Articles by Winnie Liu
Overseas LPs find entering Asia challenging
Overseas institutional LPs – in particular those willing to write larger checks – have found it difficult to access Asia's private equity market, industry participants told the HKVCA Asia Private Equity Forum.
China apartment rental firm Ziroom raises $621m
Ziroom, a Chinese apartment rental service provider, has raised a RMB4 billion ($621 million) Series A round of funding led by Warburg Pincus, Sequoia Capital, and Tencent Holdings.
China’s Bianlifeng acquires VC-backed Lingwa
Bianlifeng, a Chinese PE-backed cashier-free convenience store operator, has acquired a controlling stake in its peer Lingwa. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Morningside, Legend lead $112m round for China’s Pony.ai
Pony.ai, a China and US-based start-up that develops autonomous driving solutions, has completed a $112 million Series A round of funding jointly led by Morningside Venture Capital and Legend Capital.
CICC leads $96m round for Chinese sports site Hupu
Hupu Sports Media, a Chinese language sports information and e-commerce site, has raised a RMB618 million ($96 million) round led by a government-backed fund managed by China International Capital Corporation (CICC).
CITIC Capital takes majority control of Harbin Pharmaceutical
CITIC Capital has increased its stake in Harbin Pharmaceutical Group to 60.86%, becoming the controlling shareholder of the Chinese state-backed business in which it has been an investor since 2005.
Chinese fruit store chain raises $230m Series B
Pagoda, a Chinese fruit store chain operator, has completed a RMB1.5 billion ($230 million) Series B round of funding.
Deal focus: VIG sees stability in shoes
Korea's VIG Partners completes its second OEM deal in six months with the $207 million acquisition of Youyoung, a supplier of materials used in running shoes
China co-working space start-up gets $92m
Kr Space, a China-based co-working space operator, has received RMB600 million ($92 million) in a pre-Series B round of funding from its existing investors.
VCs in $146m Series A round for China’s Black Fish
Black Fish, a Chinese online consumer finance platform, has raised a RMB950 million ($146 million) Series A round from Lightspeed China Partners, Morningside Venture Capital, Jafco Asia, and Gobi Partners.
Tiger Global, TAL invest $100m in China’s Dada ABC
Tiger Global Management and TAL Education have invested $100 million in a Series C round of funding for Dada ABC, an online K-12 English education platform based in China.
CDH backs Chinese healthcare AI business
CDH Investments has invested in Huiyi Huiying (HY), a Beijing-based start-up that offers artificial intelligence-based (AI) medical imaging diagnosis. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Hony launches $300m Belt and Road fund, invests in Kazakhstan
Hony Capital has partnered with its portfolio company China Glass Holdings (CGH) to launch a $300 million fund that will invest in glass production projects in countries covered by the One Belt One Road (OBOR) initiative.
China’s Hony Capital to set up mutual fund unit
Hony Capital is poised to become the latest Chinese private equity firm to enter the mutual fund business.
GGV, Joy Capital lead $50m round for China’s 91Xinshang
GGV Capital and Joy Capital have jointly led a $50 million Series C round of funding for 91Xinshang, a secondhand luxury goods trading platform in China.
Tencent, Orchid Asia back China music learning platform
VIP Peilian, a Chinese online music tutoring platform, has completed a Series B round of funding led by Tencent Holdings and Orchid Asia.
Chinese insurers barred from using PE to spur government borrowing
Chinese insurers have been banned from using their private equity units to lend capital to projects backed by local governments for fear that this will inflate already sizeable debt burdens and raise financing costs in the real economy.
AVCJ Awards 2017: Deal of the Year - Mid Cap: Press & Converting
With Korean cosmetics brands trading at high valuations, VIG Partners thinks it got a bargain by moving upstream and buying a niche supplier to the skincare industry
AVCJ Awards 2017: Deal of the Year - Late Stage Technology: Ofo
Ofo and Mobike dominate China’s bike-sharing industry, having raised billions in funding. Investors in Ofo believe they are backing the more sustainable model
AVCJ Awards 2017: VC Professionals of the Year: JP Gan & Nisa Leung
J.P. Gan and Nisa Leung, managing partners at Qiming Venture Partners, discuss the latest trends they are seeing in China’s consumer internet and healthcare spaces
SoftBank, Mubadala in $4b round for China’s Didi Chuxing
Chinese ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing, which has received substantial PE and VC backing, has raised $4 billion in a new round of funding from investors including SoftBank Group and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala.
AVCJ Awards 2017: Deal of the Year - Early Stage Technology: SenseTime
A university spin-out focusing on technology commercialization, SenseTime has become popular among investors seeking artificial intelligence exposure
SCPE buys control of Korea’s Sung Gyung Food
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has acquired a controlling interest in Sung Gyung Food, South Korea’s second largest toasted and seasoned seaweed producer, for $123.5 million.
AVCJ Awards: Fundraising of the Year - Venture Capital: Lilly Asia Ventures
Lilly Asia Ventures’ rapid-fire $450 million fundraise reflects increasing LP interest in the opportunities offered by the Chinese healthcare sector