Articles by Holden Mann
India's Pepperfry gets $31m Series E round
Indian online furniture marketplace Pepperfry has raised a $31 million Series E round from a group of investors including Norwest Venture Partners, Bertelsmann India Investments, Zodius Technology Fund and Goldman Sachs.
WestBridge leads $40m round for India's Aptus
WestBridge Capital Partners has led a INR2.7 billion ($40.4 million) funding round for Indian home lender Aptus Housing Finance India.
Pierfront commits $25 million to Indonesia mine operator
Singapore-based alternative credit investor Pierfront Capital has committed $25 million to Merdeka Copper Gold, an Indonesia-based operator of copper and gold mines backed by Saratoga Capital and Provident Capital.
TRG opens South Korea office
The Rohatyn Group (TRG), a global emerging markets asset management firm, has opened an office in South Korea.
Portfolio: L Capital Asia and Seafolly
Beachwear maker Seafolly was already a leader in Australia when L Capital Asia acquired it in 2014. Now the founding family and the GP plan to build it into a global lifestyle brand
Private debt: Pulling uphill
Selling Asian LPs on private credit strategies remains difficult for the most part, but fund managers are generally confident that interest in the asset class is set to take off
Bessemer leads $15m round for India's Swiggy
Bessemer Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series D round for Indian online food delivery start-up Swiggy.
ChrysCapital leads $149m round for India's Hero FinCorp
Indian non-banking financial company (NBFC) Hero FinCorp has raised more than INR10 billion ($149 million) from investors including ChrysCapital, Credit Suisse and its parent, the Hero Group.
Singapore's JFDI abandons accelerator program
Singapore-based Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) has closed its pioneering accelerator program as part of a corporate restructuring.
India's VC-backed Citrus Pay sold to Netherlands strategic
Citrus Pay, an India-based online and mobile payment solutions developer backed by Sequoia Capital, Ascent Capital and Beenos, has been acquired by Netherlands-based rival PayU.
Deal focus: InnoVen targets India-Southeast Asia angle
Having gained traction with its venture debt proposition in India, Innoven Capital is now following those same portfolio companies as they expand into Southeast Asia
India's Quikr buys VC-backed StayGlad
Indian classifieds site Quikr has bought StayGlad, an online marketplace for beauty services backed by Bessemer Venture Partners.
Hera, DSG invest $4m in Singapore's SaladStop
Hera Capital and DSG Consumer Partners have committed S$5 million ($3.7 million) for a minority stake in Singapore-based restaurant chain SaladStop.
Deal focus: IVFA pushes Seedworks’ hybrid agenda
Hybrid rice has yet to achieve meaningful penetration of India's agriculture sector. India Value Fund Advisors is backing Seedworks International ride the expected growth wave
Profile: Myanmar Investments' Aung Htun
Myanmar Investments founder Aung Htun sees his latest venture as the culmination of his years spent finding a way forward in Asia by embracing the unorthodox
Australian marketing platform raises $7.5m for US expansion
Simple, an online marketing platform based in Australia, has raised A$10 million ($7.5 million) to support its expansion in the US.
IVFA buys India's Seedworks
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has bought a majority stake in India-based agricultural research firm Seedworks International.
IFC, EMA Power invest $176m in Bangladesh's Summit
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has joined EMA Power Investment to invest $175.5 million in Bangladeshi independent power producer Summit Corporation (SCL).
Equity International raises Asia fund to support e-Shang Redwood
Equity International (EI), a Chicago-based investment firm focused on real estate and infrastructure platforms in emerging markets, has closed its first Asia-focused fund, aimed at supporting Chinese warehouse firm e-Shang Redwood (ESR).
India's InnoVen invests $6m in Capillary, Simplilearn
Indian venture debt firm InnoVen Capital has committed a total of $6 million in structured debt financing to cloud-based software provider Capillary Technologies and educational technology start-up Simplilearn.
Deal focus: HappyFresh prepares shopping list
Buyoed by a Series B round, Southeast Asian online grocery delivery business HappyFresh is refocusing on core markets with a view to deepening its sourcing relationships with major supermarkets
Sequoia, Venturra, SIG lead $8m Series A for Thailand's Zilingo
Sequoia Capital India, Venturra Capital and Susquehanna International Group (SIG) have led an $8 million Series A round for Thailand-based online fashion retailer Zilingo.
Premji invests in India's Lenskart
PremjiInvest, the family office of Wipro Group chairman Azim Premji, has invested in Indian online eyewear retailer Lenskart.
Deal focus: Ambit backs digital media transformations
Prime Focus Technology develops systems that ease the burden on media providers struggling with the demands of a digital age. New investor Ambit Pragma will help the company expand its reach