Articles by Tim Burroughs
Chinese auto after-sales services player Tuhu raises $450m
Tuhu, a Chinese B2C platform specializing in automobile after-sale services, has raised $450 million in a Series E funding round led by investors including Tencent Holdings, The Carlyle Group, and Sequoia Capital.
China's Qutoutiao soars on debut after $84m US IPO
Chinese news aggregator app Qutoutiao raised $84 million in a downsized US IPO – continuing a recent trend among Chinese tech start-ups – but then saw its stock price more than double on the first day of trading.
Investors commit $234m to Alibaba, SAIC internet car venture
Yunfeng Capital, Shang Qi Capital, and China’s State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC) have participated in a first round of funding worth more than RMB1.6 billion ($234 million) for Banma Network Technologies, a smart car joint venture established...
China healthcare big data platform gets $30m Series B
Weimai, a Chinese healthcare-focused big data platform that operates on a city-by-city basis, has received $30 million in Series B funding led by Cenova Ventures, Source Code Capital, Vision Plus Capital, and Matrix Partners China.
PE-backed Chinese online pharmacy completes $100m US IPO
Chinese online pharmacy operator 111 Inc – best known for its 1 Drugsstore platform – traded down slightly on its NASDAQ debut after raising $100.5 million in a scaled back IPO.
CHAMP exits Australian forex broker Pepperstone
CHAMP Private Equity has exited Australian foreign exchange broker Pepperstone following a buyout by its founders, senior management and Fiona Lock, a managing director at the PE firm.
Profile: AlphaX Partners' Chuan Thor
Over the course of more than two decades – with Jafco, Highland Capital Partners, and now AlphaX Partners – Chuan Thor has participated in China’s transition from tech follower to tech leader
Baring Asia to invest $538m in Japan's Pioneer
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to invest up to JPY60 billion ($538 million) in Pioneer Corp, by subscribing to a new share issue by the struggling Japanese conglomerate.
China's Nio trades up after smaller-than-expected US IPO
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker Nio – which claims its premium vehicle is cheaper and better quality than the Tesla Model X – ended its first day of trading in New York 5.4% above the IPO price following a $1 billion offering.
Centurium invests $100m in Chinese eyewear brand
Centurium Capital has committed $100 million in Series C funding to Loho, a Chinese eyeglasses brand that pursues an online-to-offline (O2O) business model.
Activism not yet a key driver of Korean corporate divestments - AVCJ Forum
Shareholder activism is becoming more prevalent in Korea among the country’s chaebol groups, but it still trails distress sales and divestments of non-core divisions as sources of private equity deal flow.
CITIC Capital hits $1.3b first close on new China fund
CITIC Capital has reached a first close of $1.3 billion on its latest US dollar-denominated China fund, which has an overall target of $2 billion.
Equis hires UTIMCO's Mark Warner as partner
Asia-focused infrastructure investor Equis Group has appointed Mark Warner, who previously led natural resources investments at the UTIMCO, the University of Texas and Texas A&M University endowment, as a partner.
Korean LPs prepare for a downturn - AVCJ Forum
Korean institutional investors are reviewing their alternatives allocations – and focusing new commitments on more liquid strategies such as credit – in anticipation of a correction in global markets.
Meituan-Dianping targets $4.4b IPO, promises domestic focus
Meituan-Dianping, China’s leading online-to-offline (O2O) lifestyle services platform, is looking to raise up to HK$34.6 billion ($4.4 billion) in its Hong Kong IPO, while emphasizing that it will focus on its core domestic business rather than pushing...
PAG terminates Home Credit investment
PAG Asia Capital has ended its partnership with Home Credit, which was agreed last year and intended to help the Czech Republic-based consumer loans company expand in China.
SPACs: Beneficiaries of the bull run
Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are staging a modest comeback in Asia on the back of a resurgence in the US. These structures offer considerable upside, but they aren’t for everyone
Deal focus: Värde wants a piece of India’s $200b problem
Värde is tackling what it sees as a massive opportunity set in the Indian distress market by partnering up with local investor Aditya Birla Capital
MBK to sell stake in Korean life insurer for $2b
MBK Partners is set for a full exit from ING Life Korea – now known as Orange Life Insurance – after agreeing to sell its majority stake to Shinhan Financial Group for KRW2.29 trillion ($2.04 billion).
KKR strengthens Japan private equity team
KKR has hired Kazuyuki Kido, who previously spent 20 years at SMBC Nikko Securities and Nikko Principal Investments, as a managing director in its Tokyo-based team.
India's Udaan hits $1b valuation with $225m Series C
Indian B2B online marketplace Udaan, which was established by a team of former Flipkart executives two years ago, has received $225 million in Series C funding led by DST Global and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
China car trading platform Souche raises $576m
Primavera Capital Group and Morningside Venture Capital have led a $576 million round of funding for Souche, a Chinese online trading platform for new and used cars.
China language learning app Liulishuo files for US IPO
Liulishuo, a Chinese English language learning app that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver customized teaching solutions for adults, has filed to list in the US.
Korea buyouts: Local edge
Private equity firms must double down on local networking, due diligence, and value-add capacity as competition for deals intensifies in the Korean buyout market