Investments
Saudi fund invests $1.3b in India's Reliance Retail
Saudi Arabia’s Public investment Fund (PIF) has invested INR95.5 billion ($1.3 billion) in India’s Reliance Retail, taking a 2% stake.
Deal focus: V2Food tackles alternative protein's price problem
Australia’s V2Food is bringing affordability to the alternative protein space as fresh funding fuels an Asian expansion. The China entry will be a delicate proposition
China math tuition platform VIPThink secures $180m
VIPThink, a Guangzhou-based online mathematics teaching platform for kids, which is also known as Wandou Siwei, has received $180 million in Series C funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
China e-signature business raises $150m Series D
Shenzhen Capital Group, Evergrande High-tech Group and Fortune Capital have participated in a RMB1 billion ($150 million) Series D round for eSign, a China-based electronic signature service provider.
Singapore's KK Fund launches large business accelerator
Singapore-based VC firm KK Fund has launched an accelerator that will help large companies develop new technology businesses through cooperation with regional start-ups.
Carlyle targets Japan environmental business buyout - update
The Carlyle Group has launched a JPY37 billion ($355 million) buyout offer that would see it take control of Japan Asia Group, the Tokyo-listed holding company for several Japanese environment-related businesses, and two key subsidiaries.
Vision Plus, CYTS lead round for China hotel marketing player
Zhiketong – a WeChat-based direct sales and marketing service for high-end hotels – has raised $50 million in its Series D round led by Vision Plus Capital and CYTS Hongqi Fund.
Deal focus: Iron Pillar demonstrates conviction in FreshToHome
Social distancing is driving demand for FreshToHome's farm-to-fork fish and meat supply chain offering. The company's $121 million Series C will go towards expansion in India and the Middle East
Q&A: Investcorp's Duncan Zheng
Duncan Zheng, head of China private equity at Investcorp, observes that COVID-19 dislocation has created some timely inroads as the firm’s broader expansion agenda ramps up
LionRock acquires UK shoe brand, targets China expansion
LionRock Capital, an Asian private equity firm that invests in global consumer brands with a China growth angle, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in British shoe brand Clarks.
Model behavior: China to Southeast Asia tech transplants
Plenty of internet start-ups in Southeast Asia have been inspired by Chinese forebears, but transplanting ideas from one market to another is often fraught with complications
China's CARsgen raises $186m Series C
Chinese biotech player CARsgen Therapeutics has raised $186 million in Series C funding led by Loyal Valley Capital.
Asia e-sports: Pumping up in a timeout
A recent slew of deals targeting e-sports in Asia has coincided with the live events that generate most of the industry's revenue going on hiatus. Investors appear happy to play the long game
Australia HR start-up Flare raises $16m
KKR-owned accounting services providers MYOB has led a A$22 million ($16 million) Series C round for Australian HR technology start-up Flare.
Chinese O2O retail platform Dmall gets $418m Series C
Dmall, a Chinese digital solutions provider for traditional retailers, has raised a Series C of RMB2.8 billion ($419 million) led by Industrial Bank and China Structural Reform Fund at a valuation of $2 billion.
Deal focus: Proterra whisks Asia supply chain for Eat Just
With China consuming more eggs per capita than its Western peers, Proterra Investment Partners sees strong growth potential for plant-based substitute Just Egg. The GP has committed $100 million to an Asia supply chain roll-out
Guy Hands buys Australian cattle business from Terra Firma
Guy Hands, chairman and CIO of Terra Firma, has acquired the UK-headquartered private equity firm’s position in Consolidated Pastoral (CPC), one of Australia’s largest cattle station operators, through his family office.
Ares bids for Australian financial services player AMP
Ares Management has submitted a non-binding offer of around A$6.4 billion ($4.5 billion) to acquire Australia’s AMP, continuing the recent private equity push into the country’s wealth management industry.
India's Finova gets $55m in equity, debt funding
Finova Capital, an Indian small business lending start-up, has raised $55 million in equity and debt, including $35 million in equity from Sequoia Capital India and Faering Capital.
China biotech player Genecast raises $149m Series E
Genecast Biotechnology, a Chinese gene sequencing and precision diagnostics company, has closed a RMB1 billion ($149 million) Series E funding round led by China Structural Reform Fund.
China's LianBio receives $310m round
LianBio, a Chinese biotech start-up incubated earlier this year by life sciences investor Perceptive Advisors, has raised $310 million from a group featuring BlackRock.
Portfolio: Archipelago Capital Partners and Timuraya Tunggal
Archipelago Capital Partners is playing a subtle but foundational role in Indonesia’s ongoing industrialization by taking the helm of longstanding chemicals producer Timuraya Tunggal
Carlyle Asia fund supports $2.3b Siemens carve-out
The Carlyle Group’s Asia buyout fund has joined its European counterpart in the EUR2 billion ($2.3 billion) acquisition of Flender, a Siemens subsidiary that manufactures mechanical and electrical drive systems commonly used in wind turbines and industrial...
China biotech player Gracell raises $100m Series C
Wellington Management, OrbiMed and Morningside Ventures have led a $100 million Series C round for Gracell Biotechnologies, a China-based developer of cancer treatments.