Articles by Larissa Ku
Deal focus: ShareChat makes hay in TikTok's absence
The Indian social networking platform has seen its valuation grow more than fourfold in the past year, helped in no small part by the rise of short video offering Moj as an alternative to TikTok
China's Vitalbridge reaches $200m first close on Fund II
Vitalbridge Capital, a China-based venture capital firm that spun out from Trustbridge Partners, has achieved a first close of $200 million on its second US dollar-denominated fund.
CMC invests $93m in China liquor brand
Forty-Nine Union, a Chinese liquor brand, has raised a Series B round of RMB600 million ($93 million) from CMC Capital Group. There were no other participants in the round.
Sequoia China leads $100m Series B for Bota Biosciences
Sequoia Capital China had led a $100 million Series B round for Bota Biosciences, a China-based biotech company that has developed a next-generation platform for manufacturing high-performing industrial compounds.
GIC invests $240m in Arctic Green Energy
Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC has committed $240 million to Arctic Green Energy (AGE), an Iceland-based geothermal energy developer that has already received substantial Chinese backing.
China automotive chip maker Semidrive raises $154m
Semidrive Technology, a specialist semiconductor manufacturer for the automotive industry, has raised RMB1 billion ($154 million) in Series B funding led by Pro Capital and V Fund.
China's Genesis targets $1.2b for Fund III
Genesis Capital, a China growth-stage technology investor established by Richard Peng, who previously led the investment program at Tencent Holdings, is seeking $1.2 billion for its third US dollar-denominated fund.
Q&A: IPV Capital's Alex Banh
Semiconductors are a popular investment target in China on the back of US decoupling and a push for self-sufficiency. Alex Banh, a managing partner of sector specialist IPV Capital, shares his views
China regulatory crackdown threatens PE education deals
China has imposed severe restrictions on private tutoring that appear to undermine the commercial viability of companies in the space, potentially making private equity investment unviable.
CPE joins Series D for China biotech player TransThera
TransThera, a China-based drug developer, has raised $100 million in Series D funding led by CPE and China Structural Reform Fund.
China autonomous driving developer CalmCar raises $150m
CalmCar, a China-based provider of self-driving solutions, has closed a $150 million Series C round led by German auto parts supplier ZF Group. The company is targeting an IPO in 2022.
Sequoia leads $150m Series E for AIOps player Cloudwise
Cloudwise, a Beijing-based artificial intelligence operations (AIOps) provider, has raised $150 million in Series E funding led by Sequoia Capital China.
China DNA sequencing start-up gets $116m Series C
Chinese next-generation sequencing (NGS) player Geneplus Technology has raised a RMB750 million ($116 million) Series C round led by China Construction Bank’s venture unit CCB International.
Black Ant, GenBridge lead Series B for China coffee chain
M Stand - a China-based coffee shop chain with ambitions to become the Starbucks for China's younger generation - has raised RMB500 million ($77 million) in Series B funding led by Black Ant Capital and GenBridge Capital.
China petcare brand raises $31m
Chongxing, a Chinese petcare brand, has raised RMB200 million ($31 million) in a third tranche of Series B funding from Tencent Holdings, Hony Capital, HighLight Capital, Vertex Ventures China, and Meridian Capital.
China beauty: Service with a smile
Beauty and wellness are at the vanguard of China’s fast-rising services sector. Investors see clear paths to growth, but size presents a plethora of problems in terms of standardizing service quality
Deal focus: Neiwai realizes value offline
Vertex Ventures China was adamant that Neiwai should expand offline on leading a Series B for the lingerie brand in 2017. Four years and two rounds later, the strategy is paying off
Capital Today leads $35m Series B for China's XYZ Robotics
Capital Today China Group has led a $35 million Series B round for XYZ Robotics, a Chinese start-up specializing in robotic hand-eye coordination.
China's Meiwei Dental raises $150m
China’s Meiwei Dental Group has raised a RMB1 billion ($150 million) Series B round from Fortune Capital, TFTR Investment, and local conglomerate New Hope Group.
Carlyle leads $100m Series D for Chinese lingerie brand
Chinese lingerie brand Neiwai has raised a $100 million Series D round led by The Carlyle Group. Vertex Ventures China and Qiming Venture Partners re-upped.
GGV, Tiger Global lead $50m round for China bakery brand
Tiger Attitude, a China-based bakery brand, has raised a $50 million Series A round led by GGV Capital and Tiger Global. Both IDG Capital and Sequoia Capital China re-upped, having participated in a pre-Series A in January alongside Challenjers Capital....
China drug developer Adlai Nortye gets $100m Series D
Adlai Nortye, a Chinese biopharma player specializing in cancer treatments, has raised $100 million in Series D funding.
Deal focus: Hefu does dining at scale
China restaurant chain Hefu Noodle caters to a lunchtime office-worker client base from a network of central kitchens. Meridian Capital is one of several investors sold on the expansion opportunity
Deal focus: Investcorp bides its time with Linkedcare
The GP spent six months scrutinizing China’s Linkedcare prior to leading a $70 million round, confident that its global insights into software, healthcare, and supply chains were key differentiators