Articles by Justin Niessner
Eastspring expands China footprint with Shanghai office
Eastspring Investment, a Singapore-based asset manager backed by Prudential, has opened a new office in Shanghai as part of an ongoing China expansion strategy.
Japan Post Capital leads $26m Series E for Sansan
Japan Post Capital has led a JPY3 billion ($26.4 million) Series E round for Sansan, a Tokyo-based company that applies cloud technology to business card management services.
Secondary restructurings: Opportunistic delays
Creative secondary deals are presenting private equity investors with new options for extending exposure to prized assets. Although a modest trend, it evokes big questions about best conduct
Singapore's SolarHome gets $10m for Myanmar push
SolarHome, a Singaporean off-grid solar specialist, has received $10 million in debt funding for a Myanmar expansion from crowdfunding platforms Crowdcredit and Trine.
KKR invests $366m in Singapore’s V3 Group
KKR has confirmed it will invest up to S$500 million ($366 million) in Singapore-based luxury lifestyle and wellness products company V3 Group at an enterprise valuation of about S$1.7 billion.
Hellman & Friedman makes $1.8b bid for NZ online marketplace
Hellman & Friedman has submitted a bid to acquire 100% of New Zealand-listed online auction and e-commerce company Trade Me for NZ$2.6 billion ($1.8 billion).
Salesforce launches $100m Japan VC fund
Enterprise software giant Salesforce has launched a $100 million fund via its venture investment unit that will focus on cloud-based technologies in Japan.
Google joins Series C round for Japan's Abeja
Google has participated in a Series C round for Japanese corporate analytics player Abeja, taking the company's cumulative funding to JPY6 billion ($53 million).
Singtel Innov8 leads $16m round for Australia's Data Republic
Singtel Innov8, the venture arm of Singapore telecom giant SingTel, has led a A$22 million ($16.2 million) Series B round for Australian cybersecurity technology company Data Republic.
Cool Japan leads $44m round for Spiber
Cool Japan Fund has led a JPY5 billion ($44 million) round for Spiber, a domestic biotechnology developer focused on synthesizing protein-based materials that simulate characteristics of spiderwebs.
Morgan Stanley's Matsuyama joins Carlyle Japan
The Carlyle Group has named Tomofumi Matsuyama (pictured), a former executive at Morgan Stanley, as a managing director of its Japan buyout team.
Golden Gate commits $18m to Malaysia
Singapore-based Golden Gate Ventures has committed to invest MYR75 million ($18 million) in Malaysian technology start-ups and opened a new office in the country.
India fintech: Corporations act
Stakeholders foresee progress and problems as global strategic investors make their first bets in the Indian fintech space. There is little expectation of replicating the China story
Hong Kong's Ion Pacific raises $30m for PE secondary fund
Hong Kong-based merchant bank Ion Pacific has raised $30 million for a technology fund that will acquire secondary positions in venture and growth funds as well as take direct stakes in portfolio companies.
Square Peg joins $81m Series B for Australia’s Deputy
Australia’s Square Peg Capital has joined an $81 million Series B funding round for domestic workforce management software provider Deputy.
Cocoon launches $20m Southeast Asia VC fund
Singapore-based VC investor Cocoon Capital has launched its second early-stage fund with a target of $20 million.
Asia fintech player Oriente raises $105m in seed funding
Oriente, a Hong Kong financial technology company backed by local investor BlackPine Private Equity, has raised $105 million in seed funding from a group of family offices.
IFC invests $40m in Filipino fintech player
International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IFC Emerging Asia Fund have agreed to invest $40 million in Voyager Innovations, a financial technology unit of Filipino telecom giant PLDT.
Singapore medical tech player Ark raises $40m Series A
Ark, a new Singapore-based cancer detection technology company, has received a $40 million Series A round backed by Gaorong Capital and shareholders of medical-focused investor Venturecraft.
Omidyar leads $11m Series B for India's Vedantu
Omidyar Network has led an $11 million Series B funding round for Indian educational technology start-up Vedantu.
Japan's NTT launches $500m global VC fund
Japanese telecommunications giant NTT Corporation has set up $500 million global venture capital fund that will focus on digital technologies.
Singapore's InstaRem raises $20m
Singapore-based financial technology start-up InstaRem has raised $20 million in Series C funding led by Telkom Indonesia and Thailand’s Kasikornbank.
Family offices: Character actors
Family offices are driven by personalities and ideals that cannot be understood as part of an industry pattern. Relationship building is therefore more intimate than transactional
500 Startups closes Vietnam fund at $14m
500 Startups has closed its Vietnam-focused early-stage VC fund at $14 million, beating a target of $10 million.