Investments
Bain consortium buys Maldives seaplane operator from Blackstone - update
Bain Capital Private Equity has teamed up with two Chinese partners to acquire Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA), the world’s largest seaplane operator, from The Blackstone Group.
J-Star buys Japan restaurant business
J-Star has acquired Japanese restaurant operator Echigoya with a view to accelerating a domestic franchising strategy.
Hony-backed healthcare platform acquires TCM hospital
Hospital Corporation of China (HCC), a buyout platform established by Hony Capital, has acquired a 70% stake in Jiande Hexu Enterprise Management, owner of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) hospital and other healthcare businesses, for RMB483 million...
MBK completes tender offer for Japan's Kuroda Electric
MBK Partners has completed its tender offer for Japanese electronic components manufacturer Kuroda Electric, having received support from more than 50% of shareholders for the JPY102 billion ($895 million) deal.
China AI chip maker Think Force raises $68m
Shanghai Think Force Electronic Technology, a China-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip maker, has raised a RMB450 million ($68 million) Series A round of funding from Yunfeng Capital, Sequoia Capital China, and Hillhouse Capital.
L Catterton invests in Indian restaurant operator
L Catterton Asia, the regional arm of consumer-focused GP L Catterton, has invested in Indian restaurant operator Impresario Entertainment and Hospitality.
Microequities backs New Zealand's Fergus
Microequities Venture Capital Fund, a vehicle set up by Equity Venture Partners and Microequities Asset Management, has invested A$3.5 million ($2.7 million) in New Zealand software company Fergus.
Square Peg invests in Australia's Airwallex
Square Peg Capital has invested A$8 million ($6 million) in Airwallex, an Australia-based cross-border payments company that closed its Series A round seven months ago.
Affinity buys Malaysia education business for $180m
Affinity Equity Partners has agreed to acquire the Malaysia-based assets of Laureate Education – a private equity-controlled global network of higher education institutions – for $180 million.
CITIC Capital to acquire New Zealand's Trilogy for $175m
CITIC Capital has agreed to buy Trilogy International (TIL), a producer of skincare products and fragrances listed in New Zealand and Australia, for NZ$250 million ($175 million) via a scheme of arrangement.
Five trends for 2018
AVCJ looks at how its 2017 predictions turned out and identifies some key themes for the year ahead
AVCJ at 30: Part Six - The Expectations Game
Lewis Rutherfurd of Inter-Asia Venture Management, Piau-Voon Wang, David Pierce of HQ Capital, Weijian Shan of PAG Asia Capital, Michael Kim of MBK Partners, Dan Carroll of Brooklands Capital Strategies, Joseph Bae of KKR, and Brooks Zug of HarbourVest...
Hony to invest in Li & Fung consumer assets
Hony Capital has agreed to invest in several businesses – covering furniture, beauty, and apparel – from Hong Kong conglomerate Li & Fung for $1.1 billion.
Ekuinas buys Malaysia's Davex for $63m
Malaysian government-backed PE firm Ekuinas has acquired domestic lighting design company Davex for MYR255 million ($62.5 million).
US, India-based MindTickle raises $27m Series B
US and India-based training and networking platform operator MindTickle has raised $27 million in Series B funding led by Canaan Partners.
Accel leads $10m round for India’s HomeLane
Accel Partners has led a $10 million Series C round for Indian interior design start-up HomeLane.
India's Teabox closes $7m Series B
Teabox, an online delivery service for fresh Indian tea, has closed a $7 million Series B funding round led by RB Investments.
Deal focus: An EV ecosystem play
WM Motor Technology's recent Series B round makes it one of the best-funded electric vehicle start-ups in China. The company has ambitions to build an EV ecosystem
VCs in $45m round for Chinese tech news site 36kr
Gobi Partners and China Prosperity Capital have led a RMB300 million ($45 million) round of funding for 36Kr Media, a Chinese online technology news platform.
Rakuten, Techstars launch Singapore accelerator
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has launched a Singapore-based accelerator program in conjunction with Techstars. It is Techstars’ first program in an Asian city.
CDC leads $19m round for India's Veritas
UK-based development finance institution CDC Group has led an $18.6 million Series B round for Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Veritas Finance.
Finstar commits $50m to Southeast Asia fintech program
Finstar Financial Group, a Russia-based private equity firm focused on financial technology, will invest $50 million in an existing portfolio company as part of a Southeast Asian mobile consumer lending agenda.
Japanese start-up gets $90m for space trips
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has joined a $90.2 million round for Japanese lunar exploration company iSpace. It is said to be the largest Series A raised in the country to date.
Vertex leads $50m round for China’s Guoxiaomei
Vertex Ventures China has led an initial Series C round of funding worth $50 million for Guoxiaomei, a self-service smart shelf operator.