian private equity firm ChrysCapital has led a $30 million Series D round for local co-working player Awfis Space Solutions.
EDBI joins $89m round for US agtech player Inari
EDBI, the investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, has joined an $89 million Series C round for US agricultural technology developer Inari.
Hong Kong's CompareAsiaGroup gets $20m
Data and financial services company Experian has led a $20 million investment in Hong Kong-based financial comparison platform CompareAsiaGroup.
Japan Post Capital leads $29m Series E for SmartNews
Tokyo-based news app operator SmartNews is said to have achieved unicorn status following a JPY3.1 billion ($29.2 million) Series E round led by Japan Post Capital.
Singapore's Carro raises $30m for extended Series B
Singaporean auto marketplace operator Carro has raised $30 million from investors including SoftBank Ventures Asia as part of an extended Series B round.
TPG hires KKR's David Tan in Singapore
TPG Capital has engaged David Tan, a former director with KKR’s private equity team, as a managing director based in Singapore with responsibility for Southeast Asia.
Macquarie buys Australia cotton farm stake from Chinese strategic
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has acquired a 49% stake in Australia’s largest cotton farm, Cubbie Station, primarily from Chinese fabrics maker Shandong Ruyi.
Baring Asia buys Korean leasing business from JC Flowers
Baring Private Equity Asia has acquired Korean consumer finance and leasing services provider Acuon Capital from JC Flowers for an undisclosed sum.
Cross-border e-commerce player Wish gets Series H
Wish, a US-based cross-border e-commerce app backed by several Asian investors, has achieved a valuation of $11.2 billion following a Series H round led by General Atlantic.
Deal focus: Jollibee circles as Coffee Bean booms in Asia
The Philippines’ Jollibee Foods is set to buy US cafe chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to continue a massive Asian expansion effort. Exiting investor CDIB Capital attests to the opportunity set
Japan Industrial Partners makes tender offer for Nippon Avionics
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has agreed to buy NEC Corporation's majority stake in Tokyo-listed electronics supplier Nippon Avionics and launched a tender offer that values the company at about JPY3.1 billion ($28.4 million).
Japan's Coral Capital names new partner
Coral Capital, formerly 500 Startups Japan, has named Google Japan’s head of start-ups and strategic relations Ken Nishimura (pictured) as a partner and chief editor.
LP interview: Media Super
Media Super has distinguished itself among larger competitors in Australia by maintaining substantial exposure to alternatives. PE is fading from the allocation mix but VC beckons