Investments
Salesforce invests $15m in India's Darwinbox
Salesforce Ventures has invested $15 million in Darwinbox as part of the Indian staff management technology provider's latest growth round. It brings funds raised to date to about $35 million.
Prosus leads $30m Series C for India agtech start-up
Prosus Ventures, formerly a VC arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers, has led a $30 million Series C round for Indian agricultural technology provider DeHaat.
Asia PE investment ends 2020 on a tear
A fourth-quarter surge in growth-stage deal-making took Asia private equity investment to $198.5 billion in 2020, comfortably surpassing the previous year’s total despite the strictures of COVID-19.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Operational Value Add: TEG
Affinity Equity Partners turned TEG from a ticketing business into a broad-based live events promoter, while simultaneously taking it from Australia-centric to global
Hillhouse founder bullish on China life sciences
Lei Zhang, founder and CEO of Hillhouse Capital, emphasized the opportunities at the nexus of life sciences and artificial intelligence-enabled supercomputing, while describing his firm as “probably the largest investor in healthcare in China.”
Navis invests in Singapore fintech supplier Moneythor
Navis Capital Partners has made an investment of undisclosed size in Moneythor, a Singapore financial technology supplier focused on digital banking.
China-based English learning platform raises $100m
Tencent Holdings and Trustbridge Partners have led a $100 million Series C funding round for Jiliguala, a Shanghai-based online English learning platform.
Australia's CPE makes $1.7b bid for Bingo Industries
A consortium led by CPE Capital has submitted a buyout offer for Bingo Industries, an Australia-based waste management and recycling company at an enterprise valuation of A$2.28 billion ($1.7 billion).
China mapping start-up gets $40m Series A extension
Chinese mapping start-up Wayz.ai has raised $40 million in an extended Series A round from a range of local investors.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Firm of the Year - Large Cap: Warburg Pincus
Whether it is building a logistics platform, backing a take-private or anchoring a growth round for a tech start-up, Warburg Pincus prioritizes local partnerships in Asia
Carlyle faces activist challenge to Japan Asia Group deal
An investment firm with ties to renowned Japanese activist investor Yoshiaki Murakami is challenging The Carlyle Group’s JPY37 ($355 million) bid for Japan Asia Group by launching a tender offer of its own.
CPE, SDIC lead $46m round for China's Jaka Robotics
Chinese industrial robot manufacturer Jaka Robotics has raised RMB300m ($46m) in Series C funding led by CPE and State Development and Investment Corporation (SDIC).
SoftBank Ventures backs Japanese sneaker marketplace
SoftBank Ventures Asia has led a JPY2.2 billion ($21.2 million) Series B round for Japan’s Soda, operator of the online sneaker marketplace Snrk Dunk.
China's WeRide raises $310m
Chinese autonomous driving start-up WeRide has raised $310 million in Series B funding across three tranches led by Chinese electric bus manufacturer Yutong Group.
Portfolio: MSPEA and Korres
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia helped ethical Greek cosmetics maker Korres beef up an underweight international presence with a plan that will see China become the main growth engine
Australia's VC-backed Xpansiv raises $40m pre-IPO round
Australia and US-based Xpansiv CBL, a VC-backed marketplace for clean commodities such as carbon offsets and renewable fuels, has raised $40 million with plans to list in Sydney this year.
Hanwha leads $300m Series A for Grab's financial unit
Korea’s Hanwha Asset Management has led a $300 million Series A round for the financial services unit of Singapore-based ride-hailing and services platform Grab.
Warburg Pincus, Goodwater lead Series D for Vietnam's MoMo
MoMo, a Vietnam-based mobile wallet provider, has closed a Series D round of more than $100 million led by Goodwater Capital and Warburg Pincus.
Indonesian stockbroker Ajaib raises $25m Series A
Horizons Ventures, which is controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, and Indonesia’s Alpha JWC Ventures have led a $25 million Series A round for Indonesian investment platform Ajaib.
Buyouts in 2021: Winners and losers
Asia could prove to be a deal-rich market in 2021, but buyout investors are still figuring out the long-term implications of COVID-19 for companies that cater to changing consumer demands
Korea media platform gets $12m Series C
Korea’s SV Investment has led a $12 million Series C round for local media and advertising platform Dable at a valuation of around $90 million.
Novo Tellus backs Singapore semiconductor industry supplier
Novo Tellus Capital Partners has invested S$23.6 million ($17.7 million) in Grand Venture Technology, a Singapore-listed provider of testing, assembly, and engineering services for semiconductor manufacturing.
Bow Wave joins $175m round for Philippines-based GCash
Bow Wave Capital Management, a US-based private equity investor in mobile payment ecosystems globally, has participated in a $175 million round for Philippines-based mobile wallet GCash.
China HR software start-up raises $190m
WorkTrans, a Chinese human resources services provider, has raised $190 million through two tranches, a Series C of $50 million and a Series D of $140 million.