Expansion
Deal focus: RRJ doubles down on e-commerce logistics
When RRJ Capital first committed $250 million to Shanghai Yupei Group in April 2014, Temasek Holdings was its sole partner in the investment. The company had 16 warehouses with a total gross floor area of more than 1.4 million square meters and plans...
Deal focus: Aspada backs India's agri-tech 'Uber'
Indian agriculture is woefully inefficient. This is in part due to the extreme fragmentation of land ownership; the UN estimates the average farm holding is 1.6 hectares, or just larger than two football pitches. As a result, the nation’s food producers...
Korea e-commerce: Appetite for disruption
Capital is gravitating to the leaders in Korea’s e-commerce space as consumers swap shopping malls for mobile devices. Efficient logistics and effective payment systems sit at the top of the agenda
India payments: The missing link
India’s payment start-ups hope to shape the way e-commerce companies charge for their goods. The future may lie with approaches tailored to the country’s circumstances
TPG joins $129m investment in Singapore's PropertyGuru
Singapore online property portal PropertyGuru has raised S$175 million ($129 million) from TPG Capital, Australia's Square Peg Capital, and Indonesian media company Emtek Group.
Australia's Future Fund leads $40m round for India solar firm
Australia's Future Fund has led a $40 million investment in Indian Solar power company Applied Solar Technologies (AST). Existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), Capricorn Investment Group and the International Finance Corp. (IFC) also participated....
Innovation Works leads $6m round for China's Smellme
Chinese pet-oriented social network Smellme has raised a $6 million Series A round of funding led by Innovation Works.
Snow Leopard, Paytm commit $5m to India's Jugnoo
Indian autorickshaw-hailing service Jugnoo has raised INR320 million ($5 million) in Series A funding from Snow Leopard Technology Ventures and Paytm, along with some existing angel investors.
RRJ consortium commits $250m to China warehousing player
RRJ Capital has re-upped in Chinese logistics player Shanghai Yupei Group, leading a consortium that has agreed to invest $250 million in the business.
Alibaba Pictures raises $1.6b to fund media acquisitions
Alibaba Pictures, a Hong Kong-listed film and entertainment unit owned by Alibaba Group, plans to raise about HK$12.1 billion ($1.56 billion) through a share placement to help finance potential acquisitions in the media industry.
India home appliances marketplace raises $20m
Indian hyper-local online marketplace Zopper has raised $20 million from existing investors Tiger Global and Nirvana Venture Advisors.
Fidelity leads round for India healthcare start-up Medwell
Fidelity Growth Partners India (FGPI) and affiliated US fund Fidelity Biosciences have invested $10 million in Medwell Ventures, operator of Nightingales specialty home healthcare services.
Tembusu backs Singapore energy efficiency business
Singapore-based GP Tembusu Partners has invested in local energy efficiency services start-up Barghest Building Performance (BBP), providing a "seven-figure" mezzanine commitment.
Morningside backs China mathematics teaching start-up
Early-stage investor Morningside Technologies has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for Leleketang, a China-based online teaching platform that specializes in mathematics and Chinese.
Warburg Pincus invests $120m in India's Ecom Express
Ecom Express, an Indian e-commerce logistics startup, has raised INR8.5 billion ($120 million) from Warburg Pincus.
Nexus leads $15m round for India data solutions firm
Nexus Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series B round for Indian data center software developer Arkin, along with other investors.
SoftBank commits $1b to Korea e-commerce player Coupang
Japan’s SoftBank Corp. has added another Asian e-commerce brand to its portfolio with a $1 billion commitment to South Korea-based Coupang.
CBC leads $15m round for China public transport app
China Broadband Capital (CBC) has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Chelaile, a Chinese public bus tracking app.
Deal focus: Tata sees logistics angle in India tax reforms
Third-party logistics (3PL) companies have traditionally struggled in India. For example, the country’s fragmented tax system meant that companies moving goods cross-country had to pay multiple tariffs and stop for traffic examination each time they crossed...
WI Harper, ITIC lead $4m Series A for Taiwan's HWTrek
Taiwan business networking startup HWTrek has raised a $4 million Series A round led by WI Harper and the Industrial Technology Investment Corporation (ITIC), with participation from Legend Star Capital, JD.com, and Global Brain.
Aspada commits $3.3m to India agri-tech business
Asapada Investment - an India-based investor backed by the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) - has injected INR200 million ($3.3 million) into Dehli-based EM3 AgriServices.
China tour-booking site raises $80m Series E round
Chinese tour-booking site Lvmama has raised a Series E round worth RMB500 million ($80 million) from Jianjiang International Group.
Temasek's India NBFC to provide home financing
Fullerton India Credit Company (FICC), the Indian non-banking financial company (NBFC) owned by Singapore's Temasek Holdings, will set up a new unit offering home financing in the affordable housing segment.
China public markets stoke GP investment, exit concerns
China’s robust public markets are creating challenges for private equity managers as they seek to acquire assets at acceptable valuations and pick the time to exit existing portfolio companies.