Articles by Holden Mann
WeWork IPO reveals extent of global scaling risk
WeWork, a US co-working space provider pursuing an aggressive Asia expansion with the backing of several PE investors, revealed a number of risks associated with rapid global growth in a filing for its US IPO.
Jade Invest part exits China's Latt Liv to JD.com
Jade Invest has confirmed a partial exit from Chinese lifestyle goods retailer Latt Liv, selling a “strategic stake” to e-commerce giant JD.com. Financial terms have not been disclosed.
PE-backed CSB files for India IPO
CSB, an Indian private bank with several private equity backers, has filed for an IPO that is expected to raise at least INR300 million ($4.2 million). It is the first PE-backed IPO filing in more than nine months.
China's PE-backed Zhihu raises $434m Series F round
Zhihu, a Chinese question-and-answer platform, has raised a $434 million Series F round led by domestic search engine Baidu and short video site Beijing Kuaishou Technology.
Kotak closes India distressed asset fund at $1b
The Kotak Special Situations Fund, which is sponsored by an alternative assets arm of Kotak Mahindra Group focused on Indian non-performing loans (NPLs), has reached a final close of $1 billion.
Bertelsmann leads $30m round for India fintech start-up
Bertelsmann India Investments has led a $30 million funding round for Rupeek, an India-based online gold loan marketplace.
KKR to acquire China business of Hong Kong-listed NVC
KKR has announced a strategic partnership with Hong Kong-listed lighting solutions company NVC Lighting in which the GP will acquire a controlling stake in NVC’s mainland China business.
India's Lendingkart raises $30m Series D
Indian financial technology platform Lendingkart has raised a INR2.1 billion ($29.9 million) Series D round from existing investors Fullerton Financial Holdings, Bertelsmann India Investment, and India Quotient.
China's Biocytogen gets $78m Series D
Chinese contract research organization (CRO) Biocytogen has raised a RMB543 million ($78 million) Series D round led by China Life Insurance and SDIC Venture Capital, a VC arm of the State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC).
Women entrepreneurs: Tales from the coalface
Women remain underrepresented in start-up ecosystems across Asia, but for those who have taken the plunge, there is potential to make a social impact that transcends their respective target markets
JC Flowers plans near-full exit from Japan's Shinsei Bank
US-based private equity firm JC Flowers is planning to sell nearly all of its stake in Japanese financial institution Shinsei Bank for an undisclosed amount.
Former CIC PE head joins China Renaissance
Ou Wang, the former head of private equity for China Investment Corporation (CIC), has joined China Renaissance Holdings as a strategy consultant. He has also joined the board of Huajing Securities, the firm’s mainland China-focused investment banking...
Q&A: Betatron's Erika Cheung
Erika Cheung, who helped bring the fraud at Theranos to the attention of regulators, discusses her current role as an advisor at Hong Kong accelerator Betatron and the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs
Women in VC: Crashing the gates
VC firms are increasingly serious about identifying and elevating prospective female talent, but the industry’s culture has a long way to go before women can feel truly valued and contribute their best work
Pakistan's i2i launches $15m venture fund
Invest2Innovate, an accelerator program for technology start-ups in emerging markets, has launched a $15 million venture capital fund focused on Pakistan.
BlackRock, CLSA invest $53m in India's GoWork
Indian co-working space provider GoWork has raised a $53 million round of debt financing led by BlackRock’s private credit team, with participation by CLSA Capital Partners’ special situations group.
GIC to invest $621m in Indian toll road assets
Singapore’s GIC Private has agreed to invest up to INR44 billion ($621 million) in nine toll road assets controlled by Indian private road and highway firm IRB Infrastructure Developers.
AustralianSuper, OTPP commit $2b to India's NIIF
AustralianSuper and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) have agreed to commit up to $1 billion each to the National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), a vehicle backed by the Indian government.
Australia's SpeeDx raises $15m from US-based Northpond
SpeeDx, an Australian developer of molecular diagnostics solutions, has raised $15 million from US-based VC firm Northpond Ventures across two tranches.
Tiger Global leads $75m Series E for India's UrbanClap
India-based local services marketplace UrbanClap has raised a $75 million Series E round led by Tiger Global Management that will provide an exit for some unnamed investors.
Fund focus: Alteria takes venture debt up a level
India’s Alteria Capital closes its debut fund with about $140 million in commitments and a plan to provide venture debt at later stages. Ecosystem creation is a guiding objective
MassMutual Ventures leads $33m round for Singapore's Aspire
The Southeast Asia arm of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance’s venture capital arm, has led a $32.5 million funding round for Singapore-based online banking platform Aspire.
EQT to buy Australian cloud services provider
EQT has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Australia-based managed IT services provider Nexon Asia Pacific for an undisclosed amount.
SCPE spinout Affirma completes first deal as an independent
Affirma Capital, a PE firm launched last year as a spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has completed its first transaction as an independent firm with a $50 million investment in Indian supplements maker Tirupati Medicare.