Investments
Mekong exits Vietnam's Asia Chemicals for $8.9m
Vietnam-based Mekong Capital has exited its stake in Asia Chemical Corporation (ACC), a domestic industrial supplier, for $8.9 million, generating a gross return multiple of 2.6x and a gross IRR of 15.1%.
Walmart, JD.com commit $500m to China grocery delivery business
US retailer Walmart and its Chinese online counterpart JD.com have led a $500 million funding round for Dada-JD Daojia, a Chinese online grocery delivery service.
China's Koala Reading raises $20m Series B round
Beijing Xiangyue Education Technology, operator of the Koala Reading platform that assesses the difficulty of Chinese language texts and helps schools create digital libraries, has received $20 million in Series B funding.
Sequoia, Accel lead $12m Series A for India's Metro Bikes
Sequoia Capital India and Accel Partners have led a $12.2 million Series A funding round for Metro Bikes, an India-based scooter rental provider. It coincides with the company rebranding as Bounce.
India's Epiq closes first three investments
Epiq Capital, an India-focused private equity firm founded by Matrix Partners India co-founder Rishi Navani, has completed its first three investments in eyewear retailer Lenskart Solutions, financial technology company Mswipe, and online home rental...
Hong Kong's Klook gets $200m Series D
Hong Kong travel services company Klook has closed a $200 million Series D funding round from a group of investors including Sequoia Capital China, Matrix Partners, and Goldman Sachs.
IDG backs Chinese sports video streaming service
IDG Capital and government-backed Huiying Borun Investment have committed RMB500 million ($73 million) to iQiyi Sports, a newly established division of the Chinese video streaming platform that listed in the US earlier this year.
Chinese P2P lending player Dianrong gets $40m
Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending business Dianrong has received $40 million in funding from Dalian Financial Industry Investment Group – a joint venture investment platform established by Orix Group and the Dalian city government – against a backdrop...
India's Shadowfax raises $22m Series C
Shadowfax, an Indian online-to-offline (O2O) logistics provider focused on hyperlocal delivery, has raised a $22 million Series C round led by Nokia Growth Partners (NGP).
China's CureGenetics gets $17m Series A round
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $17 million Series A funding round for Chinese biotechnology company CureGenetics.
GLP invests $58m in China's Wangjiahuan
GLP, a private equity-owned warehouse operator based in Singapore, has invested RMB400 million ($58 million) in Chinese agricultural products distributor Wangjiahuan.
VCs commit $22m to China laser developer
SDIC Fund Management, a GP under China’s State Development and Investment Corporation (SDIC), along with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Suzhou Chengxin Venture Capital, has invested RMB150 million ($22 million) in Everbright Photonics, a maker...
Decheng leads Series C for China's Impact Therapeutics
Chinese biopharmaceuticals developer Impact Therapeutics has raised $30 million in Series C funding from a group of investors led by Decheng Capital.
Chinese second-hand goods trading platform raises $65m
Sequoia Capital China has led an extended Series B round worth $65 million for Xiangwushuo, a Chinese online trading platform for second-hand goods. The company, which was founded as recently as 2017, has now raised $110 million in cumulative funding.
Legend Capital invests in talent agency CAA's China unit
Legend Capital has taken an equity interest in the China unit of Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), having facilitated a merger with Momentum Sports, a sports marketing and consulting business in which it is an investor.
CVC invests $255m in China toll road operator
CVC Capital Partners has agreed to invest HK$2 billion ($255 million) in RKE International Holdings, a Chinese toll road operator and subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed property development and infrastructure conglomerate Road King Infrastructure (RKI).
NSSK acquires Japanese hotel operator
Japanese private equity firm NSSK has acquired hospitality business Hotel Castle Inn Group for an undisclosed sum.
BlackRock buys Taiwan solar portfolio
BlackRock Real Assets has agreed to acquire a 28-project solar power portfolio in Taiwan for an undisclosed sum.
Chinese electric car maker Xpeng raises $587m
Primavera Capital Group and Morningside Ventures have led a RMB4 billion ($587 million) Series B-plus funding round for Chinese electric car manufacturer Xpeng Motors, working alongside the company’s chairman and CEO, Xiaopeng He.
India bus-hailing app Shuttl gets $11m
Amazon India has led an $11 million Series B funding round for India-based bus-hailing app operator Shuttl, with participation by several other VC investors.
SE Asia's Grab raises $2b in Toyota-led funding round
Southeast Asia-focused ride-hailing business Grab has raised $2 billion in its latest round of funding led by Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation and involving a number of other global investors.
Australian SME lender Judo Capital raises $104m
Australian financial services start-up Judo Capital has raised A$140 million ($104 million) to provide loans to domestic small to medium-sized enterprises (SME).
China’s 51Zhaoyou gets $150m in Series C funding
Chinese B2B oil trading platform 51Zhaoyou.com has raised $150 million across two tranches of Series C funding.
PE and tech investment: The late show
Private equity firms are participating in late-stage rounds in Asia’s technology space as they look to gain a toehold in start-ups with the potential to transform economies. But do the valuations make sense?