Articles by Tim Burroughs
Deal focus: CVC targets consolidation in online trading
CVC Capital Partners is looking to replicate elements of its successful investment in IG Global with Oanda Global Corporation, an online currency trading platform positioned for substantial growth in Asia
PE investors set for partial exits in ReNew Power's India IPO
Indian renewable energy producer ReNew Power has filed for a domestic IPO that will enable Goldman Sachs, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), and Global Environment Fund (GEF) to make partial exits.
China's WeDoctor gets $500m pre-IPO round
WeDoctor, a Chinese online healthcare platform backed by Tencent Holdings, has received a $500 million round of funding – at a valuation of $5.5 billion – from Hong Kong-listed insurance company AIA Group and infrastructure and services conglomerate...
Alibaba buys Rocket-backed South Asia e-commerce business
Alibaba Group has acquired Daraz, an e-commerce platform incubated by Rocket Internet that is the market leader in Pakistan and has a presence in several other South Asian countries.
Chinese drug developer Ascletis files for landmark HK IPO
Ascletis, a Chinese drug developer that has received funding from C-Bridge Capital, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong. It is set to be the first listing in the territory under new rules that allow companies with zero revenue or profit to go public.
Walmart to pay $16b for majority stake in India's Flipkart
Walmart has agreed to pay $16 billion for a 77% stake in Flipkart, an Indian e-commerce business that has received substantial private funding. The deal will facilitate full exits for several investors, including SoftBank’s Vision Fund.
Indonesia VC: Levels of comfort
For all the fervor about technology opportunities in Indonesia, independent local VC firms are thin on the ground. Traditional LPs want to see more evidence of performance before getting involved
Fund focus: Dymon scales up for Fund II
Having raised $450 million for its second fund, Dymon Asia Private Equity will continue targeting middle-market companies in Southeast Asia that are looking for expertise as well as capital
Baring Asia, PAI Partners buy cargo freight manager
Baring Private Equity Asia has teamed up with Europe-focused PAI Partners to acquire World Freight Company International (WFCI), which markets and manages cargo freight capacity for airlines.
Carlyle set for $1.2b cash exit from Korea's ADT Caps
The Carlyle Group has agreed to sell ADT Caps, a South Korean security monitoring and dispatch business, to SK Telecom and Macquarie Group for an enterprise valuation of KRW2.97 trillion ($2.7 billion).
SMIC, Chinese investors to launch semiconductor fund
Hong Kong-listed Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation (SMIC) will launch a RMB1.62 billion ($254 million) fund in partnership with a Chinese government-backed group to invest in semiconductor assets.
Singapore's Aslan Pharma raises $42m in US IPO
Aslan Pharmaceutical, a Singapore-based drug developer that focuses on cancer treatments, has raised $42.2 million in its US IPO. The VC-backed company listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange last June.
Chinese rural-focused financing platform gets $47m
Shenma Finance, an online platform that provides vehicle financing to China’s rural population, has received RMB300 million ($47.2 million) in Series C funding led by domestic financial technology player Tongbanjie Group, China Growth Capital, and Hina...
Carlyle hires ex-Kingsoft CEO as senior advisor
The Carlyle Group has appointed former Kingsoft CEO Hongjiang Zhang as a senior advisor to its Asian private equity business. The move is intended to deepen the firm’s coverage of the internet and technology space.
China Everbright fund to buy stake in LifeTech Scientific
A healthcare fund managed by China Everbright has agreed to acquire the bulk of global medical equipment manufacturer Medtronic’s stake in Hong Kong-listed LifeTech Scientific Corporation.
Ping An healthcare business trades flat after $1.1b IPO
Ping An Healthcare & Technology – operator of the Chinese healthcare-focused mobile app known as Ping An Good Doctor – closed flat on its Hong Kong trading debut following an HK$8.77 billion ($1.1 billion) IPO.
Corporate divestments: Time to sell?
Asia Pacific companies are increasingly willing to consider non-core asset sales as they seek to shed dead weight and re-focus on major business areas, especially as technology threatens to overturn established practices
CDH makes $1.4b bid for Australia's Sirtex Medical
Chinese private equity firm CDH Investments has submitted a A$1.87 billion ($1.4 billion) bid for Australia-based Sirtex Medical. It comes days before Sirtex shareholders were due to vote on a lower offer from US-listed Varian Medical Systems.
GGV closes debut renminbi VC fund at $236m
GGV Capital has raised RMB1.5 billion ($236 million) for its debut renminbi-denominated fund. The successful close takes the Sino-US venture capital firm’s total assets under management past $4 billion.
Fund focus: Sky9 seeks early-stage differentiation
Having raised two VC funds with Lightspeed China Partners, Ron Cao has closed his first at Sky9 Capital with $200 million in commitments. The industry dynamics have changed, but Cao is sticking to his early-stage roots
GGV leads $15.7m Series B for China's Synyi
Synyi, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that helps hospitals and medical research institutes process and manage data, has received RMB100 million ($15.7 million) in Series B funding led by GGV Capital.
Chinese robot developer gets $820m Series C round
Tencent Holdings has led an $820 million Series C round of funding for Ubtech, valuing the Chinese manufacturer of consumer humanoid robots at approximately $5 billion.
GSR invests $236m in China environmental technology player
GSR Capital, a Chinese private equity firm with a strong interest in clean energy technology, has agreed to invest RMB1.5 billion ($236 million) in overleveraged domestic environmental project developer Shenwu Technology Group.
PE-backed Xiaomi set for Hong Kong IPO
Xiaomi, a Chinese smart phone maker that has received substantial venture capital and private equity funding, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.