Articles by Justin Niessner
India's Motilal Oswal closes latest fund at $552m
The private equity arm of India’s Motilal Oswal Financial Services has closed its fourth flagship growth fund with INR 45bn (USD 552m) in commitments.
Singapore's ShopBack secures $80m Series F extension
Temasek Holdings-controlled investor 65 Equity Partners has led a USD 80m equity investment in Singaporean retail platform ShopBack, extending a Series F round in June.
China's Neushen Therapeutics gets $20m pre-Series A
China’s Neushen Therapeutics, a biotech developer focused on central nervous system (CNS) disorders, has raised USD 20m in pre-Series A funding led by local VC firm Lapam Capital.
Japan's D Capital hits third close on debut fund
D Capital, a recently established Japanese middle-market private equity firm, has achieved a third close of JPY 27bn (USD 186.4m) on its debut fund. The target is JPY 30bn.
Elev8 targets $200m for India growth-stage fund
Elev8 Venture Partners, a newly established Indian growth-stage investor, has launched its debut fund with a target of USD 200m.
BlackRock leads $300m investment in Indonesia's Traveloka
BlackRock has led a USD 300m investment in Indonesia’s Traveloka via a credit fund as expectations mount for an IPO by the travel platform.
Sequoia, ChrysCapital to exit India's Curatio
Sequoia Capital India and ChrysCapital Partners are set to exit Indian skincare brand Curatio, with Torrent Pharma agreeing to acquire 100% of the company for INR 20bn (USD 245m).
India's Molbio secures Temasek backing, becomes unicorn
India’s Molbio Diagnostics, a medical equipment maker best known for its COVID-19 testing systems, has raised a USD 85m round featuring Temasek Holdings at an enterprise valuation of USD 1.6bn.
Petronas Ventures backs Malaysian drone player
Petronas Ventures, the VC arm of Malaysian oil giant Petronas, has led a USD 30m round for drone developer Aerodyne Group with support from domestic pension fund KWAP.
India's True North buys stake in TA-backed Accion Labs
Indian middle market private equity firm True North has acquired a significant minority position in US and India-based IT provider Accion Labs from TA Associates for USD 93m.
India mass market: Bharat dreams
A labyrinth of logistical, cultural, competition, and business modelling challenges is curbing private equity appetite for India’s quickly modernising proletariat
Fund focus: Tower goes large with debut fund
Tower Capital Asia is repositioning itself as a large, globally connected PE firm as it transitions from deal-by-deal investing to a fund structure. Deep roots in Singapore remain the nucleus of the strategy
Thailand's Line Man Wongnai raises $265m
Thailand’s Line Man Wongnai – a food delivery, taxi, and messaging app – has raised a USD 265m round featuring GIC at a valuation of USD 1bn. It claims to be the largest start-up locally.
Japan flying car player SkyDrive gets $67m Series C
Japanese flying car developer SkyDrive has raised JPY 9.6bn (USD 67m) in Series C funding featuring US-based Pegasus Tech Ventures and local strategics such as Suzuki Motor.
Japan's Nomura launches blockchain VC unit
Japan’s Nomura Holdings has launched a business called Laser Venture Capital that will invest in companies in the blockchain and digital assets space.
Cambodia's Amara Capital backs local hospitality operator
Cambodia’s Amara Capital has agreed to invest an undisclosed sum in local restaurant and hotel group Thalias Hospitality.
Korea autonomous driving player gets $25m
Korea’s Seoul Robotics, which specialises in computer vision for 3D sensors used by autonomous cars, has raised a USD 25m Series B round led by KB Investment.
TNB Aura leads $32m round for Singapore electronics brand
Singapore-based VC firm TNB Aura has led a SGD 45m (USD 32m) round for local consumer electronics brand Prism+ ahead of a Southeast Asia expansion.
India insurance start-up Zopper raises $75m
Indian private equity firm Creaegis has led a USD 75m Series C round for local insurance technology provider Zopper.
Fundamentum leads round for India's Kuku FM
Indian growth-stage investor The Fundamentum Partnership has led a USD 21.8m Series B extension for audio platform Kuku FM.
KKR leads $450m investment in India's Hero Future Energies
KKR has led a USD 450m investment in Indian renewable energy company Hero Future Energies (HFE), with parent company Hero Group also participating.
Gobi raises $10m for Asia seed fund
Gobi Partners has closed a USD 10m Malaysia-focused seed fund with contributions from Allianz Malaysia, Malaysia Venture Capital Management (Mavcap) and Sunway Group.
Tower Capital closes maiden SE Asia PE fund on $379m
Singapore’s Tower Capital Asia, which has historically invested on a deal-by-deal basis, has closed its debut blind pool private equity fund for Southeast Asia on USD 379m.
C Ventures rebrands, hits first close on new fund
C Ventures, a VC firm set up by Adrian Cheng, scion of Hong Kong’s New World Development, has rebranded as C Capital – reflecting steps to diversify into a multi-strategy asset manager – and reached a first close on its latest fund.