Investments
Australia's Healthscope agrees $3.17b Brookfield bid
Australia-listed hospital operator Healthscope has agreed to a take-private offer by Brookfield Asset Management that values the company at A$4.38 billion ($3.17 billion) on an equity basis, rejecting a competing offer from a consortium led by BGH Capital.
Thailand's Central Group invests $200m in Grab
Thai retail conglomerate Central Group has agreed to invest $200 million in ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab, adding to the list of strategic players that have backed the Southeast Asia company in the past year.
Korea's Orchestra buys electronic darts machine maker
Korean middle market investor Orchestra Private Equity has completed the KRW122 billion ($109 million) acquisition of Hong International, the largest global manufacturer of electronic darts machines.
Eight Roads leads $6.3m round for India pharma player
Ashish Life Science, an Indian producer of generic pharmaceuticals for the international veterinary market, has raised a INR450 million ($6.3 million) Series A round led by Eight Roads Ventures India.
Portfolio: QIC and North Australian Pastoral
Addressing Chinese demand was central to QIC’s acquisition of cattle breeder North Australian Pastoral, but the company has repositioned itself in response to changing patterns of consumption in global beef markets
Matrix China leads $60m round for Nasn Automotive
Shanghai-based Nasn Automotive, a manufacturer of vehicle wiring and brake systems, has raised RMB400 million ($60 million) in a Series B round of funding led by Matrix Partners China.
Chinese industrial waste processor raises $37m Series A
Ningbo-based industrial hazardous waste processor Nuoke Huanjing Keji has raised RMB250 million ($37.2 million) in a Series A round of funding participated by US-China Green Fund and Avic Trust.
Investcorp acquires PE business of India's IDFC
Bahrain-listed asset management firm Investcorp has made its first direct investment in India, acquiring the private equity and real estate investment businesses of IDFC Alternatives, the alternative asset investment arm of IDFC Group.
Australian courier services player Sendle gets Series B
Federation Asset Management – a group headed by the former head of Macquarie Capital’s principal investment division in Australia and New Zealand – has led a A$20 million ($14.5 million) Series B for Australian courier services player Sendle.
Chinese satellite developer receives $37m angel round
Chang Guang Satellite Technology, a China-based commercial satellite developer, has raised RMB250 million ($37 million) in angel funding, underlining growing investor interest in space-related technology.
Internal affairs: China VCs and relationship management
Recent troubles in China’s autonomous driving space highlight the challenges venture capital investors face in picking the right founders to back and then managing those relationships in a productive way
Deal focus: Advent sees potential in hybrid CRO
Advent International recognized BioDuro as a company uniquely positioned to leverage growth in pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing in China and the US
China supply chain solutions provider gets $356m Series A
Shenzhen-based Zhunshida, or Jusida, a logistics spin-out from Foxconn International, has raised RMB2.4 billion ($355.8 million) in Series A funding led by China Life Insurance.
LionRock buys stake in Italian football club Inter Milan
Asian private equity investor LionRock Capital has agreed to buy a minority stake in Italian football club Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan), which has been controlled by Chinese electronics retailer Suning since 2016.
Accel-KKR invests $16m in Australia's Humanforce
Accel-KKR, a US-based private equity firm created by Accel Partners and KKR, has invested A$22.5 million ($16.1 million) in Australian workforce management solutions provider Humanforce.
Advent buys majority stake in US, China-based BioDuro
Advent International has acquired a majority stake in BioDuro, a pharmaceutical contract research and development organization (CRO) with operations in the US and China, from the Bridgewest Group conglomerate.
Hong Kong's Integrated leads $10m round for India's Rapido
Hong Kong-based investment firm Integrated Capital has led a $10 million Series A round for Indian motor scooter taxi start-up Rapido.
Korean beauty products player gets $35m Series D
JJDC, an investment arm of healthcare and consumer goods giant Johnson & Johnson, has led a $35 million Series D round for South Korean online beauty products retailer Memebox.
VCs commit $15m to Japanese AI specialist
A group of venture capital firms, including SBI Investment, have invested $15 million in a Series B round for Cinnamon, a Japanese artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on office automation.
Deal focus: VCs take a bite from India’s food sector
Drums Food International is bringing a modern marketing approach to Indian millennials with its yogurt brand Epigamia. Verlinvest is backing the latest growth drive
Asia start-ups: Global reach
Asian start-ups are under increasing pressure to head off competition by pursuing global expansion agendas in their earliest stages of development. They must pay careful attention to social disparities
Nomura, Carlyle bid for Japan’s Orion Breweries
Japanese investment bank Nomura and The Carlyle Group have made a JPY52.1 billion ($477 million) tender offer as part of a proposed management buyout of Japan-based beer maker Orion Breweries.
Sequoia launches accelerator for India, Southeast Asia start-ups
Sequoia Capital has launched Surge, an accelerator program aimed at start-ups that are either based in or targeting India and Southeast Asia.
BP Ventures backs China EV player
BP Ventures, the venture capital arm of BP, has made its first investment in China, leading a Series A round for electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider PowerShare.