Expansion
ADIA re-ups in India's Reliance Retail
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has agreed to invest INR 49.7m (USD 597m) in India’s Reliance Retail within two months of USD 1.25m worth of investments from KKR and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
India EV infrastructure player raises $20m
Indian electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure developer Bolt.Earth has raised USD 20m from a mix of investors including US-based Union Square Ventures.
Japan's WiL joins $27m round for health platform Micin
Japan-US cross-border investor World Innovation Lab (WiL) has joined a JPY 4bn (USD 27.3m) Series C round for Tokyo-based telemedicine and health platform Micin.
India's True North commits $75m to iLink Digital
True North has agreed to pay USD 75m for a minority stake in iLink Digital, a digital transformation service provider founded in the US by two Indian entrepreneurs.
Indonesia fintech platform Investree gets $231m Series D
Investree Group, operator of a series of lending platforms that target micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Southeast Asia, has raised EUR 220m (USD 231m) in Series D funding.
VC-backed streetwear retailers Kream, Soda to merge
Korean streetwear retailer Kream has paid KRW 97.6bn (USD 72.1m) for a 43.6% stake in Japanese counterpart Soda as part of a merger of the two VC-backed businesses.
Deal focus: Bolttech benefits from running start
Bolttech has pieced together one of the world’s largest digital insurance broking platforms through targeted acquisitions. Now, increased emphasis is attached to expansion from broking into underwriting
Warburg Pincus backs Asia-US BPO player Everise
Warburg Pincus has agreed to invest an unspecified sum in Asia-US business process outsourcing (BPO) company Everise at a valuation of USD 1bn, facilitating an exit for Everstone Group.
Deal focus: GPs change channel on content streaming
The Fundamentum Group sees mass-market promise in Indian digital audio platform Kuku FM. It’s targeting a 50% market share by focusing on uniquely local content in vernacular languages
China VC: Amicable divorces
Regulatory pressures are encouraging Chinese VC firms to end longstanding US affiliations, but the impact of impending legislation – even sight unseen – cuts deeper into investor sentiment on China
Brookfield launches $845m India renewables platform
Brookfield Asset Management has launched its second India renewable energy platform in three months, committing USD 845m alongside Axis Energy to the latest venture.
China's Enflame secures $273m Series D
Shanghai International Group (SIG) – acting through an assortment of investment units – has led a CNY 2bn (USD 273m) Series D round for Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Enflame Technology.
China healthcare AI start-up Huimei gets $41m Series D
Eastern Bell Capital has led a Series D round of more than CNY 300m (USD 41m) for Huimei Cloud Technology, a China-based provider of artificial intelligence-enabled (AI) software that helps doctors make clinical decisions.
ShawKwei commits $34m to US EV battery manufacturer
Asia-focused industrial technology investor ShawKwei & Partners has announced its third investment in a US-based company in three weeks, with a USD 34.3m commitment to battery manufacturer Group14 Technologies.
China's Lynk Pharmaceutical increases Series C to $44m
China-based drug developer Lynk Pharmaceuticals has closed a second tranche of Series C funding, taking the overall size of the round to CNY 322m (USD 44m).
Leapfrog invests $50m in Singapore's Bolttech
LeapFrog Investments has invested USD 50m in Singapore’s Bolttech, the insurance technology business of Pacific Century Group.
India's Kuku FM gets $24m Series C
Indian audio content platform Kuku FM has raised USD 24m in Series C funding led by local growth-stage investor The Fundamentum Partnership and the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Growtheum backs Indonesia's Kin Dairy
Southeast Asia-focused Growtheum Capital Partners has announced its second dairy deal in five months, with an investment in Indonesia-based ABC Kogen Dairy, commonly known as Kin Dairy.
China auto parts platform Casstime adds to Series D round
Chinese aftermarket car parts supplier Casstime has raised CNY 200m (USD 27.5m) across two tranches of Series D funding from local investors.
KKR buys stake in Singtel's Asia data centre business
KKR has agreed to acquire a 20% stake in Singtel’s Asia data centre business for SGD 1.1bn (USD 800m) via its infrastructure strategy.
Kedaara backs India's K12 Techno Services, Peak XV part-exits
Kedaara Capital has acquired a significant minority stake in India-based education technology business K12 Techno Services, facilitating a partial exit for Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India).
China green-tech investors hunt for overlooked niches - AVCJ Forum
Investors targeting green technology in China are looking beyond saturated areas such as renewable energy projects to opportunities that target unaddressed industry pain points, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum China 2023 heard.
Jungle, Openspace back Singapore e-commerce services player
Singapore-based e-commerce services provider Amp, which was founded by the team behind inventory and order management platform TradeGecko, has raised USD 18.5m in Series A funding.
Japanese insurer ups stake in PE-backed Singapore Life
Sumitomo Life will become the largest shareholder in Singapore Life (Singlife) – an insurer also backed by TPG Capital – having agreed to acquire Aviva’s 25.9% stake in the business for GBP 800m (USD 999m).