Articles by Winnie Liu
China online-to-offline: Retail reorientation
As technology brings the buyer closer to the seller, some investors are put off by the uncertainty while others see opportunities in finding ways to digitize – or further disrupt – traditional retailers
Fund focus: Qiming sees growing opportunity set
Qiming has chosen to stick to its successful formula with its sixth US dollar-denominated vehicle, which recently closed at $935 million
Sequoia leads $48m round for China online baby products retailer
Sequoia Capital China has led a RMB300 million ($48 million) Series C round of funding for PatPat, a China-based e-commerce platform operator that exports maternal and infant products overseas.
Alibaba invests $717m in China PE-backed rural e-commerce site
Alibaba Group has agreed to invest RMB4.5 billion ($717 million) in Huitongda Network, a private equity-backed online retailer that focuses on China’s rural areas.
Chinese fintech start-up raises $159m Series C
China Reform Holdings Corporation (CRHC), a Chinese state-owned asset manager, has led a RMB1 billion ($159 million) Series C round for 100Credit, a financial technology start-up that uses big data to provide credit services.
MSPEA, Crescent Point lead Series C round for China’s Qingke
Morgan Stanley Private Equity (MSPEA) and Crescent Point have jointly led a Series C round of funding for Qingke, a long-term rental apartment services platform in China.
BBVA backs China Sinovation Ventures’ fourth fund
Spanish bank BBVA has committed $50 million to Chinese VC firm Sinovation Ventures’ latest US-dollar denominated fund.
Chinese big data firm MiningLamp gets $159m Series C
MiningLamp Software, a big data solutions provider in China, has raised a RMB1 billion ($159 million) Series C round of funding led by China Renaissance’s Huaxing Growth Capital and Tencent Holdings.
CITIC Capital acquires Chinese facility management service provider
China-focused GP CITIC Capital Partners has acquired a majority stake in Jiangsu Sky Facility Management (SkyFM), a Chinese facility management service provider, for an undisclosed sum.
China’s Qiming raises $1.39b across three VC funds
Qiming Venture Partners has closed two China-focused VC funds – including its sixth US dollar-denominated vehicle and fifth renminbi-denominated vehicle – and a newly-established US healthcare fund, with $1.39 billion in aggregate commitments.
CLSA backs MBO of Japan medical IT systems supplier
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has supported a management buyout of NHOSA Corporation, which provides electronic health record (EHR) systems to dental clinics across Japan.
WeWork buys PE-backed Naked Hub in Asia expansion drive
US-based co-working space operator WeWork has acquired industry peer Naked Hub, which is backed by Hong Kong-based Gaw Capital Partners, as part of a continued expansion in China and Southeast Asia.
Warburg Pincus leads $44m round for China’s Sensors Data
Warburg Pincus has led a $44 million Series C round of funding for Sensors Data, a Beijing-based big data analysis company.
LP interview: Hermes GPE
Hermes GPE has fine-tuned its co-investment strategy since establishing a presence in Asia. Iesan Tsai, the group’s regional head, will work with portfolio GPs or fund-less sponsors in pursuit of the right deal
Chinese biotech firm Biocytogen raises $65m
Biocytogen, a Chinese contract research organization (CRO) that provides genetically engineered mice for drug testing, has raised RMB410 million ($65 million) in a Series C round of funding led by CMB International Capital, an investment arm of China...
Deal focus: Meituan makes a strategic move with Mobike
Meituan-Dianping's acquisition of Mobike means stellar returns for some of the early investors in the Chinese company - and more layers of intrigue in the competitive dynamic between Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings
Alibaba leads $600m round for China’s SenseTime
Alibaba Group has led a $600 million Series C round for China's SenseTime, said to be the largest-ever fundraise by an artificial intelligence (AI) company globally.
China’s Meiliche Jinrong raises another $38m
Meiliche Jinrong, the online auto finance unit of Chinese consumer loans site Meili Jinrong, has raised an additional RMB239 million ($37.88 million) for its Series B round.
China’s PE-backed Liepin files for Hong Kong IPO
Wise Talent Information Technology, a PE-backed company that operates Chinese online recruitment services platform Leipin, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
China’s Meituan-Dianping acquires PE-backed Mobike
Meituan-Dianping, China’s largest online-to-offline (O2O) local services platform, has agreed to buy full control of bike-sharing company Mobike. Both companies are backed by Tencent Holdings and have received substantial private equity funding.
China’s Source Code hires former Commonfund Asia head
Jireh Li, formerly chief representative for Asia at US-based fund-of-funds Commonfund Capital, has joined Chinese venture capital firm Source Code Capital as an executive director.
Bain Capital to merge US-based WWP with Chinese player
Bain Capital Private Equity has acquired US-based World Wide Packaging (WWP), a provider of cosmetic packaging components and plastic tubes, and plans to merge it with a Chinese cosmetics packaging manufacturer – another acquisition the GP is currently...
Tencent leads $80m round for China’s Miaoshou Doctor
Tencent Holdings has led a RMB500 million ($80 million) Series C round for Miaoshou Doctor, a China-based healthcare services provider.
Alibaba to acquire China’s Ele.me at $9.5b valuation
Alibaba Group has agreed to acquire all the remaining shares of Ele.me, a Chinese food delivery platform backed by several private equity investors, in a transaction that values the company at $9.5 billion.