Investments
Chinese HR SaaS platform secures $80m Series C
Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sunshine Life Insurance have led a $80 million Series C round of funding for IfChange, a Chinese software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that specializes in human resources management.
CHAMP PE buys Australian defense sector supplier
CHAMP Private Equity is set to become the first Australian GP to invest in a company with significant exposure to the local defense sector, following an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Marand Precision Engineering.
Qiming leads $42m Series B for China cancer drug developer
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $42 million Series B round for Chinese cancer drug developer Abbisko.
Australia’s BGH closes in on Navitas buyout
Australian education services provider Navitas has agreed to a A$2.1 billion ($1.5 billion) buyout offer from BGH Capital, AustralianSuper, and Rod Jones, the company’s co-founder and CEO.
Dymon makes $145m take-private offer for Singapore's Challenger
Dymon Asia Private Equity (DAPE) has submitted a take-private offer for Singapore-listed digital marketing services provider Challenger Technologies that values the company at about S$195 million ($145 million).
General Atlantic, Tencent invest $31m in India’s Byju’s
Indian educational technology provider Byju’s has raised a INR2.14 billion ($31 million) round of funding from existing investors General Atlantic and Tencent Holdings.
East Ventures backs Indonesia auto platform
East Ventures has joined a Series A investment of undisclosed size in Indonesian car sales platform operator Mobilkamu.
Acuris buys Asian investigations firm Blackpeak
Blackpeak, an Asia-based investigative research firm that counts a number of PE players among its clients, has been acquired by Acuris, the parent company of AVCJ.
Preferred equity: Last in, first out
Issuing preferred equity to secondary investors is a short-cut to liquidity for China VCs with valuable portfolios but few exits. The strategy isn’t universally popular, but what will it take for GPs to make the leap?
Deal focus: CLSA teams up with ‘Chanel for children’
CLSA Capital Partners goes niche in Japan’s retail space with the acquisition of premium toymaker Bloom Group. A range of strategic and operational value-add measures are on the table
FOMO is the biggest risk for China investors - AVCJ Forum
The best way for private equity and venture capital investors to manage their China risk is to not deploy capital if they are only motivated by a fear of missing out (FOMO), GPs told the AVCJ China Forum.
Sequoia leads $7.6m round for Indonesia's Kargo
Sequoia Capital India has led a $7.6 million round for Indonesian logistics services provider Kargo Technologies.
Chinese camera maker Insta360 gets $30m
Insta360, a China-based camera maker specializing in immersive imaging and virtual reality applications, has raised a $30 million funding round from a group of investors including Everest Venture Capital.
China PE investors prioritize long-term development - AVCJ Forum
Long-term structural reforms rather than short-term issues regarding trade tensions and liquidity preoccupy China-focused private equity investors, though they are happy to take advantage of any immediate moderation in valuations.
Deal focus: Mofang pursues quality and scale
Mofang raises $150 million to bring consistency to China’s fragmented rental housing market. Leveraging big data and targeting millennials are key strategies
Hyundai, Kia invest $300m in India's PE-backed Ola
Korean car makers Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors have agreed to invest $300 million in Ola, an Indian ride-hailing platform backed by a number of PE and strategic investors.
Malaysia's Ekuinas buys 40% stake in local cloud player
Malaysian government-backed private equity firm Ekuinas has acquired a 40% stake in domestic cloud services provider Exabytes Capital Group for MYR44 million ($10.8 million).
VCs, strategics support $41m round for Singapore's InstaRem
Singapore-based digital payments service provider InstaRem has closed its Series C round with $41 million from a group of investors including Vertex Growth Fund and South Korea’s Atinum Investment.
Singapore's Tookitaki raises $7.5m Series A
Tookitaki, a Singaporean technology provider that helps institutions develop regulatory compliance programs, has raised a $7.5 million Series A from a group of investors including Jungle Ventures.
Carlyle buys stake in Chinese textiles manufacturer
The Carlyle Group has agreed to invest RMB726 million ($108 million) for a 10% stake in Chinese home textiles maker Luolai Lifestyle Technology.
Warburg Pincus to buy India education finance business
Warburg Pincus has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Avanse Financial Services, an India-based non-banking finance company (NBFC) focused on education.
M12 leads Series B for Australian training platform
M12, the VC arm of Microsoft, has led an approximately $21 million Series B round for GO1, an Australian workforce services technology start-up focused on corporate training.
Vietnam’s VinaCapital backs two local tech start-ups
Vietnam’s VinaCapital has made investments of undisclosed size in two local start-ups - financial technology provider Wee Digital and marketing services player UrBox.
Unison to exit Japan's Ayumi to Blackstone
The Blackstone Group has made its first transaction in Japan, agreeing to acquire Ayumi Pharmaceutical Corporation from Unison Capital and medical information site operator M3.