Articles by Tim Burroughs
Stellaris closes second India VC fund on $225m
Stellaris Venture Partners has closed its second early-stage India fund on $225 million, comfortably exceeding the $160 million target while diversifying the LP base.
Vision Fund pulls back from China amid regulatory uncertainty
SoftBank Vision Fund is taking a “wait and see” approach to China, holding back on new investments in the country until the full ramifications of regulatory action in the technology sector are known.
Deal focus: GA backs VNLife’s two-pronged fintech play
VNLife is not alone in trying to build value-added services onto a payment platform in Vietnam, but it is unusual in being able to rely on a profitable B2B digital banking business while figuring out monetization
Deal focus: Warburg Pincus returns to ESR
The sale of ARA Asset Management to ESR will create a real estate behemoth primed to go big on e-commerce-driven logistics and data centers – and allow Warburg Pincus to reunite with the platform it seeded
LP interview: Allianz Capital Partners
In approaching Asian private equity, Allianz Capital Partners combines the classic conservatism of an insurance investor with a seasoned understanding of how to assess – and perhaps not over-respond – to risk
India family offices: Tech exposure
Demand for technology exposure among India’s most affluent is intensifying. Family offices may vary in profile, experience, and mode of access, but they all want a piece of the latest hot start-up
Affinity exits Australia healthcare software business
Affinity Equity Partners has agreed to sell MedicalDirector, an Australia-based clinic management software developer, to Telstra Health for an enterprise valuation of A$350 million ($257 million).
Bukalapak gains 25% on debut after $1.5b Indonesia IPO
Indonesian e-commerce platform Bukalapak hit the upper limits of its trading range within minutes of debuting on the Jakarta Stock Exchange following an IDR21.9 trillion ($1.5 billion) IPO.
China cancer screening specialist raises $99m
China Merchants Capital has led a $99.5 million funding round for Berry Oncology Corporation, an early cancer screening spin-out from China-based genetic testing specialist Berry Genomics.
India's MindTickle closes $100m Series E
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has continued its recent streak of investing in unicorns out of India by leading a $100 million Series E round for sales enablement platform MindTickle at a valuation of $1.2 billion.
Affirma invests $77m in Korean steelmakers
Affirma Capital has acquired a majority stake in two steel manufacturing subsidiaries of Korea-based industrial conglomerate SeAH Group for $76.9 million.
India's BharatPe achieves $2.8b valuation on $370m Series E
Indian payments player BharatPe has raised $370 million in Series E funding led by Tiger Global Management. The $2.85 valuation means the company joins the country’s fast-growing collection of tech unicorns.
GLP, Sequoia commit $800m to China's Harvest Capital
Harvest Capital, a China-based private equity firm that focuses on the consumer sector, has received a strategic investment of nearly $800 million from GLP – a regional logistics platform and investment manager- and Sequoia Capital China.
ESR buys PE-backed real assets manager ARA for $5.2b
ARA Asset Management, an Asia-based real asset manager that was privatized by a PE consortium in 2016, has agreed to be acquired by Hong Kong-listed warehousing platform ESR for $5.2 billion.
Activist target Japan Asia Group agrees asset sale to Carlyle
Japan Asia Group (JAG) has revived plans to sell stakes in two key subsidiaries to The Carlyle Group, six months after a similar transaction was abandoned in the face of opposition from activist investors. The deal is worth JPY58.5 billion ($534 million).
Coller spins out credit fund interests from Ping An subsidiary
A Coller Capital-led consortium has acquired interests in four global credit funds – worth a combined $680 million – from China Ping An Insurance’s overseas investment platform.
Openspace hits $120m first close on SE Asia growth fund
Southeast Asia-focused Openspace Ventures has reached a first close of $120 million on its debut growth fund, which will primarily participate in follow-on rounds for existing portfolio companies.
Southeast Asia's FinAccel agrees $2b SPAC merger
FinAccel, operator of Indonesia-focused consumer credit platform Kredivo, has agreed to merge with a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at an enterprise valuation of $2 billion.
Deal focus: MyGlamm leverages brand awareness
The Indian direct-to-consumer beauty brand claims to stand out from the competition thanks to broad product coverage and a content-driven customer acquisition engine. Its Series C investors appear to agree
Profile: E15 VC’s Philip Liang
From social networking for dogs to surgical robotics, Philip Liang’s career as an entrepreneur and investor has been rich and varied. He welcomes the barrage of ideas filling his inbox at Hong Kong-based E15 VC
Ofbusiness becomes India's 18th unicorn of 2021
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led $160 million Series E funding round for OfBusiness, an India-based B2B platform focused on industrial supply chain and procurement services, at a valuation of $1.5 billion.
India education platform Unacademy raises $440m
India-based education platform Unacademy has closed a $440 million funding round – at a valuation of $3.44 billion – led by Temasek Holdings.
EQT pursues $2.2b Australia software take-private
Iress, an Australia-listed software developer that serves the financial services sector, has invited EQT to conduct further due diligence following receipt of a take-private offer worth up to A$3 billion ($2.2 billion).
PAG raises $525m for second China growth fund
PAG has closed its second growth fund, which makes middle-market investments – predominantly in China – that fall below the minimum check size for its pan-Asian vehicle at $525 million.