Expansion
Volkswagen China invests $180m in VC-backed Mobvoi
Volkswagen's China unit has agreed to invest $180 million in Beijing-based Mobvoi, a venture capital-backed start-up that is developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the automotive sector.
China auto trading platform Souche gets $180m Series D
Warburg Pincus has led a $180 million Series D round of funding for Chinese online second-hand car trading platform Souche, less than five months after the company’s previous round worth $100 million.
VCs back Series C for China mother-and-baby player
Eight Roads Ventures has led a group of investors in a Series C round of funding for Mama+, a social networking and e-commerce platform focused on China’s mother-and-baby market.
Warburg Pincus invests $77m in Indian jeweler
Warburg Pincus has committed INR5 billion ($77 million) to Indian jewelry retailer Kalyan Jewellers.
The devil you know: PE and Southeast Asian entrepreneurs
Due to a shortage of companies in Southeast Asia that have proved themselves capable of working private equity, when GPs identify a group they like it is not uncommon for them to work together more than once
Deal focus: True North keeps healthcare ball rolling
Having turned down Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences once due to potential conflicts of interest, True North moved quickly to deploy $200 million when presented with a second opportunity to invest in the hospital chain
Deal focus: KKR returns to Masan, PENM exits
KKR will team up with Vietnam's Masan Group for a second time, committing $250 million to the parent and its meat industry subsidiary. The GP's entry facilitates a partial exit for long-standing investor PENM Partners
Deal focus: GSSG sharpens focus on Japan solar
A turnaround in Japanese government policy on solar power is responsible for a renaissance in the renewables space. GSSG Solar has earmarked its entire corpus of its $120 million second fund for deployment in the country
China credit assessment platform Wecash gets $80m
Wecash, a Chinese financial technology company that provides credit evaluations online, has completed an $80 million Series C round jointly led by China Merchants Venture Capital, Forebright Capital and SIG Asia.
Sequoia India leads Series C for Australia's HealthEngine
Sequoia Capital India has made its debut investment in an Australia-based start-up, leading a A$26.7 million ($20.2 million) Series C round of funding for HealthEngine, an online healthcare marketplace.
VCs back China female-focused consumer finance start-up
Shanghai Mime Financial, a consumer finance platform targeting the young females in China, has raised a Series C round led by domestic investors Haier Capital, Xiyu Capital and Panda Capital.
KKR commits $250 million to second Vietnam consumer play
KKR has entered into a second partnership with Masan Group – just over a year after exiting the first with a more than 2x return – through a $250 million commitment to the Vietnamese conglomerate and its branded meat subsidiary.
IFC proposes $20m investment in Indian MFI
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a $20 million investment in Indian microfinance institution (MFI) RGVN Microfinance.
Apax commits $388m to Guotai Junan's Hong Kong IPO
Apax Partners has agreed to invest $388 million in Guotai Junan Securities as the largest cornerstone investor in the Chinese brokerage’s HK$16.5 billion ($2.1 billion) Hong Kong IPO.
ClearVue leads $30m round for Chinese convenience store chain
Consumer-focused GP ClearVue Partners has led a RMB200 million ($30 million) Series B round of funding for I Believe, a Chinese convenience store operator.
India's PE-backed Byju's gets $30m
Indian online education start-up Byju’s has received a $30 million investment from Verlinvest, an investment holding company created by the founders of Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Deal focus: Carlyle backs Delhivery’s cutting edge
The Carlyle Group believes Delhivery has the business model, technology and management expertise to fill the gap in India's high-end e-commerce logistics market
China personal lending platform Yongqianbao raises $68m
Yongqianbao, a Chinese mobile app that provides personal loan services, has raised a RMB466 million ($68 million) Series C round co-led by Golden Brick Capital and CICC Alpha.
B Capital leads $25m Series C for India's Icertis
B Capital Group - a VC firm launched by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin - has led a $25 million Series C round for Icertis, an India and US-based company that provides cloud-based contract management software.
True North invests $200m in India hospital chain
Indian private equity firm True North - formerly known as India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) - has invested $200 million in domestic hospital chain Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS).
China’s UCloud secures $140m Series D
Chinese cloud computing services provider UCloud has raised RMB960 million ($140 million) Series D round of funding from Oriza Holdings and CICC Alpha, a direct investment arm of China International Capital Corporation (CICC).
CDB, Sino IC Capital commit $22b to Tsinghua Unigroup
Tsinghua Unigroup, which is controlled by an investment arm of Tsinghua University, has secured RMB150 billion ($22 billion) financing from two government-backed investors - China Development Bank (CDB) and Sino IC Capital.
Solar-focused GP invests $120m in Japan projects
GSSG Solar, a US private equity firm focused exclusively on the solar energy sector, has agreed to invest at least $120 million in an expansion of its Japanese portfolio.
Deal focus: BlackBuck climbs the logistics ladder
BlackBuck receives $70 million in Series C funding as it continues its mission to cure the dysfunction in India's fragmented long-distance trucking industry