Articles by Larissa Ku
AVCJ Awards 2019: Deal of the Year - Mid Cap: Hangzhou UCO Cosmetics
CITIC Capital’s acquisition of Hangzhou UCO Cosmetics was predicated on the rise of China’s beauty industry, but it is also part of a broader ecosystem play
LPs want to see how GPs learn from mistakes in Asia
GPs should be open and transparent with LPs about their previous difficulties in order to demonstrate an ability to learn from past mistakes, the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association’s (HKVCA) Asia Forum heard.
Chinese 3D map provider raises $14m
Airlook, a Chinese three-dimensional map provider, has raised nearly RMB100 million ($14 million) in an extended Series B round led by GF Qianhe, the alternative investment arm of Hong Kong-listed GF Securities.
Deal focus: Baibu broadens its fabric scope
VC-backed Chinese B2B fabrics trading platform Baibu is making the transition from online marketplace to cloud-based consolidator of the country's fragmented factories
Discipline, operations key to PE success in China - DCP's Liu
Private equity investors in China should prioritize discipline on valuations and operational capabilities rather than spend their time worrying about macroeconomic risks, according to David Liu, chairman and founder of DCP Capital.
GIC, ESR team up on $500m China venture
ESR, an Asia Pacific-focused logistics real estate platform, has formed a joint venture with Singapore’s GIC Private with a view to investing $500 million in high-quality facilities in China.
Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform raises $48m
Inagora - operator of an e-commerce platform that sells Japanese premium products to Chinese customers - has raised JPY5.3 billion ($48m) from SBI holdings, pharmacy chain Sugi Holdings and Xinjin Holding, the cross-border alternative investment arm of...
Ex-Baidu executive raises $29m China business services fund
Longzhong Xinyi, a venture capital firm established by Hailong Xiang (pictured), formerly a senior executive at Baidu, has raised RMB200 million ($29 million) for its debut fund.
Jeneration leads round for China data security provider
DataCloak, a Shenzhen-based data security start-up that employs the zero-trust approach, has raised $13 million in Series A funding led by Jeneration Capital.
Lightspeed, Bosch lead $173m round for China's Hesai
Chinese smart sensor maker Hesai Technology has raised a $173 million Series C round led by Germany’s Bosch Group and existing investor Lightspeed China Partners.
Chinese genetic testing player secures $115m round
Geneseeq, a Chinese genetic testing company that focuses on treatments for cancer, has raised RMB800 million ($115 million) in a funding round led by state-owned China Reform Holding Corporation.
Chinese biopharma player secures $100m Series B
Elpiscience, a Shanghai-based biopharmaceutical company has completed a $100 million Series B round of funding led by specialist healthcare GP Hyfinity Investments.
Deal focus: China's Benlai takes a different approach to group buying
Community group buying businesses are beginning to struggle in China despite considerable VC investment. Fresh produce retailer Benlai believes its online-to-offline hybrid model is more sustainable
China's KeChow Pharma gets $45m Series C
Shanghai Kechow Pharma, a Chinese small molecule targeted drug developer, has raised a $45 million Series C round led by Decheng Capital.
China fabrics platform Baibu raises $300m
Baibu, a Chinese B2B trading and services platform for the textiles and fabrics industry, has raised a $300 million Series D round led by DST Global.
China's largest co-working player Ucommune files for US IPO
Ucommune, China’s largest co-working space player which is considered the local equivalent to troubled US operator WeWork, has filed for a US IPO.
Tencent Literature leads round for Chinese interactive filmmaker
AltStory, a Chinese interactive movie and television content company, has raised approximately RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series A funding led by China Literature, a listed unit of Tencent Holdings.
Taiwan technology: Homeward bound?
Taiwan is encouraging its industrial technology manufacturers to relocate operations from the mainland to the domestic market in response to China-US tensions. This may create openings for PE and VC investors
Chinese space launch provider get $71m Series C
Chinese commercial space launch service provider LandSpace has raised a RMB500 million ($71 million) Series C led by the VC arm of Hong Kong-listed property developer Country Garden.
Deal focus: EQT fulfills Laobaixing's prescription
EQT spent 11 years helping Chinese pharmacy chain Laobaixing evolve from large-format laggard into a focused and efficient operator that meets the needs of modern customers. It has now exited with a 7.7x return
Chinese digital logistics player secures $14m Series A
Kalihulian - a China-based digital logistics platform that offers an Uber-style service for cargo freight - has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series A funding led by Sino-Ocean Capital, an investment arm of property developer Sino-Ocean Group....
ClearVue joins $74 million round for China's Aibee
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up Aibee has raised RMB522 million ($74 million) in an extended Series A round led by ClearVue Partners and technology-focused Singularity Power Capital (SPC).
Deal focus: Kujiale embraces SaaS
Having struggled to get traction with consumers, Chinese online interior design player Kujiale turned its attentions to enterprise. International expansion is now on the agenda
Portfolio: Warburg Pincus and ESR
ESR, an Asia-focused warehousing platform seeded by Warburg Pincus, stole a march on its rivals by tapping into the rise of e-commerce in China. It is now looking to stay ahead of the curve