Articles by Andrew Woodman
Japan Industrial Solutions backs beleaguered Sharp
Turnaround specialist Japan Industrial Solutions (JIS) has invested JPY25 billion ($208 million) in ailing electronics group Sharp as part of JPY225 billion bailout.
Japanese e-payment service Paidy expands Series A to $8.3m
Arbor Ventures has led an additional $5 million round of funding for Exchange Corporation (ExCo), the Japanese start-up behind e-commerce payment and instant credit service Paidy.
CLSA backs Japanese food and beverage maker
CLSA Capital Partners have invested an undisclosed sum in Asamiya, a Japanese low-cost food and beverage (F&B) manufacturer.
SCPE invests in TT Internationals Indonesia business
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has invested $42 million in Singapore-based TT International's (TTI) retail electronics business in Indonesia.
CEO of India's Housing.com transfers all his shares to staff
Rahul Yadav, the controversial CEO of VC-backed Indian property listing platform Housing.com, has said he will transfer all his shares in the company to its employees.
EMR serves as cornerstone for Highfield Resources placement
Australian resources-focused investor EMR Capital has served as cornerstone investor for listed mining company Highfield Resources' A$120 million ($101 million) share placement.
Australia backs crowdfunding scheme, offers start-up tax breaks
The Australian government has allocated A$7.8 million ($6.2 million) to develop crowd-sourced equity funding (CSEF) and offered tax breaks for start-ups in its latest federal budget.
Deal focus: CITIC tries Mark Styler on for size
China's appetite for fashion is massive and growing. A recent report by the Fung Business Intelligence Centre put the country’s apparel retail market at around RMB1.14 trillion ($187 billion) in 2013, up 11.6% from the previous year. China is expected...
India IPOs: Staying afloat
India’s public markets are at record highs, but IPO activity remains lackluster. Investors want an overhaul of the listings approval process and a regulatory system that is suited to PE and VC-backed companies
SIMI's Arora appointed COO of SoftBank Group
SoftBank Corp. has named Nikesh Arora - CEO of SoftBank investment unit SoftBank Internet & Media Inc.(SIMI) - as the Japanese telecom and internet conglomerate's new president and COO.
Lightspeed to raise dedicated India venture fund
US-based Lightspeed Venture Partners is looking to raise $115 million for its first India-focused fund.
Indian's Box8 raises $3.5m Series A from Mayfield
US early stage investor Mayfield has led a INR210 million ($3.3 million) Series A round of funding for Poncho Hospitality, the start-up behind Indian quick service restaurant (QSR) chain and on-demand food delivery services firm Box8.
Singtel Innov8 leads Series B round for US big data start-up
Singtel Innov8, the early stage investor backed by Singapore telco Singtel, has led a $15 million Series B round for US big data start-up DataTorrent. GE Ventures, and the start-up's existing investors, also took part in the round.
Softbank-backed Housing.com sees boardroom spat resolved
Rahul Yadav, the CEO of Indian property listing platform Housing.com has withdrawn his resignation from the start-up and issued an apology to its VC investors - which include SoftBank - after a very public spat.
PE to exit as Japan's Recruit buys Wahanda
Japan’s Recruit Holdings has acquired UK-based Hotspring Ventures, the company behind online hair and beauty marketplace Wahanda, for JPY4.5 billion ($37.6 million), providing an exit for the company’s VC backers.
Thailand payment services provider gets Series A round
Indonesian venture capital fund SMDV has a $2.6 million Series A round for Thailand-based payment solutions start-up Omise.
LP interview: CDC Group
Four years ago, controversy and political pressure forced the UK’s CDC Group into a major shift in strategy. Managing Director Alagappan Murugappan explains how the development fund has evolved since then
CITIC Capital buys Japan apparel brand
CITIC Capital has acquired Japanese women's apparel company Mark Styler for an undisclosed sum.
Morning Crest leads $5.1m round for Australia's Airtasker
China's Morning Crest Capital has led a A$6.5 million ($5.1 million) investment in Australian local services marketplace Airtasker.
Australian web design start-up Canva raises $6m
Canva, an Australian platform that allows amateur designers to create web graphics using drag-and-drop tools, has raised $6 million in a fresh round of funding led by existing investors Matrix Partners and Shasta Ventures.
Indonesia's Kudo gets Gree Ventures, East Ventures backing
Japan's Gree Ventures and East Ventures have led a undisclosed Series A round investment in Indonesian online-to-offline (O2O) e-commerce start-up Kudo.
IDG, Goldman back US bitcoin start-up's China expansion
IDG Capital Partners and Goldman Sachs have invested $50 million in US-based bitcoin start-up Circle with a few to funding its expansion into China.
China's Fosun to acquire remaining interest in Ironshore
China's Fosun International is seeking to fully acquire US insurer Ironshore, offering $1.8 billion for an 80% stake.
VC-backed news app Gunosy sees modest gain after Tokyo IPO
Shares in Gunosy - a Japanese news app developer backed by the venture capital firm Jafco, telecoms company KDDI Corp. and B Dash Ventures - is up marginally on its IPO price after two days trading in Tokyo.