Investments
Chinese online insurance player raises $55m in US IPO
Huize Holding, a Shanghai-based insurance platform backed by SAIF Partners, has raised about $55 million in a US IPO.
Hamilton Lane backs Legend Capital fund restructuring
Hamilton Lane has led a $200 million restructuring of a VC fund managed by China-based Legend Capital, transferring 12 investments into a new vehicle as a means of extending the holding period.
EQT-backed Nexon announces trio of Australia bolt-ons
Nexon Asia Pacific, an Australian enterprise IT services provider controlled by EQT Partners, has acquired three local IT businesses.
Deal focus: Brookfield lends a helping hand
Brookfield Asset Management chose IndoStar Capital Finance as its way into India’s private lending space, putting faith in the non-banking finance company’s ability to diversify its business streams
Deal focus: Booktopia prepares for build-out
What was just a side business has become a successful one.
VC and age: No industry for old men
The trendy, shape-shifting world of venture capital is broadly seen as a young person’s game, although hard evidence to this effect remains in scarce supply
Quadrant acquires Australia enterprise IT business
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity has agreed to acquire the enterprise services division of listed IT specialist Arq Group for A$35 million ($23.5 million).
Eight Roads invests in Indian mobile marketing platform
MoEngage, an India and US-focused business that helps corporate clients improve mobile engagement with consumers, has received $25 million in Series C funding led by Eight Roads.
China B2B platform Yijiupi raises new round, buys Zskuaixiao
Yijiupi, a Chinese B2B e-commerce platform that initially focused on liquor products, has acquired local B2B consumer goods distributor Zskuaixiao. It has also secured a new round of funding backed by several Zskuaixiao investors.
Kedaara invests $28m in Indian health insurer
Indian private equity firm Kedaara Capital invested INR2 billion ($28 million) to acquire a minority stake in the healthcare insurance unit of Religare Enterprises.
Warburg Pincus backs Singapore's Circles.Life
Warburg Pincus has invested an undisclosed sum in Circles.Life, a Singapore-based digital-only telecom operator.
EQT opens Australia office
EQT Partners has opened an Australia and New Zealand-focused office in Sydney as part of a broader Asia Pacific expansion agenda.
General Atlantic re-ups in India's Byju's
General Atlantic has made another investment in India-based online learning provider Byju’s.
Chinese medical imaging business secures $86m Series B
Shanghai-based Universal Medical Imaging, China’s largest independent imaging diagnosis company has raised a RMB600 million ($86 million) Series B round led by Cathay Capital, V Star Capital and CEC Capital.
India's Lightbox invests in agritech player
Indian agritech startup WayCool Foods raised $32 million in a Series C funding round led by Lightbox Ventures.
Private credit: Untapped market
Recent industry feedback suggests middle-market companies across Asia will increasingly look to private credit to support future growth. Europe may offer clues as to how the expected uptake will unfold
Australian online book retailer gets $13m
Booktopia, an Australian online retailer specializing in books, has closed a Series A round of A$20 million ($13.4 million), after 16 years of self-funding.
Northstar joins $20m round for Indonesia education start-up
Northstar Group and Beenext have joined a $20 million Series A round for Indonesia’s Zenius Education.
Polaris pursues take-private of Japan's Sogo Medical
Polaris Capital Group has made an offer to privatize Sogo Medical Holdings, a Japanese pharmacy chain operator and B2B healthcare management platform, at a valuation of JPY76.3 billion ($694 million).
Deal focus: Lightspeed targets solid-state LiDAR
Having assessed some 40 autonomous driving companies globally, Lightspeed China Partners decided that Hesai - a business born in the US and raised in China - is best-placed to take the technology forwards
IFU leads $23m Series B for Indian agrilogistics firm
Leap India Food Logistics (LIFL), an Indian agricultural warehousing and logistics firm, received INR1.64 billion ($23 million) in a Series B round led by the Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU), a Danish development finance institution.
LP interview: Manulife Investment Management
Manulife Investment Management is easing into its first Asian private markets drive with a focus on optionality. Private credit, infrastructure, and real estate are early areas of interest
Next Capital buys stake in Australian supply chain specialist
Australia’s Next Capital has acquired a stake in local supply chain services provider TM Insight as the company executes an Asian expansion.
Hahn & Co agrees $322m acquisition of SK Chemicals unit
Hahn & Company has agreed to buy the biofuels division of South Korea-based SK Chemicals for KRW382.5 billion ($322 million). It is the private equity firm’s fourth carve-out of an SK Group-owned business.