Expansion
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
2023 preview: India PE
India’s domestic growth story appears unobstructed, but some international investors could hold their fire. The local PE industry will not graduate to the next level without that foreign capital
2023 preview: China macro
Private equity is eager to re-engage with China as a sudden post-pandemic re-opening reminds investors focused on the country to expect the unexpected. A weak global picture could spoil the party