Articles by Justin Niessner
Australia's QIC acquires 50% stake in smart meter business
Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), an Australian sovereign wealth fund, has agreed to acquire a 50% stake in New Zealand-listed Vector Metering at an enterprise valuation of NZD 2.5bn (USD 1.6bn).
BP, Morgan Stanley back India EV charging station provider
BP Ventures and Morgan Stanley Infrastructure have made a USD 22m equity investment in Magenta Mobility, an Indian electric vehicle (EV) charging station provider.
Deal focus: Hong Kong's Gryfyn issues web3 passport
Gryfyn, the latest project from Hong Kong’s Animoca Brands, has attracted several VC investors, most of which are not existing backers of its parent. The mission is simple: expand the metaverse
Singapore quantum computing start-up secures $18.1m
Singapore’s Horizon Quantum Computing has raised USD 18.1m from a group including Sequoia Capital India and Tencent Holdings.
VCs back Indonesia battery-swapping scooter maker
Ondine Capital, a Southeast Asia-focused VC firm set up by investors from China's CICC Capital and JD.com and Indonesia's MediaTek, has invested in Indonesian battery-swapping scooter maker Swap Energy.
Japan's J-Star names three new partners
Japanese lower middle-market private equity firm J-Star has elevated three longstanding staff to partner, bringing the total number of partners to nine.
Creador completes exit from Malaysia's Mr DIY
Creador has exited its remaining 4.9% equity interest in Malaysia-listed home improvement retailer Mr DIY, generating proceeds of MYR 664m (USD 150.5m).
Japan 'deskless workforce' start-up raises $23m
Japan’s Coral Capital has led a JPY 3bn (USD 23m) Series B round for Kaminashi, a local software start-up targeting an under-digitalised blue-collar segment it calls the “deskless workforce.”
GIC takes co-control of Bain-owned Japan software company
Bain Capital has ceded co-control of Japanese HR software provider Works Human Intelligence (WHI) to GIC in a deal ranked among the Singapore sovereign investor’s largest acquisitions.
Japan's Fiducia hits second close on debut fund
Fiducia, a tech investor set up by the former private markets head of Japan Post Bank, has reached a second close of JPY 3.86bn (USD 29m) following a commitment from SBI Group.
Bessemer leads Series C for New Zealand's Halter
Bessemer Venture Partners has led a NZD 85m (USD 53.3m) Series C round for New Zealand’s Halter, a start-up that makes solar-powered collars for managing cow herds with an app.
Japan's EV Motors raises $27m in extended Series C
Japanese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer EV Motors has completed an extended Series C round, raising JPY 3.6bn (USD 27.1m) from at least 23 investors.
LG backs US, China autonomous logistics start-up
LG Technology Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based VC arm of Korea’s LG Group, has led a USD 28.8m Series A round for US and China-based logistics automation player Venti Technologies.
India fashion supply chain player Fashinza raises $30m
Indian fashion industry supply chain platform Fashinza has raised USD 30m from Liquidity Group, an Israel and US-based financial technology company and debt investor.
Deal focus: Kredivo cuts through SE Asia growth-stage gloom
Indonesian consumer credit operator Kredivo has punctuated the VC doldrums with an ecosystem-encouraging pre-IPO round. Investors point to low customer acquisition costs as key to the success
Longreach buys Japan healthcare SaaS player
North Asia buyout specialist The Longreach Group has invested an undisclosed sum in Wellness Communications Corporation (WCC), a Japanese healthcare software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider.
Asia-Europe investor AGIC supports Danish electronics buyout
AGIC Capital, a specialist in Europe-China cross-border deals, has backed the acquisition of PR Electronics, a Danish manufacturer of signal processing equipment with an existing base in China.
TII, Premji to acquire India medical devices player
Tube Investments of India (TII) and Premji Invest have agreed to acquire medical instruments maker Lotus Surgicals for up to INR 3.5bn (USD 42.3m), providing an exit for Samara Capital.
Bain pursues buyout of Australia's Estia Health
Bain Capital has offered to acquire Australia-listed aged care provider Estia Health for AUD 775.1m (USD 517.4m).
Indonesia's Kredivo raises $270m Series D
Indonesian consumer credit company Kredivo, formerly known as FinAccel, has completed a USD 270m Series D round led by Mizuho Bank, which provided USD 125m.
Samsung backs Korea autonomous delivery start-up
Samsung Venture Investment has invested in Korea’s Neubility, a robot maker aiming to “automate urban sidewalks” via autonomous rolling boxes capable of on-demand deliveries.
Altos, Mirae Asset re-up Korea's Kream in $39m round
Altos Ventures and Mirae Asset Capital have each made their third investment in the past 18 months in Korean e-commerce player Kream, with the latest round amounting to KRW 50.6bn (USD 38.8m).
Deal focus: India's IIFL plans hospital expansion
India’s IIFL Asset Management is taking its private equity business deeper into healthcare with Kauvery Hospitals. The plan is to double patient capacity and IPO within three years
Singapore electronics marketplace Reebelo extends Series A to $50m
Singapore electronics marketplace Reebelo has lifted its Series A round to USD 50m with a USD 29m commitment led by Cathay Innovation.