Investments
Translink joins $94m round for Germany’s Volocopter
Translink Capital, a US-based VC focused on facilitating cross-border connections with Asia, has joined a EUR87 million ($94 million) for German flying car developer Volocopter.
IFC to invest $29m in India’s Future Lifestyle Fashions
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed to invest INR2.1 billion ($29.6 million) in India-listed fashion retailer Future Lifestyle Fashions (FLF).
Malaysia’s Socar gets $18m from Korean investors
Korea’s Eugene Private Equity and KH Energy have provided $18 million in Series A funding to the Malaysian arm of local car sharing company Socar.
Chinese cross-border e-commerce player raises $14m
Cathay Capital has committed RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series B funding to Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform OrderPlus.
Prosus leads $113m Series I for Swiggy
Swiggy, an Indian food and grocery delivery platform, has received $113 million in a Series I round led by Prosus Ventures, formerly known as Naspers Ventures and Food.
Sequoia leads Series C for Indian onboarding SaaS
Sequoia Capital India has led a $32 million Series C round for Whatfix, an Indian software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm that helps enterprises increase digital adoption rates.
Globis backs two Japan marketing services companies
Japan’s Globis Capital Partners has invested in two marketing services providers in separate transactions, including web conferencing player BellFace and data-focused Flywheel.
GP profile: DSG Consumer Partners
A relentless curiosity about the Indian consumer’s journey has helped DSG Consumer Partners carve out a niche in the early stage investment space for companies with emerging local brands
China-focused online English teaching platform raises $14m
Whales English, a Chinese online language tuition business also known as Jingyu Peiyou, has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series B funding led by Sino Ocean Capital. Hike Capital and Fresh Capital also participated.
Deal focus: Circles.Life strives to be different
Circles.Life wants to think bigger, and broader, about its telecom offering than competing mobile virtual network operators in Asia. A $75 million investment from Warburg Pincus will fuel these ambitions
Coronavirus: PE impact assessment
Existing analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on PE and VC in Asia is largely based on anecdotes and incomplete datasets. A detailed prognosis must wait - and then the broader implications for consumption habits will take even longer to emerge
India’s Unacademy secures $110m round
Indian educational learning platform Unacademy has closed a $110 million funding round, bringing Facebook and General Atlantic on to its investor roster.
Chinese GPs provide Series A for Mexican digital bank
Stori, a Mexican digital bank founded by a team with China backgrounds, has raised $10 million in an extended tranche of Series A led by Source Code Capital and Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI). Existing investor Vision Plus Capital also participated.
Indonesia's Eureka AI gets $20m Series B
Eureka AI, an Indonesia-based artificial intelligence-enabled enterprise software platform, has received $20 million in Series B funding led by Apis Partners, Gobi Partners, Riyad Capital’s Riyad Taqina Fund, and MEC Ventures.
Affirma backs Vietnam recruitment business
Affirma Capital, a PE firm launched last year as a spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has agreed to invest $34 million in Transcendental Human Resources, a Vietnam-focused online recruitment platform.
China technology training platform 51CTO raises $20m
51CTO, a Chinese online technology training platform, has raised $20 million in a Series C funding round led by Gaocheng Capital.
China logistics player Yimidida raises $140m
Yimidida, a Chinese logistics platform has raised RMB1 billion ($140 million) in an extended tranche of Series D funding. The round took place in parallel with the firm’s acquisition of Shanghai-based UC Express.
General Atlantic leads round for China's CANbridge Pharma
General Atlantic and WuXi AppTec, China’s leading contract research organization (CRO) WuXi AppTec, have led a $98 million Series D round for local drug developer CANbridge Pharmaceuticals.
Hong Kong crypto finance start-up raises $28m
Amber Group, a Hong Kong-based start-up offering crypto-based financial services, has raised $28 million in a Series A round led by Paradigm and Pantera Capital.
Japan's Endeavor United secures two industrials deals
Endeavour United, a Japanese private equity firm established by the team behind turnaround investor Phoenix Capital, has completed two acquisitions in the packaging and chemicals industries.
India’s Z3 Partners invests in cybersecurity firm
Indian technology-focused private equity firm Z3 Partners has invested in Cyfirma, an analytics platform that helps enterprise clients identify potential cyber threats.
Singapore solar energy firm raises $71m
Sunseap, a Singaporean renewable energy provider, has raised S$100 million ($71.9 million) in Series D funding from a coal producer in Thailand.
China space tech: Aligning the stars
SpaceX-inspired global fervor about the possibilities of space technology has infiltrated China. Some start-ups appear well set for commercial lift-off, but many others will misfire
Rise Fund buys Bangladesh hospital operator
Evercare, a South Asia and Africa-focused healthcare delivery platform controlled by The Rise Fund, TPG Capital’s impact investment unit, has acquired Bangladesh-based Apollo Hospitals Dhaka.