Investments
Chinese coffee shop chain Luckin gets $200m Series B
Luckin Coffee, a Chinese coffee shop chain established last year, has raised $200 million in Series B round from existing investors GIC Private, Centurium Capital, and Joy Capital.
2018 in review: Volatility vortex
Pan-regional funds attract the bulk of capital while the renminbi space withers; mixed fortunes for internet IPOs and trade sales; big buyouts fail to deliver but growth-stage tech stays strong
Portfolio: Actis Capital and Sprng Energy
In renewable energy platform Sprng, Actis Capital sees an opportunity to replicate the success it enjoyed with recently-exited Ostro Energy. A strong foundation based on alignment with management is the key
India's PE-backed Byju's raises $400m
Indian online education start-up Byju’s has raised a $400 million funding round led by Naspers Ventures, an investment arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers.
New Zealand's Trade Me agrees to Apax acquisition
New Zealand e-commerce company Trade Me has agreed to be 100% acquired by Apax Partners at an enterprise value of NZ$2.7 billion ($189 million) one week after receiving a similar proposal from Hellman & Friedman.
Q&A: Bain Capital's Jonathan Lavine
Asia’s private credit markets are underdeveloped given the size of the regional economy. Jonathan Lavine, co-managing partner of Bain Capital and CIO of Bain Capital Credit, assesses the growth potential
CX buys stake in India's Veeda Clinical Research
CX Partners has led a consortium of private equity investors to commit an undisclosed sum to Indian contract research organization Veeda Clinical Research.
India's Licious raises $25m Series D
Delightful Gourmet, operator of Indian online fresh meat and seafood ordering platform Licious, has raised $25 million in Series D funding to support its geographical expansion.
Japan's Axelspace gets $23m Series B
Axelspace, a Japanese start-up focused on ready-to-launch microsatellite technology, has raised a JPY2.6 billion ($23 million) Series B round led by Global Brain and property developer Mitsui Fudosan.
Chinese logistics fleet manager raises $320m
G7, a China-based logistics fleet management systems provider, has raised $320 million in funding round led by Hopu Investment Management.
Lexington leads $1b stapled secondary for TPG Asia
Lexington Partners has backed a GP-led tender offer for TPG Capital’s fifth and sixth Asia funds, taking out existing positions held by LPs and investing new capital into the firm’s seventh pan-regional vehicle. The transaction represents a total...
True North backs Zydus' acquisition of Heinz India
True North has invested INR10 billion ($140 million) in Indian health products manufacturer Zydus Wellness to support its acquisition of Heinz India.
Deal focus: Deputy punches the new timeclock
Employment management services company Deputy has raised what is said to be Australia’s largest ever Series B round as investors look to bring new technologies into long-outdated business processes
Korea's Viva Republica raises $80m at $1.2b valuation
Kleiner Perkins and Ribbit Capital have led an $80 million funding round for Viva Republica that values the Korean financial technology start-up at about $1.2 billion.
Baring Asia pursues privatization of Japan's Pioneer
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to privatize Pioneer Corporation through a two-stage revitalization plan that will see it invest JPY102 billion ($905 million) in the struggling Japanese conglomerate.
Centurium leads $100m round for China education platform
Zhangtong Jiayuan, a China-based online education platform, has raised $100 million in Series D round led by Centurium Capital, a private equity firm established by ex-Warburg Pincus China head David Li.
FountainVest-backed consortium makes tender offer for Amer
A consortium including FountainVest Partners and Chinese sportswear retailer Anta Sports has won board support for a EUR4.6 ($5.23 billion) tender offer for Finland-listed Amer Sports, which owns brands such as Salomon, Atomic, and Louisville Slugger.
Grab invests $100m in India's Oyo
Southeast Asian ride-hailing player Grab has invested more than $100 million in India-based online hospitality platform Oyo.
Taiwan PE remains a tough sell for LPs – AVCJ Forum
Appreciation of Asia’s private equity has grown among LPs as commitments to the asset class pay off in developed and emerging markets, but investing in Taiwan is difficult to justify due to the absence of a strong local identity.
Q&A: Impossible Foods' Nick Halla
Nick Halla became the first employee at Impossible Foods in 2011. Now leading the rollout of the PE-backed company’s plant-based meat substitute products, he explains the strategy for Asia
Japan Post Capital leads $26m Series E for Sansan
Japan Post Capital has led a JPY3 billion ($26.4 million) Series E round for Sansan, a Tokyo-based company that applies cloud technology to business card management services.
Taiwan start-ups must think globally - AVCJ Forum
Taiwanese entrepreneurs should leverage local technology talent and use their home market as a testing ground for products and services that have global appeal, industry participants told the AVCJ Taiwan Forum.
Lighthouse invests $35m in India’s Aqualite
Lighthouse Funds has invested more than INR2.5 billion ($35 million) for a minority stake in Aqualite Industries, an Indian footwear manufacturer.
Secondary restructurings: Opportunistic delays
Creative secondary deals are presenting private equity investors with new options for extending exposure to prized assets. Although a modest trend, it evokes big questions about best conduct
