Articles by Tim Burroughs
China e-signature specialist Fadada gets $139m Series D
Tencent Holdings, Centurium Capital, and ZWC Partners have contributed RMB900 million ($139 million) in Series D funding to Fadada, a Chinese e-signature and cloud contract service provider.
Singapore's Azalea launches PE-backed bond offering
Temasek Holdings-owned Azalea Asset Management plans to sell S$250 million ($186 million) worth of bonds – backed by LP interests in private equity funds – to retail investors in Singapore.
Polaris buys mapping business from Japan's Pioneer
Japanese technology conglomerate Pioneer Corporation has agreed to sell Increment P Corporation – its car navigation and mapping business – to Polaris Capital Group.
CPE sells Australia biscuit business to Mondelez
Australian mid-market private equity firm CPE Capital has agreed to sell Gourmet Food Holdings (GFH) – a local producer of crackers and biscuits – to US-based food multinational Mondelēz International.
Deal focus: Point Avenue's O2O proposition
Vietnam education start-up Point Avenue is pursuing expansion across after-school tuition, bilingual K-12 schools, and online platforms. Gaw Capital will provide financial and strategic support
Temasek agrees $500m tie-up with impact investor LeapFrog
Temasek Holdings has committed $500 million to Asia and Africa-focused impact investor LeapFrong Investments, which will see it participate as an anchor LP in the firm’s future funds.
India's Edelweiss targets $686m for pre-IPO fund
Edelweiss Wealth Management (EWM) is looking to raise INR50 billion ($686 million) for its third fund focusing on late-stage growth and pre-IPO investments in India.
Rugby Australia open to private equity proposals
Rugby Australia will consider private equity investment proposals, following in the footsteps of commercial rugby union organizations in the UK and New Zealand that need cash to alleviate financial stress arising from COVID-19.
FountainVest leads $100m round for China's Ushopal
FountainVest Partners has led a $100 million funding round for Ushopal, a China-focused e-commerce platform that sources global luxury brands for the high-end consumer market.
TA backs Australia ETF manager BetaShares
TA Associates has added to its Australia and New Zealand financial services portfolio with an investment in BetaShares, an Australia-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) manager.
Odyssey backs Australia mountain bike business
Odyssey Private Equity has acquired a significant stake in MTB Direct (MTBD), an Australia-based online retailer specializing in mountain bikes, replacement parts, and cycling clothing and accessories.
My Food Bag completes largest New Zealand IPO in seven years
My Food Bag, a cook-your-own meal kit delivery service backed by Waterman Capital, has raised NZ$342.2 million ($245.5 million) in New Zealand’s largest IPO since 2014.
Buyout funds: Growth paradigm
Most traditional large-cap buyout funds have become hybrids in Asia, taking minority stakes in businesses to generate deal flow in certain markets and to harness regional growth trends
Addor raises $241m for second China healthcare fund
Addor Capital – a Chinese VC firm backed by Jiangsu High-Tech Investment Group, also known as Govtor Capital – has raised RMB1.56 billion ($241 million) for its second renminbi-denominated healthcare fund.
Founder of China's Zhencheng Capital launches SPAC
Jianwei Li, founding and managing partner of Chinese venture capital firm Zhencheng Capital and previously CIO at ZhenFund, has launched a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
PE-backed SciClone achieves $1.6b market cap on HK re-listing
SciClone Pharmaceuticals, a Chinese drug developer privatized by a PE consortium at a valuation of $605 million in 2017, has relisted in Hong Kong and ended its first day of trading with a market capitalization of HK$12.7 billion ($1.64 billion).
Baring Asia to make $1.1b partial exit from Lumenis
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to sell the surgical devices business of Lumenis, an Israel-headquartered company that counts Asia as its largest market, to Boston Scientific for $1.07 billion in cash.
KIC appoints new private equity head
Korea Investment Corporation (KIC) has appointed Sungjun Song as head of its private equity division.
Affinity adds to China team
Affinity Equity Partners has recruited Sam Sun, previously a partner at Sequoia Capital, as a managing director based in Beijing.
Rocket Lab to go public via SPAC merger
Rocket Lab, a US-based space technology company that operates primarily in New Zealand, as agreed to merge with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at an enterprise valuation of $4.1 billion.
GPs & SPACs: Filthy lucre?
The global SPAC craze is percolating into Asia, with private equity firms among the sponsors. LPs aren’t necessarily comfortable with the development, but there’s only so much they can do about it
VCs commit $50m to China's Medilink Therapeutics
Suzhou Medilink Therapeutics, a Chinese biotech company specializing in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) commonly used as targeted therapies for treating cancer, has raised $50 million in Series A funding across two tranches.
OrbiMed raises $800m for Asia life sciences fund
OrbiMed has closed its latest Asia life sciences fund, which primarily invests in China and India, with $800 million in commitments.
Australia's Employment Hero gets $35m Series D
Australian online human resources services start-up Employment Hero has raised A$45 million ($35 million) in Series D funding led by domestic recruitment business Seek.