Investments
Hong Kong's CompareAsiaGroup gets $20m
Data and financial services company Experian has led a $20 million investment in Hong Kong-based financial comparison platform CompareAsiaGroup.
Japan Post Capital leads $29m Series E for SmartNews
Tokyo-based news app operator SmartNews is said to have achieved unicorn status following a JPY3.1 billion ($29.2 million) Series E round led by Japan Post Capital.
Singapore's Carro raises $30m for extended Series B
Singaporean auto marketplace operator Carro has raised $30 million from investors including SoftBank Ventures Asia as part of an extended Series B round.
Australia's SpeeDx raises $15m from US-based Northpond
SpeeDx, an Australian developer of molecular diagnostics solutions, has raised $15 million from US-based VC firm Northpond Ventures across two tranches.
Macquarie buys Australia cotton farm stake from Chinese strategic
Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA) has acquired a 49% stake in Australia’s largest cotton farm, Cubbie Station, primarily from Chinese fabrics maker Shandong Ruyi.
Tiger Global leads $75m Series E for India's UrbanClap
India-based local services marketplace UrbanClap has raised a $75 million Series E round led by Tiger Global Management that will provide an exit for some unnamed investors.
KKR buys Australian biscuit business Arnott's for $2.2b
KKR has agreed to buy a portfolio of Asian assets – the most significant of which is Australian biscuit brand Arnott’s – from US-listed food multinational Campbell Soup for an enterprise valuation of $2.2 billion.
Unison launches Japan hospital roll-up platform
Unison Capital has made the first investment from a newly created platform that will pursue a roll-up strategy in Japan’s hospital industry, with JPY50-60 billion ($467-560 million) set to be committed over the next five years.
Baring Asia buys Korean leasing business from JC Flowers
Baring Private Equity Asia has acquired Korean consumer finance and leasing services provider Acuon Capital from JC Flowers for an undisclosed sum.
Cross-border e-commerce player Wish gets Series H
Wish, a US-based cross-border e-commerce app backed by several Asian investors, has achieved a valuation of $11.2 billion following a Series H round led by General Atlantic.
MassMutual Ventures leads $33m round for Singapore's Aspire
The Southeast Asia arm of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance’s venture capital arm, has led a $32.5 million funding round for Singapore-based online banking platform Aspire.
Japan Industrial Partners makes tender offer for Nippon Avionics
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has agreed to buy NEC Corporation's majority stake in Tokyo-listed electronics supplier Nippon Avionics and launched a tender offer that values the company at about JPY3.1 billion ($28.4 million).
EQT to buy Australian cloud services provider
EQT has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Australia-based managed IT services provider Nexon Asia Pacific for an undisclosed amount.
SCPE spinout Affirma completes first deal as an independent
Affirma Capital, a PE firm launched last year as a spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has completed its first transaction as an independent firm with a $50 million investment in Indian supplements maker Tirupati Medicare.
China equipment rental player gets $167m in equity, debt funding
Zhongneng United, a Chinese construction equipment supplier specializing in aerial work platforms, has raised RMB150 million ($22 million) in equity funding as an extension to its Series B round and secured an additional RMB1 billion in bank financing....
Blackstone invests $79m in India's FLF
The Blackstone Group has invested INR5.4 billion in India-listed integration retailer Future Lifestyle Fashions (FLF) through an open market transaction.
Kaizen commits $10m to Vietnam's Yola
Indian education-focused GP Kaizen Private Equity has made its first investment in Vietnam, committing $10 million to English training company Yola.
Deal focus: Big plans for Thailand's smallest bank
Olympus Capital takes a 25% stake in microfinance and micro-SME lending specialist Thai Credit Retail Bank, facilitating an exit for Northstar Group and laying plans for a merchant-friendly digitization
Japan middle market: Going local
Private equity firms looking for an edge in Japan’s middle market are leveraging relationships with brokers and banks – including LPs in their funds – to access company founders in the hinterlands
TPG, Fosun sell China hospital business to Antony Leung's SPAC
TPG Capital and Fosun Pharma have agreed a $1.3 billion deal that will see Chinese hospital operator United Family Healthcare (UFH) absorbed by a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) established by Antony Leung, formerly Greater China chairman at...
Singapore hotel platform RedDoorz gets $45m Series B
Singapore-based hotel management and booking platform RedDoorz has raised $45 million in a Series B round led by China’s Qiming Venture Partners.
Norwest leads $40m Series C for India's MindTickle
Norwest Venture Partners has led a $40 million Series C round for MindTickle, an online sales enablement platform based in India and the US.
Deal focus: Allegro secures stake in Australia radiology business
The doctors who own and operate Perth Radiologic Clinic know Allegro Funds from their time as a subsidiary of I-Med Networks. This familiarity helped the Australian GP secure one of its largest-ever deals
Gates Foundation, global insurers back Indonesia's Halodoc
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has made a rare direct investment in Southeast Asia, participating in an extended Series B round for Indonesian healthcare technology provider Halodoc.