Articles by Suhas Bhat
Hong Kong's PE-backed Oriente raises $50m
Oriente, a Hong Kong-headquartered financial technology start-up, has raised $50 million in a round led by Peter Lee, the co-chairman of local property developer Henderson Land.
Indonesian insurtech player Qoala raises $13.5m Series A
Qoala, an insurance technology start-up in Indonesia, has raised $13.5 million in a Series A round led by Centauri Fund, a vehicle jointly run by KB Investment and MDI Ventures.
Deal focus: SensorFlow's coronavirus pivot
With hotel occupancy falling - and demand for its energy management solution taking a hit - SensorFlow moved quickly to make the revenue model sustainable. The company is now targeting vertical and geographic expansion
RTP Global leads round for Indian B2B agritrading platform
Bijak, an Indian business-to-business (B2B) platform for trading agricultural commodities, has raised $12 million in a Series A funding round led by RTP Global.
KKR to acquire India solar assets for $204m
KKR has announced plans to acquire five solar energy assets from Shapoorji Pallonji Infrastructure Capital (SP Infra) for INR15.5 billion ($204 million).
Indian brewer B9 Beverages raises $20m from Sofina, Sequoia
B9 Beverages, the owner of the Indian beer brand Bira 91, has raised INR1.5 billion ($20 million) in funding from Sequoia Capital India and Belgian investment firm Sofina.
US, India pharma company Bugswork raises $7.5m
Bugworks Research, a pharmaceutical company with operations in India, has raised $7.5 million in a funding round led by existing investors University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC) and Global Brain.
Thailand's InVent invests in Singaporean insurtech Igloo
InVent, a corporate venture capital firm affiliated with a Thai telecom operator, has led a $16 million funding round for Singaporean insurtech Igloo, formerly known as Axinan.
Warburg Pincus re-ups in India's Apollo Tyres
Warburg Pincus has invested INR5.4 billion ($70.2 million) in Apollo Tyres to follow up on an earlier investment in the company. This continues a recent trend of PE players increasing their stakes in Indian public companies.
Openspace, Gaw back Singapore's SensorFlow
Gaw Capital, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm with a real estate focus, and Openspace Ventures have co-led an $8.3 million funding round for SensorFlow, a Singaporean energy management solution provider.
Coronavirus & Southeast Asia VC: Unpleasant surprises
Start-ups in Southeast Asia have few capital sources, so it helps that the region’s VCs are well-funded – assuming they are ready to invest
Facebook takes 9.9% stake in Reliance's India app platform
Facebook has acquired a 9.9% stake in Jio Platforms, the holding company behind a number of apps and the parent of India's largest telecom operator.
Hong Kong's 8 Securities acquired by US player
8 Securities, a Hong Kong-headquartered app-based brokerage, has been acquired by SoFi, a financial technology company based in the US.
Coronavirus & India VC: Struggling to work
Investors don’t expect business activity in India to resume until the second half. Many start-ups will be desperate for capital before then
Korean digital food trading platform raises $11m
Tridge, a Korean international trading platform for agricultural products, has raised $11 million in a Series B round from SoftBank.
IFC proposes commitment to India Alternatives fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to invest $10 million in the second fund raised by India Alternatives, a division of IIFL Wealth Management. The vehicle has an overall target of $70 million.
Indian corporate travel booking platform raises $13m
Itilite, a platform that helps Indian corporates manage travel-related expenses, has raised $13 million in a Series B round led by Greenoaks Capital and Vy Capital.
India imposes FDI hurdles for Chinese investors
India has increased the regulatory requirements for inbound investments from groups in bordering countries in what is seen as a move to restrict Chinese activity.
India's NoBroker raises $80 million in Series D funding
Existing investor General Atlantic has joined Tiger Global Management in a Series D funding round for Indian real estate marketplace NoBroker.
Carlyle achieves partial exit in India's Metropolis Healthcare
The Carlyle Group has sold 6.5 million shares of Metropolis Healthcare for INR7.5 billion ($98.7 million) to exit nearly its entire position in the Indian medical diagnostics chain.
Microsoft venture arm leads Series D for India's FarEye
FarEye, an Indian logistics platform, has raised $25 million in a Series D round led by M12, Microsoft's corporate venture arm.
Investcorp achieves $275m first close for Asia food fund
Investcorp has achieved a $275 million first close for an Asia food fund, a joint venture that also involves China Resources and Fung Strategic Holdings.
Indonesia's KoinWorks raises $20m in debt
KoinWorks, an Indonesian financial technology start-up primarily known for P2P lending, has raised $20 million in debt by selling convertible notes to existing investors.
India's Capital Float secures $15m funding round
Capital Float, an online lending platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and e-commerce financiers in India, has raised $15 million in funding from existing investors.