Articles by Justin Niessner
Sequoia backs $35.5m round for India gaming player
Mobile Premier League (MPL), an Indian e-sports gaming platform operator, has raised a $35.5 million Series A round from a group of investors including Sequoia Capital India.
Singapore biomaterials player gets $22m
RWDC Industries, a Singapore-based materials developer focused on biodegradable plastics, has raised $22 million from a group of investors including Vickers Venture Partners.
Indonesia’s HappyFresh gets $20m Series C
Indonesia-based online grocery delivery platform HappyFresh has raised a $20 million Series C round led by Mirae Asset Capital and South Korean internet conglomerate Naver.
Globis raises $321m for Japan VC fund
Japanese venture capital firm Globis Capital Partners has raised JPY36 billion ($321 million) for its sixth fund. The overall target of JPY37.5 billion is expected to be reached by June.
Malaysia's RHL Ventures launches SME fund
RHL Ventures has launched a MYR100 million ($24.2 million) fund focused on small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) with a cornerstone investment from government-owned SME Corp Malaysia.
Monk's Hill appoints two Southeast Asia partners
Singapore-based Monk’s Hill Ventures has appointed Michele Daoud (pictured) and Justin Nguyen as partners to expand deal sourcing capacity and portfolio support across Southeast Asia.
Indonesia infrastructure: Forging frameworks
Indonesia has set the stage for more private sector involvement in a government-dominated and desperately underdeveloped infrastructure space. A range of intangibles could impede the integration
Jade Invest acquires China's Pudow Water
Chinese mid-market private equity buyout firm Jade Invest has acquired a controlling stake in Shanghai-based water purification company Pudow Water for an undisclosed sum.
EVs: Chemical balance
Investors targeting electric vehicles must consider strategies that support the underlying technical development of the industry. The underdeveloped battery segment is ripe for digitization
INCJ-backed Japan Display agrees $2.1b foreign bailout
Japan Display, an electronics supplier backed by Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), has agreed a JPY232 billion ($2.1 billion) bailout, including an approximately $714 million investment from China’s Harvest Fund Management.
Australia's OneVentures hits $32m first close on venture debt fund
Australia’s OneVentures has reached a A$45 million ($32 million) first close on a venture debt fund touted as the first of its kind in the country.
INCJ leads $230m round for Japan's JOLED
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led a JPY25.5 billion ($230 million) round for domestic display screen manufacturer and technology developer JOLED.
AIGF backs Philippines co-working player
ASEAN Industrial Growth Fund (AIGF), a vehicle jointly managed by Malaysia’s CIMB Group and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, has made an investment of undisclosed size in Philippines co-working space provider KMC.
Rakuten Capital, EV Growth back Singapore's ShopBack
Rakuten Capital and EV Growth have joined a $45 million round for Singapore-based retail rewards platform operator ShopBack.
India's SigTuple gets $16m Series C
Trusted Insight, a US-based syndicate of institutional investors focused on alternatives, has led a $16 million Series C round for Indian healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) company SigTuple.
Southeast Asia's Grab ups capital-raising target by $2b
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has confirmed it will seek to raise an additional $2 billion within 2019, bringing its ongoing Series H round to some $6.5 billion.
B Capital reaches $406m first close on second fund
B Capital Group, a US venture capital firm with a strong Asia focus established by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, has reached a first close of $406.1 million for its second fund.
Baring Asia buys 30% stake in India's NIIT Technologies
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to pay INR26.3 billion ($379 million) in cash for a 30% stake in India-listed IT services provider NIIT Technologies with plans to eventually take a majority position.
Ekuinas exits Malaysia healthcare businesses
Malaysian government-backed private equity firm Ekuinas has exited its entire majority holdings in local healthcare players MediExpress and PMCare to Japan’s Sumitomo Corporation.
China success requires trusted partners – Lip-Bu Tan
Lip-Bu Tan, founder of Walden International, advised delegates at Intel Capital’s global summit to prioritize trust in local partners when considering investments in China.
Asia's lower-tier cities: New horizons
PE and VC players are slowly discovering the investment and business expansion opportunities in the lower-tier cities of developing Asia. Risk-reward calculations are becoming more complex in the process
Intel Capital backs two Chinese AI companies
Intel Capital has invested two Chinese start-ups as part of a $117 million commitment across 14 artificial intelligence (AI) companies globally.
Coatue leads $25m Series C for China’s Kyligence
Coatue Management has led a $25 million Series C round for Chinese big data analytics and cloud services company Kyligence.
Korea's Standigm raises $11.5m Series B
Mirae Asset Capital has led a $11.5 million Series B round for Standigm, a Korean drug discovery and development company that uses artificial intelligence (AI).