Investments
IHH leads $20m round for Singapore science ministry spin-out
Lucence, a cancer screening start-up that spun out from Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology and Research in 2016, has raised $20 million in Series A funding.
Baring Asia to buy Lumenis from XIO for $1b
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to buy Lumenis, an Israel-headquartered medical devices manufacturer that counts Asia as its largest market, from XIO Group for a valuation of $1 billion.
PE & QSR: Selling pizza in Japan
From delightfully indulgent pizza toppings to delivery world records, Domino’s Japan has added a splash of color to the food and beverage space. It also served up robust private equity returns
New Frontier Group: Another kind of platform
Led by two former executives with The Blackstone Group in Asia, New Frontier Group has so far looked beyond traditional PE funding channels as it builds large-scale Chinese healthcare platforms
Vietnam's Sendo raises $61m Series C
Vietnamese e-commerce company Sendo has received $61 million in Series C funding from a group of investors including SBI Group and SoftBank Ventures Asia.
Maritime start-up accelerator launched in Singapore
US-based accelerator business Techstars and Singaporean logistics giant Eastern Pacific Shipping have teamed up for a maritime start-up accelerator in Singapore.
Warburg Pincus, Bessemer invest India's Perfios
Warburg Pincus and Bessemer Venture Partners have led a $50 million Series B round for Indian financial technology provider Perfios.
Japan's SmartNews secures $92m Series E
Japan-based news app SmartNews has closed its Series E round at $92 million with contributions from Japan Post Capital and Globis Capital Partners.
China SaaS: Dark side of the moon
Venture capital investors in China are turning their minds and manpower to the country’s nascent enterprise software opportunity, but the evolution curve is unlikely to be an exact match of the US
Allegro acquires Australasian furniture retail portfolio
Allegro Funds has agreed to acquire a portfolio of Australian and New Zealand furniture and household goods brands – including Best & Less, Harris Scarfe, Postie, and Debenhams Australia – from South Africa-based retail holding company Steinhoff International....
Chinese GPs back $120m Series B for OPay
A group of Chinese investors including Gaorong Capital and Sequoia Capital China have joined a $120 million Series B round for Nigerian logistics and payments technology company Opay.
Xiaomi-backed smart home player raises $100 million
Lumi United, a Chinese smart home appliances and internet-of-things (IoT) solutions provider backed by smart phone maker Xiaomi, has raised $100 million in the third tranche of a Series B funding round.
Advent buys Indian biopharma player
Advent International has agreed to acquire a controlling position in Bharat Serums and Vaccines, an Indian biopharmaceuticals supplier focused on the women’s health segment.
MBK, Mirae buy stake in Asia assets of Korea's CJ CGV
MBK Partners and Mirae Asset Daewoo Private Equity have agreed to pay KRW333.6 billion ($286 million) for a minority position in the China and Southeast Asia assets of Korean cinema chain operator CJ CGV.
GPs see more cross-border M&A within Asia – AVCJ Forum
The Asian M&A market, typically characterized by cross-border deals with Western entities, is seeing more intra-regional activity, industry participants told the AVCJ Forum.
Blackstone commits $244m to India's Future Lifestyle Fashions
The Blackstone Group has agreed to invest INR17.5 billion ($244 million) in India-listed clothing retailer Future Lifestyle Fashions (FLF).
Pavilion, Gobi lead $18m round for Indonesia's Travelio
Pavilion Capital and Gobi Partners had co-led an $18 million Series B round for Indonesia’s Travelio, an Airbnb-style home rentals start-up.
Investors cautiously optimistic on China buyouts - AVCJ Forum
The emergence of willing sellers, a pullback in competition from strategic investors, and greater availability of leveraged financing are contributing to more buyout deal flow in China.
India's Sanaka Capital invests $44m in Edelweiss
Sanaka Capital, an Indian private equity firm established by Shankar Narayanan, formerly co-head of The Carlyle Group's Asia growth team, has agreed to invest $44 million in local financial conglomerate Edelweiss.
LPs going direct 'not a front of mind issue' in Asia - AVCJ Forum
Large institutional investors pursuing direct deals on a solo basis represents a logical evolution of the private equity industry and shouldn’t necessarily be regarded as a threat, Asia-focused buyout managers told the AVCJ Forum.
Fundraising gap impedes mid-market exits – AVCJ Forum
Polarization in fundraising has left middle-market investors with difficult options for realizing exits, according to industry participants at the AVCJ Forum.
China VCs get more selective - AVCJ Forum
Chinese venture capital firms are doubling down on areas in which they have domain expertise as the spectrum of opportunities widens, industry participants told the AVCJ Forum.
GPs see specialization as antidote to challenging market - AVCJ Forum
Investors at the AVCJ Forum offered optimistic outlooks for 2020 but said tighter deal markets would demand specialization in defensive sectors and a closer watch on valuations.
China electric car maker Xpeng closes $400m Series C
Xpeng Motors, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer established by Xiaopeng He, previously founder of web browser UCWeb and a senior executive at Alibaba Group, has raised $400 million in Series C funding.