Articles by Tim Burroughs
AVCJ daily bulletin returns May 3
AVCJ’s daily bulletin will not be published on May 2 due to a public holiday in Hong Kong.
Quadria eyes $1b for Fund III, emphasizes health-tech
South and Southeast Asia healthcare specialist Quadria Capital is broadening its scope to include areas such as healthcare technology and digital health insurance for Fund III, which is expected to be up to USD 1bn in size.
Vulcan leads $65m Series B for Singapore's Bandlab
Vulcan Capital, an investment vehicle established by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has led a USD 65m Series B round for Singapore-based social music platform BandLab.
MassMutual Ventures raises $300m for Asia, Europe
MassMutual Ventures (MMV), a global venture capital firm that counts US-based Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance as its sole LP, has launched a USD 300m fund that will invest in Asia Pacific and Europe.
TPG Rise Climate closes on $7.3b
TPG has raised USD 7.3bn for a dedicated climate-focused strategy under its USD 14bn global impact investment platform.
General Atlantic leads $300m Series D for Biofourmis
Biofourmis, a Singapore founded and now US-based operator of a health analytics platform, has achieved unicorn status with the closing of a USD 300m Series D round led by General Atlantic.
Vision Fund backs Japan's AI Medical Service
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a JPY 8bn (USD 70m) Series C funding round for AI Medical Service, a Tokyo-based medical technology company that has developed an artificial intelligence-enabled (AI) endoscopy diagnostic solution.
VIG buys Korean healthy beverage brand
VIG Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Teazen, a South Korean producer of tea-based health drinks, for approximately USD 70m.
Deal focus: KV Asia finds another way into PPE
Malaysia’s G.B. Industries is already a leading global player in the electrical personal protective equipment space. KV Asia aims to drive growth by professionalising the family-run business
Fund focus: Openspace begins growth story
Openspace Ventures has raised USD 200m for a fund that will primarily do follow-on rounds for existing portfolio companies. There is plenty of activity, but uncertainty lurks in the background
Asia credit: Shift in the cycle
Private debt investors in Asia are mindful of mounting global risks, but they also see opportunities emerging within the region across the capital structure
IFC looks to back Circulate Capital's second fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed a USD 10m commitment to Singapore-based Circulate Capital’s second fund dedicated to reducing plastics pollution.
Venturi leads $55m Series C for Singapore's Believe
Venturi Partners, a consumer-focused investment firm established by a former Verlinvest executive in Asia, has led a USD 55m Series C round for Believe, a Singapore-based consumer products company aimed at Muslim consumers.
MSPEA buys control of Singapore-listed APAC Realty
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) as agreed to buy Northstar Group’s majority stake in APAC Realty, a Singapore-listed real estate services company in Asia, for SGD 129.5m (USD 94.2m).
Dream Capital leads $120m Series A for India cricket NFT platform
Dream Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of India fantasy sports platform operator Dream Sports, has led a USD 120m Series A for Rario, a specialist in cricket-themed non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Japan's Hitachi mulls divestment of logistics unit
Hitachi has confirmed it may divest its logistics unit, Hitachi Transport System, following a report that KKR was poised to buy the asset for more than JPY 600bn (USD 4.69bn).
Amazon buys VC-backed Indian social commerce player
GlowRoad, an India-based social commerce start-up that has received several rounds of VC funding, has been acquired by Amazon for an undisclosed sum.
Lightspeed India promotes three to partner
Lightspeed India Partners has promoted Shuvi Shrivastava, Pinn Lawjindakul, and Rahul Taneja to partners with responsibility for early-stage investments.
GIC spinout seeks $750m for SE Asia growth deals
Growtheum Capital Partners, a private equity firm established by the former head of GIC’s direct private equity investment group in Southeast Asia, has achieved a first close of approximately USD 400m on its debut fund.
Australia's Mercury targets $595m for Fund IV
Australian mid-market private equity firm Mercury Capital is targeting AUD 800m (USD 595m) for its fourth fund.
Nuveen leads $50m round for India MSME lender Kinara
Kinara Capital, an Indian non-banking financing company (NBFC) that lends to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) has received USD 50m in funding led by Nuveen, the impact unit of Teachers Insurance & Annuity Association of America (TIAA)....
Goldman leads Series C for Japan's Rapyuta Robotics
Goldman Sachs has led a USD 51m Series C round for Rapyuta Robotics, a Japan-based developer of collaborative pick-assist robots commonly used in warehouses.
KKR pursues $15b Australia healthcare take-private
A KKR-led consortium has proposed to acquire Ramsay Health Care, an Australia-listed hospital operator with a footprint that encompasses Australia, Europe, and other parts of Asia, at a valuation of approximately AUD 20.1bn (USD 14.9bn).
Openspace closes SE Asia growth fund on $200m - update
Southeast Asia-focused Openspace Ventures closed its debut growth fund on target at USD 200m in the first quarter of 2022 and has already committed nearly half the corpus.