Expansion
VIG invests $129m in Korean eyewear retailer
VIG Partners has agreed to pay KRW137.5 billion ($129 million) for an approximately 42% stake in Korean beauty contact lens and fashion sunglasses retailer Star Vision.
SoftBank co-leads $20m round for Indonesia's EV Hive
SoftBank Ventures Korea (SBVK) has co-led a $20 million Series A round for EV Hive, an Indonesian co-working space operator that spun out from East Ventures last year, alongside H&CK Partners and Tigris Investment, both of which are also based in South...
Ant Financial leads $321m round for China's Hellobike
Ant Financial, Alibaba Group’s financial services affiliate, has led a RMB2.1 billion ($321 million) investment in Youon Bike, the listed parent of China-based bike-sharing operator Hellobike.
Sequoia, CDH, Yunfeng back China's ZTO Freight
Sequoia Capital China, CDH Investments, and Yunfeng Capital have provided more than $100 million in Series A funding to ZTO Freight, an affiliate of US-listed Chinese delivery company ZTO Express.
Warburg Pincus invests $106m in IndiaFirst Life
Warburg Pincus has agreed to acquire a 26% interest in IndiaFirst Life Insurance from UK-based Legal & General Group for INR7.1 billion ($106 million).
US, China-based Protean gets $40m Series E
Chinese automotive industry supplier Weifu High Technology Group has led a $40 million Series E round for Protean Electric, a US and China-based auto equipment developer backed by a number of VC investors.
China's BaishanCloud gets $37m Series C-plus
Chinese data services company BaishanCloud has completed its sixth series of private equity funding, following the closure of a Series C-plus round worth RMB240 million ($37.4 million).
Goldman leads $31m round for India hospital
Goldman Sachs has led a $31 million Series A round for Indian cancer care provider Cytecare Hospitals as part of a global oncology investment strategy.
China social e-commerce player Red raises $300m
Alibaba Group has led a $300 million Series D round of funding for Red, a social e-commerce site that enables Chinese consumers to buy products from overseas.
Temasek, PayPal invest $125m in India's Pine Labs
Temasek Holdings and PayPal have invested $125 million in Pine Labs, an Indian financial technology company backed by Actis Capital, Sequoia Capital India and Madison India Capital.
China's SenseTime closes $620m Series C-plus round
Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer SenseTime has raised $620 million in Series C-plus funding, its second capital injection in as many months. The investment values the business at over $4.5 billion.
CITIC Capital invests China-Europe logistics providers
CITIC Capital has backed two China-Europe logistics providers in separate deals of undisclosed size. The GP is investing via its Silk Road Fund, which targets geographies in China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) agenda.
Deal focus: VCs back Ezbuy's cross-border e-commerce
A group of VCs including China’s Sky9 Capital are backing a global push by Southeast Asian e-commerce operator Ezbuy. The plan will require combining international vision with local knowhow
Chinese state-backed PE fund anchors Foxconn IPO
A private equity fund backed by China’s State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC) is the largest strategic investor in the RMB27.1 billion ($4.3 billion) Shanghai IPO of a Foxconn Technology Group manufacturing unit.
Amazon leads $12m round for India's VC-backed Acko
Amazon has led a $12 million funding round for Acko, an Indian online insurance broker that is backed by the likes of SAIF Partners and Accel Partners.
VCs invest $17.6m in Singapore's Ezbuy
A group of VCs including IDG Ventures has provided $17.6 million in pre-Series C funding to Singaporean shopping platform operator Ezbuy.
Vietnam valuations at 'nosebleed levels' - AVCJ Forum
Private equity valuations in Vietnam are rocketing as competition for deals hots up and target companies tie their pricing expectations to soaring public markets.
Chinese VCs join $300m round for US, Hong Kong-based Grail
Ally Bridge Group, Hillhouse Capital and 6 Dimensions Capital have co-led a $300 million Series C round for Grail, a biotechnology development firm based in Hong Kong and the US.
Tencent leads $50m round for India's NewsDog
China's Tencent Holdings has led a $50 million Series C round for NewsDog, an Indian vernacular language news app founded by Chinese entrepreneurs.
Digital Garage, Toyota lead $30m round for India's Droom
Digital Garage and Toyota Tsusho, a division of Japanese automotive giant Toyota Group, have co-led a $30 million Series D round for Indian used-car trading marketplace Droom.
Vietnam: Growth agenda
Comparisons with the dynamics in China a decade ago are often used to illustrate Vietnam's potential. The country may replicate some of its larger neighbor's success, but patience and reform remain paramount
GIC backs $117m Asia co-working platform
Singapore’s GIC Private has joined co-working space provider JustCo and local developer Frasers Property to establish a $117 million platform that will focus on co-working space investments across Asia Pacific.
DCP to invest in Chinese heart valve developer
DCP Capital Partners, a private equity firm set up by the former heads of KKR’s China business, has agreed to invest an undisclosed sum in domestic heart valve developer Venus Medtech.
Chinese autonomous driving start-up gets $128m Series A
Roadstar.ai, a Chinese start-up that specializes in autonomous driving technology, has received $128 million in Series A funding led by Shenzhen Capital Group and Wu Capital.