Articles by Holden Mann
QIA leads $150m round for India’s Byju’s
Indian educational technology developer Byju’s has raised $150 million in a funding round led by Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar.
Chinese GPs back Nigeria’s OPay
Nigeria-based online services platform OPay has raised a $50 million funding round with participation by a number of Chinese investors, including IDG Capital, Source Code Capital, Sequoia Capital China, Meituan-Dianping, and GSR Ventures.
India's A91 closes debut fund at $351m
A91 Partners, an Indian venture capital firm founded by three former managing directors at Sequoia Capital, has closed its debut fund at $351 million.
TVS reaches $160m second close on India growth fund
TVS Capital Funds, a PE firm sponsored by the TVS Group and Shriram Group, has reached a second close of INR11 billion ($160 million) on its third India growth vehicle.
Southeast Asia VC: Waiting for the breakout
Fundraising has accelerated in Southeast Asia’s venture capital space in recent years, but the ecosystem remains fragile. Expansion will be difficult until GPs can prove the viability of the market to LPs
Mitsubishi expands commitment to Go-Jek's Series F
Indonesia-based ride-hailing and online services platform Go-Jek has received a fresh investment of undisclosed size from Mitsubishi Corporation - as well as two other units of the Japanese conglomerate - as part of its ongoing Series F round.
EQT makes $449m offer for Singapore hospital operator
EQT Partners has made a take-private offer for Singapore-listed hospital operator Health Management International (HMI) that values the company at S$611 million ($449 million).
IFC leads $550m investment in India's L&T Finance
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has anchored the first tranche of a $550 million investment in L&T Finance Holdings (LTFH), the financial services unit of Indian engineering conglomerate Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Morgan Stanley-backed Feihe files for Hong Kong IPO
Feihe, a China-based dairy products manufacturer backed by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.
Sony partners Japan's Daiwa for $186m VC fund
Sony has joined Daiwa Capital Holdings, a subsidiary of Japan’s Daiwa Securities Group, for a JPY20 billion ($186 million) VC fund targeting start-ups in high growth industries.
US-India cross-border: Taking the leap
US-India cross-border deals present a tempting opportunity for Indian GPs, but managing investments in another market requires careful use of resources and a level of commitment that not all firms can match
SoftBank invests $250m in India's Ola Electric
SoftBank has invested $250 million in Ola Electric, an electric vehicle (EV) company that spun out from Indian ride-hailing platform Ola earlier this year. The new investment reportedly brings Ola Electric’s valuation to over $1 billion.
Sequoia launches India seed fund
Sequoia Capital is deepening its focus on early-stage start-ups in India with a new seed fund that will invest separately from its existing vehicles.
Q&A: Gaja Capital's Gopal Jain
Gopal Jain, co-founder and managing partner at Gaja Capital, discusses the growing appetite among US institutional investors for Indian private equity and the country’s attraction for US strategic players
IFC, Corisol lead $70m Series D for India's 1mg
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Switzerland-based family office Corisol Holdings have led a $70 million Series D round for Indian online healthcare services platform operator 1mg Technologies.
Deal focus: Peepul’s power grab pays off with CNPS exit
Peepul Capital has secured an exit from Indian power supply maker CNPS, selling the business to Japan's Fuji Electric seven years after acquiring a majority stake
Invesco commits $300m to Southeast Asia's Grab
Southeast Asian ride hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has received a $300 million commitment from global investment manager Invesco as part of its ongoing $6.5 billion Series H round.
Tiger leads $30m Series B for India fintech start-up
Open Financial Technologies, an India-based online financial services start-up aimed at small businesses, has raised a $30 million Series B round led by Tiger Global Management.
AVCJ daily bulletin returns July 2
AVCJ’s daily bulletin will not be published on Monday, July 1 due to a public holiday marking the establishment of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
LP interview: Unigestion
Asia’s rising levels of private equity talent offer enticing growth prospects for Unigestion’s wealth management clients, but enforcing discipline among emerging markets managers remains a challenge
Paytm founder backs $29m debut fund from India's Roots
Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of Indian online payments platform Paytm, has joined the INR2 billion ($29 million) debut fund of Indian venture capital firm Roots Ventures as an anchor investor.
Singapore's PE-backed Home Control files for HK IPO
Home Control International, a Singapore-based manufacturer of remote controls for television and smart devices owned by Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.
Australia’s Archer targets $208m for sixth fund
Australian GP Archer Capital has revived its plans to raise a sixth fund and set a target of A$300 million ($208 million), more than a year after halting the process amid the planned departure of Peter Wiggs, the firm’s founding partner and CEO.
Singapore's PE-backed Trax secures US retail tech bolt-on
Trax, a Singapore-based developer of retail computer vision and analytics solutions with several private equity backers, has acquired US-based shopping rewards app developer Shopkick for an undisclosed amount.