Expansion
PE and China franchising: Eat what you cook
Franchising is an effective way of establishing Western restaurant brands in China. Private equity firms have picked up on the opportunity, but it is not without risk. Local appeal and strong partners are essential
China online movie ticket app Weiying raises $105m round
Beijing Weiying Times Technology, a Chinese online portal that sells movie tickets, has completed a Series B round of funding worth $105 million.
TPG Growth closes third global fund at $3b
TPG Capital has reached a final close of $3 billion on its third global middle market and growth equity fund. The initial target was $2.75 billion.
Accel, SAIF in $12m Series B round for Coverfox
Indian online insurance marketplace Coverfox has raised a INR750 million ($12 million) Series B round from existing investors Accel Partners and SAIF India.
Mayfield leads Series C for Indian education tech start-up
Mayfield has led a $15 million Series C round for Indian IT certification start-up Simplilearn, with participation from previous investors Kalaari Capital and Helion Venture Partners.
Southeast Asia Netflix clone gets $30m in funding
Iflix, a Southeast Asian video-on-demand platform with a similar business model to Netflix, has received $30 million from Catcha Group and Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT).
Financial comparison site CompareAsiaGroup gets $40m round
CompareAsiaGroup, a primarily Southeast Asia-focused service that allows consumers to compare different financial products, has completed a $40 million round of funding that will be used to support further expansion.
CMC Capital acquires stakes in HK broadcaster TVB
Chinese media-focused private equity firm CMC Capital Partners has acquired a stakes in the consortium that controls Television Broadcasts (TVB), a free-to-air broadcaster in Hong Kong.
PE investors to participate in $645m China TCM placement
GIC Private, China Renaissance Capital Investment (CRCI) and GL Capital Group are among 26 investors subscribing to a HK$5 billion ($645 million) share placement by China Traditional Chinese Medicine (China TCM), intended to generate capital for acquisitions....
India's Freshdesk raises $50m Series E from existing investors
Online customer support start-up Freshdesk has raised $50 million in Series E funding from existing investors Tiger Global Management, Google Capital and Accel Partners.
India's Robosoft gets Series B round, spins out subsidiaries
Indian mobile app developer Robosoft will spin off its subsidiaries after receiving a INR740 million ($11.8 million) Series B round led by Ascent Capital, with participation by existing investor Kalaari Capital.
CBC leads $10m round for Chinese auto repair start-up Kalading
Chinese auto repair start-up Kalading has raised a $10 million Series A round led by CBC Capital. Existing investor Gobi Partners also participated, as did Geek Partners.
China's 58.com buys stake in VC-backed rival Ganji
US-listed Chinese classifieds site 58.com has agreed to buy a 43.2% stake in its domestic rival Ganji.com in a deal worth around $1.61 billion. It is part of a broader consolidation in China’s internet industry.
Temasek invests $151m in India's Glenmark Pharma
Singapore state-backed investment group Temasek Holdings has invested INR9.45 billion ($151 million) in India's Glenmark Pharma via a preferential allotment of shares.
Rakuten invests in VC-backed China discount site Fanli
Japanese e-commerce firm Rakuten has bought a less than 10% stake in VC-backed Chinese discounts site Fanli in a Series C round of funding that values the business at about $1 billion.
Sprinklr raises Series A round to launch Japan unit
US-based social media management software developer Sprinklr has raised JPY1 billion ($8.4 million) in a Series A round to support its Japan branch, with participation by Recruit Holdings and Suneight.
India taxi-booking service Ola closes Series E round at $400m
Indian taxi-booking service Ola - operated by ANI Technologies - has closed its latest Series E round of funding at $400 million, valuing the company at $2.4 billion. The round was led by DST Global.
India's Grofers raises $35m Series B from Tiger, Sequoia
India-based online grocery marketplace Grofers has raised a Series B round of funding worth $35 million from Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital.
Accel, Recruit Holdings back Australia's 99designs
Australia-founded online design marketplace 99designs has raised $10 million in a Series B round led by Recruit Strategic Partners, with existing investor Accel Partners also participating.
Dianping secures $850m pre-IPO round
Having raised $850 million - the largest disclosed round for a Chinese tech start-up so far this year – in a matter of months, Dianping is now thought to be nearing an IPO. The investment values the 12-year-old company, described as a Chinese version...
First quarter analysis: Slow start
Slower investment in the first quarter is either an historical norm or a worrying sign; fundraising flies by for the few, the majority still struggle; Asia’s exit bonanza comes to a sudden stop as trade sales weaken
Templeton leads $15m Series C for Vietnam restaurant operator
Vietnamese restaurant operator Huy Vietnam has raised a $15 million Series C round of funding led by Templeton Asset Management. Hong Kong-based firms Welkin Capital and Prosperous Alliance also took part in the round.
China's Renren leads $70m round for US mortgage marketplace
Chinese social networking platform Renren has led a $70 million Series C round for US-based mortgage marketplace LendingHome, bringing the total raised by the company to $109.3 million.
Dragoneer leads $10m round for India's ZopNow
Dragoneer Investment Group has led $10 million funding round for Indian online grocery retailer ZopNow. Existing investors Accel Partners, Qualcomm Ventures and Times Internet also participated.