Articles by Tim Burroughs
Chinese cosmetic surgery app raises $50m Series D1 round
Hong Kong-listed photo editing and social networking app Meitu and a fund-of-funds managed by Shenzhen-based DH Fund have committed $50 million in Series D1 funding to Gengmei, a Chinese information platform that focuses on cosmetic surgery.
Sovereigns in alternatives: Watch the throne
Sovereign wealth funds are said to be pulling back from unlisted assets, a move motivated by intense competition and high valuations, as well as target allocations being reached
Blackbird hits $193m final close on Australia VC fund
Blackbird Ventures has closed its third Australian VC fund with A$261 million ($193 million) in commitments, split between a core investment vehicle and a top-up fund.
Pinduoduo gains 40% on debut after $1.63b US IPO
Chinese social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo – which is backed by Gaorong Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Tencent Holdings, among others – saw its shares gain 40% on debut following a $1.63 billion IPO.
CVC to seek $4b for fifth Asian fund
CVC Capital Partners will launch its fifth pan-Asian fund in September with a target of $4 billion. The private equity firm closed its previous regional vehicle at $3.5 billion in May 2014.
Longreach to buy majority stake in Japan's Fujitsu Component
The Longreach Group has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Fujitsu Component from its parent company and will launch a tender offer to buy the business outright at a valuation of JPY13.7 billion ($123.6 million).
Lightspeed, Blue Run back Chinese mapping player Wayz.ai
Lightspeed China Partners and Blue Run Ventures have participated in an $80 million Series A funding round for Wayz.ai, a Chinese smart mapping service provider.
Baring Asia completes $4.5b first close on Fund VII
Baring Private Equity Asia has reached a first close of $4.5 billion on its seventh pan-regional fund after approximately five months in the market.
CICC leads $102m Series B for China's Allcure Medical
Beijing Allcure Medical Technology, a healthcare technology provider specializing in radiotherapy and tumor diagnosis, has received RMB700 million ($103 million) in Series B funding led by China International Capital Corp. (CICC).
Future Fund backs $200m round for China's Tuya Smart
Australia’s Future Fund has joined a $200 million Series C round of funding for Tuya Smart, a Chinese internet-of-things (IoT) and voice artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
Deal focus: KKR lays down a marker in Taiwan
Seven years after its privatization of Yageo Corp was blocked, KKR is back pursuing a $1.56 billion bid for LYC Chemical Corp. The initial response from regulators has been positive
China Creation Ventures collects nearly $200m for debut fund
China Creation Ventures (CCV), a venture capital firm established by the technology, media and telecom (TMT) team at KPCB, has closed its debut fund with nearly $200 million in commitments.
China agriculture supply chain player adds $26m to Series B
Songxiaocai, a business-to-business (B2B) platform that provides agricultural wholesale services to Chinese retailers, has raised RMB180 million ($26.4 million) in the second tranche of its Series B funding, taking the overall round to RMB410 million.
China tech: Speedy returns
The emergence of a younger generation of Chinese consumers willing to pay for online content and services has shortened the path to profitability - and perhaps to IPO as well - for some start-ups
TPG, ADIA back acquisition of agrochemicals producer Arysta
TPG Capital and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) have teamed up with India-listed UPL Corporation on a $4.2 billion acquisition of Arysta LifeScience, an agricultural chemicals manufacturer that originated in Japan.
KKR targets $1.56b privatization of Taiwan’s LCY Chemical
KKR is pursuing its first Taiwan privatization since 2011 – when the acquisition of Yageo Corp. was blocked, prompting questions about the government’s attitude towards PE buyouts – with a NT$47.8 billion ($1.56 billion) bid for LCY Chemical Corp.
Goldman, Alibaba lead $600m round for China's Suning Sports
Goldman Sachs and Alibaba Group have led a $600 million Series A round of funding for the sports unit of Chinese electronics retailer Suning, which holds the domestic media rights to a range of sporting competitions. The deal values the business at more...
Chinese voice AI specialist Unisound receives $89m
Unisound, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) solutions provider that specializes in voice recognition and language processing, has received RMB600 million ($89 million) in Series C-plus funding.
Coatue leads $350m round for China education player Zuoyebang
Coatue Management has led a $350 million Series D round of funding for Zuoyebang, a Chinese K-12 education platform that spun out from domestic search giant Baidu.
Chinese AI player Yitu raises another $100m
Yitu Technology, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, has received $100 million in funding from China Industrial Asset Management (CIAM). It comes a month after the company raised a Series C-plus round of $200 million.
Advance.AI raises $50m, targets Southeast Asia expansion
A group of Southeast Asian and Chinese investors has provided a $50 million extended Series B round of funding for Advance.AI, a big data specialist with offices in Beijing, Singapore, Jakarta, and Manila.
China fintech specialist Pintec files for US listing
Pintec Technology, a Chinese financial technology business backed by Ventech China, Xiaomi Ventures, and Matrix Partners China, among others, has filed for a US IPO.
Fund focus: Unicorn sticks to early-stage remit
China venture capital-focused fund-of-funds Unicorn Capital Partners raises $250 million with an eye on an increasingly challenging but rewarding early-stage technology space
China's Ascentage Pharma gets $150m in Series C funding
Ascentage Pharma, a Chinese biopharmaceutical company primarily focused on treatments for cancer, has raised $150 million in Series C funding.