Investments
GP-led secondaries: Stigmatized no more
Traditionally perceived as a recourse for private equity firms in trouble, GP-led secondary transactions are starting to be used by brand-name managers as a liquidity solution for LPs
Greenstone invests $21m in Australian miner
Mining-focused private equity firm Greenstone Resources has invested $21.2 million in Australian base metals project developer Heron Resources.
Korea, Singapore launch cross-border healthcare incubator
Singapore investor Golden Equator Capital and Korean research organization C&R Healthcare Global have jointly launched an incubation program that will help Korean healthcare start-ups execute Asian expansions via Singapore.
Southeast Asia's Zilingo gets $17m Series B
Sequoia Capital India and Burda Principal Investments, the VC arm of German internet conglomerate Hubert Burda Media, have led a $17 million Series B round for Thailand-based online fashion marketplace Zilingo.
High valuations push Australian LPs up the infrastructure risk curve
Australian institutional investors are responding to rising valuations in the core infrastructure space by moving up the risk curve into more opportunistic assets – and domestic pricing pressure is also expected to lead to higher emerging markets allocations.
Tiantu re-ups in Chinese online grocer FreshMarket
China-based online grocery retailer FreshMarket has secured an extended Series C round of funding worth RMB290 million ($44 million) led by its existing investor Tiantu Capital.
Hong Kong's TNG Fintech raises $115m Series A
Chinese private equity firm NewMargin Capital has led a $115.3 million investment in Hong Kong’s TNG Fintech. It is said to be the largest Series A round for a Hong Kong start-up to date.
TPG leads $161m round for India's Janalakshmi
TPG Capital has led a INR10.3 billion ($161 million) funding round for Indian microfinance lender Janalakshmi Financial Services.
Australia invests $11m across three biotech start-ups
The Australian government has agreed to invest A$13.3 million ($11 million) into three local healthcare start-ups via it’s Biomedical Translation Fund (BTF).
Japan's J-Star exits pet services business
J-Star has made a full exit from Japanese pet services business Three Arrows to domestic GP Création Capital, its co-investor on the original deal.
IFC proposes $200m investment in Vietnamese bank
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering an investment of up to $200 million in listed financial institution Vietnam International Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VIB).
Carlyle set for partial exit from Japan's Tsubaki Nakashima
The Carlyle Group has agreed to reduce its stake in Japan-listed manufacturing industry equipment supplier Tsubaki Nakashima from about 47% to 2.4%.
Seven Seas leads $54m round for China robot start-up
Seven Seas Partners, a Sino-US cross-border VC firm founded by a former executive at Tencent Holdings, has led a RMB350 million ($54 million) Series B round of funding for Roobo, a home service robot developer.
1955 Capital backs US-based Gridtential to expand in Asia
1955 Capital, a cross-border PE firm set up by former Khosla Ventures partner Andrew Chung, has led an $11 million Series B round for US-based energy storage technology developer Gridtential aimed at supporting its Asia expansion.
FountainVest to buy German turbocharger business
China’s FountainVest Partners has agreed to acquire 100% of Bosch Mahle Turbo Systems (BMTS), a German automotive industry supplier with an existing production and sales presence in Shanghai.
L Catterton Asia backs Korean eyewear brand
L Catterton Asia has led a consortium including Groupe Arnault - the family office of LVMH founder Bernard Arnault, which is one of the firm's LPs - to purchase a stake in Gentle Monster, a South Korean sunglasses and eyewear brand.
Jafco leads $14.8m investment in Japan's Tech Bureau
Tech Bureau, a Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange platform operator, has received JPY1.6 billion ($14.8 million) in Series B funding led by domestic venture capital firm Jafco.
SoftBank Vision Fund leads $250m round for India's Oyo
SoftBank Vision Fund, the global technology investment vehicle managed by Japan’s SoftBank Group, has led a $250 million Series D round for Indian online hospitality platform Oyo.
Sequoia China leads $240m round for WuXi NextCode
WuXi NextCode, a genome sequencing analysis business with ties to China-based contract research organization WuXi PharmaTech, has completed a $240 million extended Series B round of funding led by Sequoia China and featuring Temasek Holdings, Yunfeng...
GPs must be selective in targeting Korea divestments – AVCJ Forum
Korea's push for chaebol reform is expected to create more PE investment opportunities as conglomerates are pressured to divest assets, but GPs told the AVCJ Korea Forum that they have to be careful in picking the right deals because asset quality varies.
VCs commit $11m to India's Lendingkart
A group of VC investors including Sistema Asia Fund has committed INR700 million ($10.9 million) to Indian fintech platform Lendingkart Technologies.
China clothing rental site Yi23 raises $50m
China-based Yi23, a female clothing rental platform, has raised a $50 million Series C round of funding jointly led by Alibaba Innovation Ventures, SBCVC and Sequoia Capital.
Creador invests $45m in Indonesia hospital chain
Creador has committed IDR600 billion ($45 million) to Indonesia-based hospital chain Medikaloka Hermina.
Deal focus: Lock & Lock primed for regional expansion
Affinity Equity Partners is betting on Asian appetites for high-quality food containers in its acquisition of South Korea's Lock & Lock