Investments
China's Chuxin Capital hits first close on debut US dollar fund
Chinese early-stage investor Chuxin Capital has completed a $50 million first close on its debut US dollar-denominated fund.
Deal focus: Gong Cha’s global push pays off for Unison
Unison Capital achieves a rare feat in helping the Korea franchise of bubble tea retailer Gong Cha take over its Taiwanese parent before facilitating a sale to TA Associates. Entering Japan has been a key value-add
Temasek, EV Growth lead $40m round for Indonesia's Social Bella
Temasek Holdings and EV Growth have led a $40 million Series D investment in Social Bella, an Indonesian online services provider for the beauty and lifestyle industry.
India's Udaan raises $300m in Series D round
Indian B2B online marketplace Udaan has raised more than $300 million as part of an ongoing Series D round from investors including GGV Capital, Hillhouse Capital, and Silicon Valley-based Altimeter Capital.
Qiming invests $30m in Chinese medical AI solutions player
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $30million Series C round for Huimei Technology, a Chinese developer of artificial intelligence-enabled (AI) medical solutions provider.
CDPQ joins Brookfield buyout of Australia's Healthscope
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has agreed to join Brookfield Asset Management in its buyout of Australian hospital operator Healthscope, taking a significant minority stake for a consideration of more than A$300 million ($202 million).
Chinese car fueling app raises $63m
Chezhubang, a car fueling services app provider, has raised Series B funding of RMB450 million ($62.8 million), jointly led by China’s National Small Medium Development Fund and Oriental Fortune Capital.
Korea start-ups: The graduates
Korea’s start-ups are internationalizing and becoming more technically advanced as the ecosystem matures. A rapidly multiplying flock of local VCs will have to do the same to keep up with them
Chinese second-hand fashion e-commerce player raises $20m
Plum, a China-based e-commerce platform that sells second-hand fashion brands has received $20 million in an extended Series B round led by Japanese internet company Recruit Holdings.
Steadview leads $14m Series D for India's Chargebee
Steadview Capital has led a $14 million Series D round for Chargebee, a developer of a platform for online payments based in India and the US.
India's VC-backed Vedantu raises $42m Series C
Indian online tutoring service Vedantu has raised $42 million in a Series C round led by Tiger Global Management and WestBridge Capital.
HiFiBiO Therapeutics receives $67m in Series C funding
HiFiBiO Therapeutics, a drug developer led by the former head of Asian cancer research at Sanofi, has completed a $67 million Series C funding round.
Tencent invests $125m in Chinese online comic platform
Tencent has invested $125 million in Kuaikanmanhua, a China-based publishing platform for comics. This is the company’s fifth round of funding in four years.
Q&A: Choson Exchange's Geoffrey See
Geoffrey See is an advisor on Korean Peninsula affairs to the World Economic Forum and a serial tech entrepreneur who helps incubate start-ups in North Korea through his organization Choson Exchange
Korea cross-border consumer: Dining out
Restaurant chains can potentially ride on the tailwinds generated by demand for Korean cultural exports, but strong execution is ultimately the key factor in overseas expansion
Everstone invests in India's Translumina
The Everstone Group has invested in Translumina Therapeutics, a global manufacturer of medical devices based in India.
Grab commits $500m to Vietnam tech ecosystem
Grab, a Southeast Asia-focused ride-hailing app operator backed by a number of PE and VC firms, has committed to invest $500 million in Vietnam’s technology ecosystem in the next five years.
Korean carve-outs: Network effects
Chaebol carve-outs have historically been elusive for global firms operating in Korea. A growing appreciation of their value-add capabilities could be the catalyst needed to direct more deals their way
Chinese calligraphy tuition platform raises $28m
Hexiaoxiang, a Chinese online education service that teaches calligraphy to kindergarten and primary school children, has closed a Series B funding round worth RMB200 million ($28 million).
India payments player BharatPe raises $50m Series B
US-based Ribbit Capital and UK-based Steadview Capital have co-led a $50 million Series B round for BharatPe, a digital payment services provider for Indian offline businesses.
TA invests in Unison-backed Gong Cha - update
TA Associates has acquired a controlling stake in Gong Cha, the Taiwan-based bubble tea chain backed by Unison Capital.
KKR joins round for Chinese online education platform
KKR and GGV Capital have led a $85 million funding round for Huohua, a Chinese online education platform specializing in mathematics and science.
AVCJ Awards 2019 - Nominations have closed
Nominations for the 2019 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards is September 26. Many thanks to all who participated. The voting stage will commence within a fortnight.
PE-backed Chinese AI player Megvii files for HK IPO
Megvii Technology, best known for its Face++ platform, is set to become the first Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company to list in Hong Kong.