Investments
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.
Chinese fitness app Keep raises $360m
Keep, a Chinese mobile app that provides fitness training programs, has raised $360 million in Series F funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
Sequoia leads $150m Series B for China's Visen Pharma
China’s Visen Pharmaceuticals, a drug developer targeting glandular conditions such as dwarfism and growth deficiency has raised a $150 million Series B round led by Sequoia Capital China.
China smart storage player Hive Box raises $400m
Hive Box, a China-based self-service package drop-off and pick-up operator, has received $400 million in funding from Trustbridge Partners, Asia Forge, Sequoia Capital China, Redview Capital, and All-Stars Investment. The pre-money valuation is $3 billion.
Goldman leads $50m round for China’s Perfect
Perfect Corp, a Chinese developer of online beauty apps, has raised a $50 million Series C round led by Goldman Sachs.
China's Horizon Robotics raises $400m
Horizon Robotics, a Chinese developer of microprocessors that support artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, has raised $400 million in the second tranche of a Series C round led by Baillie Gifford, Yunfeng Capital, CPE, and electric vehicle battery...
Carlyle leads $123m Series D for China's Abbisko
The Carlyle Group - investing through its Asia growth fund - has led a $123 million Series D round for Chinese cancer-focused biotech developer Abbisko Therapeutics.
Hillhouse leads $28m round for China's DataCloak
DataCloak, a Shenzhen-based start-up that helps companies install data security systems on devices used by employees, has raised a $28 million Series B round led by Hillhouse Capital.
Hidden Hill leads $110m round for China's Baibu
Chinese B2B fabrics trading platform Baibu has raised $110 million in an extended Series D round led by Hidden Hill Capital, the private equity platform of logistics giant GLP.
India B2B marketplace Udaan raises $280m
Udaan, an India-based B2B marketplace, has raised $280 million from an investor group that includes existing backers Lightspeed Venture Partners, Tencent Holdings, DST Global, GGV Capital, and Altimeter Capital.