Expansion
Aramco backs Japan drone start-up
Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, has invested USD 14m in Japanese drone maker Terra Drone on the back of a JPY 8bn (USD 62m) Series B round.
China cell therapy developer raises $75m
Iaso Biotherapeutics, a Chinese cell therapy developer focusing on oncology treatments, has raised nearly CNY 500m (USD 75m) in an extended Series C round.
India's PhonePe raises $350m at $12b valuation
General Atlantic has invested USD 350m – at a pre-money valuation of USD 12bn – in PhonePe, a digital payments platform that spun out from Indian e-commerce marketplace Flipkart.
Asia PE investment declines 40% in 2022
Asia private equity investment reached USD 223.9bn in 2023, a sharp decline from the USD 376.4bn recorded a year earlier, but still the second-largest annual total on record, according to provisional data from AVCJ Research.
Avatar Growth leads Series C for India's Mad Street Den
Avatar Growth Capital, a private equity firm specialising in bringing Indian tech to global markets, has led a USD 30m Series C round for US and India-based retail services player Mad Street Den.
4Q analysis: Who wants China?
Pan-regional GPs get traction by highlighting their Asia ex-China credentials; buyouts rebound as growth capital – and China – continue to recede; India impresses with bumper exit proceeds
China satellite developer Minospace raises $60m
Beijing-based satellite developer Minospace has raised nearly CNY400m (USD 59.6m) across a Series B round and a Series B extension.
Japan rocket start-up Interstellar gets $29m Series D
Interstellar Technologies, which in 2017 became the first Japanese company to launch a privately developed space rocket and is currently working on solutions for sending small satellites into orbit, has raised JPY 3.8bn (USD 29.6m) in Series D funding.
Norwegian climate fund backs India waste-to-energy player
A climate fund set up by Norwegian development finance institution Norfund has invested NOK 600m (USD 60.5m) in Indian solar and waste-to-energy company SEAL.
Investcorp leads $39m Series D for India's Wakefit
Investcorp has led a INR 3.2bn (USD 39.4m) Series D round for India’s Wakefit, which claims to be the largest D2C retailer of mattresses and bedding accessories.
GIC, PIF invest $924m in Korea's Kakao Entertainment
Singapore’s GIC and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) have agreed to invest a combined KRW 1.15trn (USD 924m) in Korean internet giant Kakao’s entertainment division.
Bain backs Asia biorefinery platform
Bain Capital Private Equity has confirmed a significant equity commitment to EcoCeres, a Hong Kong-based biorefinery. The size of the investment was not disclosed.
China's Yuze Semiconductor raises $178m
China’s Yuze Semiconductor, a specialist in single-crystal high-efficiency silicon wafers, has raised a CNY 1.2bn (USD 178m) Series B round featuring Goldstone Investment, a PE unit of CITIC Securities.
China gas station, charging pile platform Newlink secures $133m
Newlink Group, the operator of a China-based platform that helps drivers locate the best-value gas stations and charging piles, has raised CNY 900m (USD 133m) through a series of financing rounds involving three subsidiaries.
Cloudview leads $221m round for China solar panel maker
China’s Cloudview Capital has led a CNY 1.5bn (USD 221m) Series B round for Astronergy, a solar panel manufacturer based in Zhejiang province.
Advent joins Series D for India's KreditBee
Advent International has committed USD 100m to Indian lending start-up KreditBee as an extension to a Series D round announced last month.
China's Breton Technology raises $84m
Breton Technology, a China-based manufacturer of new energy mining equipment, has closed an extended Series C round of CNY 579m (USD 84.5m) from a slew of domestic investors.
Australia's Potentia backs telecoms technology player
Australia’s Potentia Capital has paid AUD 66.3m (USD 44.9m) for a 25% stake in Soprano Design, a local mobile messaging technology provider that counts Telstra and AT&T as its carrier partners.
MUFG invests $200m in Indonesia fintech player Akulaku
Akulaku, an Indonesia-based digital finance platform that has raised several rounds of venture capital funding, has received a USD 200m investment from Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG).
Asian basketball league secures Series C funding
East Asia Super League (EASL), a basketball league featuring teams from Greater China, Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, has raised USD 40m as part of a yet-to-close Series C funding round.
Singapore's Doctor Anywhere raises $38m, makes acquisition
Southeast Asia-focused telehealth platform Doctor Anywhere has closed a second tranche of Series C funding worth USD 38.8m and acquired Singapore-listed Asian Healthcare Specialists (AHS).
China solar cell manufacturer raises $72m
Temasek Holdings, Sequoia Capital China, and IDG Capital have led a CNY500m (USD 72m) Series B investment in Chinese solar cell manufacturer GCL Photoelectric Materials.
2023 preview: Hard-tech
As China’s technology space has shifted toward more advanced domains of R&D, bubbles have formed and geopolitics have complicated investment. There is scope for some turnaround on these points
Q&A: CICC Capital’s Mengyang Yang
Mengyang Yang, an executive director and head of private equity in Hong Kong at CICC Capital, on China’s post-pandemic revival, plans for a flagship US dollar fund, and managing guidance funds
