Expansion
TPG backs European jewelry brand with strong China focus
A TPG Capital-led consortium will acquire a 30% stake in APM Monaco, a jewelry brand that was established in Europe nearly 40 years ago and now has its largest retail footprint in China.
BlackRock leads $150m round in China’s Luckin Coffee
Chinese coffee shop chain Luckin Coffee has raised $150 million in an extended Series B round at a valuation of $2.9 billion. It was led by BlackRock, which committed $125 million to the deal.
TA invests in India fertility business
TA Associates has acquired a significant minority stake in Indira IVF, an India-based provider of infertility services.
ADB, Kaizen back Philippines education business
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and education-focused Kaizen Private Equity have invested PHP1.6 billion ($31.5 million) in Phinma Education Holdings, the tertiary education arm of Philippines-based conglomerate Phinma.
Japan's Astroscale expands Series D by $30m
Astroscale, a Japan-based space technology company focused on debris removal, has announced a $30 million extension to its Series D round, bringing the total raised to $80 million.
Deal focus: Efficiency by numbers
Chinese big data services provider MiningLamp Software has raised $298 million with a view to expanding into new verticals. The effort will leverage a strong foothold in police and surveillance work
AIGF backs Philippines co-working player
ASEAN Industrial Growth Fund (AIGF), a vehicle jointly managed by Malaysia’s CIMB Group and Japan’s Mitsubishi Corporation, has made an investment of undisclosed size in Philippines co-working space provider KMC.
Rakuten Capital, EV Growth back Singapore's ShopBack
Rakuten Capital and EV Growth have joined a $45 million round for Singapore-based retail rewards platform operator ShopBack.
Singapore's TPG-backed AirTrunk raises $333m
TPG Capital and Goldman Sachs have joined a S$450 million ($332.6 million) investment in AirTrunk, a Singapore-based provider of data center services.
India's SigTuple gets $16m Series C
Trusted Insight, a US-based syndicate of institutional investors focused on alternatives, has led a $16 million Series C round for Indian healthcare artificial intelligence (AI) company SigTuple.
Vision Fund leads $225m round for Hong Kong’s Klook
Klook, a Hong Kong-headquartered booking platform for attractions, tours, dining and local experiences, has raised $225 million in an extended Series D round led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
ADB, DEG join $144m round for India solar player
Indian renewable energy developer Avaada Energy has raised a INR10 billion ($144 million) investment from a consortium including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and development institutions DEG and FMO.
Southeast Asia's Grab ups capital-raising target by $2b
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has confirmed it will seek to raise an additional $2 billion within 2019, bringing its ongoing Series H round to some $6.5 billion.
Baring Asia buys 30% stake in India's NIIT Technologies
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to pay INR26.3 billion ($379 million) in cash for a 30% stake in India-listed IT services provider NIIT Technologies with plans to eventually take a majority position.
Korean online grocery player secures $88m Series D
Market Kurly, a four-year-old Korean start-up that provides online grocery delivery services, has raised KRW100 billion ($88 million) in Series D funding.
Deal focus: Airwallex plots Asia payments expansion
Airwallex recently became Australia's newest unicorn following a $100 million Series C round, but the company's growth is largely based on an understanding of Chinese demand. Regional expansion is now the priority
Deal focus: Carlyle backs Tokiwa’s global beauty push
Well-established as a manufacturer of choice for global cosmetics brands looking to tweak their products for the Japanese market, Tokiwa is now looking to go global. The Carlyle Group will provide assistance
Singapore crypto platform hits $1b valuation with Series C
Liquid.com, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency trading platform, has passed the $1 billion valuation mark with the first close of a Series C round led by IDG Capital.
Chinese healthcare data management platform raises $74m
Miaojiankang, a China-based company that provides health data tracking, management, and analysis services through an online platform, has raised RMB500 million ($74 million) in a Series C round from China Pacific Insurance and Xiran Capital.
China-Belarus fund backs Series C for chatbot specialist
The China-Belarus Industrial Investment Fund, an investment vehicle under China Merchants Group, has led a $41 million Series C round of funding for Shenzhen-based Zhuiyi Technology, an artificial intelligence start-up specializing in chatbots.
Samara invests in Indian personal care space
Samara Capital has purchased a 50% stake in Indian cosmetics maker Blue Heaven Cosmetics for an undisclosed amount, its second investment in the personal care segment in as many weeks.
Deal focus: China’s data-enabled Workday
By applying artificial intelligence to human resources management, China's IfChange claims to make recruitment and retention more efficient. The company is now pushing to expand its customer base and product coverage
Asia's lower-tier cities: New horizons
PE and VC players are slowly discovering the investment and business expansion opportunities in the lower-tier cities of developing Asia. Risk-reward calculations are becoming more complex in the process
EQT backs Southeast Asia healthcare benefits administrator
EQT has made an investment of undisclosed size in MHC Asia, a Southeast Asia-based healthcare benefits administrator that helps corporate clients customize health and wellness offerings.
