Articles by Justin Niessner
ResponsAbility hits $173m first close on Asia food fund
Swiss impact investor ResponsAbility has reached a first close of USD 173m for a South and Southeast Asia-focused sustainable food private equity fund. The target is USD 400m.
B Capital raises $2.1bn for latest global VC funds
US and Singapore-headquartered VC firm B Capital has closed its third series of funds with USD 2.1bn in commitments. The mandate is global with a strong emphasis on Asia.
India's 360 One buys Mumbai Angels, launches two funds
Bain Capital-backed 360 One, which rebranded from IIFL Wealth & Asset Management last November, has acquired a 91% stake in Mumbai Angels as the seed investor launches two new funds.
Avatar Growth leads Series C for India's Mad Street Den
Avatar Growth Capital, a private equity firm specialising in bringing Indian tech to global markets, has led a USD 30m Series C round for US and India-based retail services player Mad Street Den.
Singapore's Lighthouse Canton hits first close on venture debt fund
Singapore Lighthouse Canton has reached a first close of USD 20m on its first venture debt fund, which will target Southeast Asia and India. The target is USD 100m.
ADB backs Quadria's third health fund
Asian Development Bank (ADB) has committed USD 25m to the third fund from Singapore-based Quadria Capital, a healthcare-focused private equity firm.
Labour shortages: Tales from north and south
Australia and Japan are facing extreme labour shortages. In the former, GPs can survive on policy support and emergency manoeuvres. In the latter, fundamental strategy shifts are a more immediate imperative
Norwegian climate fund backs India waste-to-energy player
A climate fund set up by Norwegian development finance institution Norfund has invested NOK 600m (USD 60.5m) in Indian solar and waste-to-energy company SEAL.
Investcorp leads $39m Series D for India's Wakefit
Investcorp has led a INR 3.2bn (USD 39.4m) Series D round for India’s Wakefit, which claims to be the largest D2C retailer of mattresses and bedding accessories.
LPs want more transparency in Asia GP relationships
LPs are willing to back first-time managers and reengage with China, but they want to see more from GPs in return for taking these risks, the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association’s (HKVCA) Asia Forum heard.
Bain backs Asia biorefinery platform
Bain Capital Private Equity has confirmed a significant equity commitment to EcoCeres, a Hong Kong-based biorefinery. The size of the investment was not disclosed.
Accel backs India home construction start-up
Accel and fellow US venture firm Celesta Capital have led a USD 10m round for India’s Brick&Bolt, a consumer-facing end-to-end home construction platform.
Carlyle buys India skincare, beauty platform
The Carlyle Group has acquired a majority stake in VLCC, an Indian skincare and beauty platform backed by Everstone Capital, for an undisclosed sum.
Deal focus: Anchorage gets Aussie icon for a song
Anchorage Capital Partners has acquired David Jones, a longstanding and beloved Australian department store chain, for one-fourth the cost of recent renovation work at a single location
AC, Indies sign up to Malaysia government tech drive
Indonesia-focused AC Ventures and Indies Capital have agreed to support a Malaysian tech investment programme led by government VC unit Penjana Kapital.
VIG acquires Korea's Eastar Jet
Korea’s VIG Partners has acquired 100% of local low-cost airline Eastar Jet for USD 117m, citing plans to introduce new aircraft to the fleet as part of a “quick turnaround.”
ChrysCapital acquires US-India IT player Xoriant for $350m
India’s ChrysCapital Partners has acquired Xoriant, a US-headquartered but primarily India-based software engineering and IT provider, for about USD 350m.
Hong Kong's VMS appoints PE head
Hong Kong-based multi-strategy alternatives asset manager VMS Group has appointed Jianming Zou, formerly of New Horizon Capital, as head of private equity.
Australia's Potentia backs telecoms technology player
Australia’s Potentia Capital has paid AUD 66.3m (USD 44.9m) for a 25% stake in Soprano Design, a local mobile messaging technology provider that counts Telstra and AT&T as its carrier partners.
Advent acquires majority stake in India's Suven Pharma
Advent International has agreed to acquire a 50.1% stake in India-listed drug industry supplier Suven Pharmaceuticals for INR 63.1bn (USD 761.5m) with plans to acquire an additional 26%.
Australia's Heal Partners closes debut fund on $137m
Australia’s Heal Partners, a health, education, and lifestyle-focused venture capital firm, has closed its first fund on AUD 200m (USD 137m). The target was AUD 100m.
TPG buys India's Poonawalla Housing Finance
TPG Capital Asia has agreed to acquire Poonawalla Housing Finance for a pre-money equity valuation of INR 39bn (USD 473m) and inject an additional INR 10bn to support growth.
PAG closes fifth credit fund on $2.6bn
PAG has closed its fifth pan-Asian private credit fund at the hard cap with USD 2.6bn. It is said to be the largest direct lending fund raised in the region to date.
New Zealand's Partly gets $21m Series A
New Zealand’s Partly, a company that uses big data to source replacement parts for the global automotive industry, has raised a NZD 37m (USD 21m) Series A round led by UK-based Octopus Ventures.