Investments
CLSA Capital invests in Japan beauty contact lenses maker
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has invested an undisclosed sum in El Dorado Group, a beauty contact lenses manufacturer based in Japan and Hong Kong.
EMIA invests Cambodia unit of iCare Benefits
Emerging Markets Investment Advisers (EMIA) has acquired a significant minority stake in the Cambodia division of iCare Benefits, a Singapore-based company that provides employers with worker benefit programs.
Portfolio: Partners Group and Guardian Early Learning
Now on its third PE owner, Guardian Early Learning Group is building its unique brand identity in Australia’s busy childcare sector. The key has been for each party to respect the strengths and needs of the other
Bolt-on acquisitions: Buying growth
Bolt-on acquisitions enable private equity firms to bring down the cost of investments through multiple arbitrage and leveraging synergies. But in a climate of heady valuations, are GPs thinking too big?
Eight Roads leads $12.5m Series C for India's Unbxd
Eight Roads Ventures has led a $12.5 million Series C funding round for Unbxd, an India-founded e-commerce services company now headquartered in the US.
IFC proposes $100m investment in China's Penyao
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering an investment of up to $100 million in Chinese water treatment firm Penyao Environmental Protection.
China's BeauCare Clinics secures $29m Series B
BeauCare Clinics, a Chinese plastic surgery clinic chain, has raised RMB200 million ($29 million) in a Series B round of funding led by GP Capital.
Korean PE consortium named preferred bidder for Arrium
A consortium headed by two Korean private equity firms and supported by domestic steelmaker Posco has been selected as the preferred bidder for distressed Australian mining and minerals giant Arrium.
Sapphire leads Series C for Australia's Culture Amp
Sapphire Ventures has led a $20 million Series C funding round for Australian business analytics services provider Culture Amp.
OPIC to invest $195m in India, Indonesia
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a development finance institution (DFI) backed by the US government, has approved $195 million for investments in India and Indonesia.
PE-backed car auction player Mychebao receives $74m
Chinese second-hand car online auction platform Mychebao, which is backed by several PE investors including PAG Asia Capital, has raised another RMB500 million ($74 million) in an extended Series C round of funding.
Warburg Pincus to invest $360m in Tata Technologies
Warburg Pincus has agreed to invest $360 million in Tata Technologies, the engineering outsourcing and product development IT services arm of Indian conglomerate Tata Group.
Canadian AI player raises $102m Series A for Asia push
China’s Tencent Holdings and Korea’s Hanwha Investment have backed a $102 million Asian expansion drive by Canadian artificial intelligence developer Element AI. It is said to be the largest Series A round ever raised by an AI company.
Japan private equity: Heating up
Private equity is seeing more succession planning and corporate carve-out opportunities in Japan, but there is a risk that exuberance might turn irrational
China C2C used car platform Guazi raises $400m
Guazi, an online consumer-to-consumer (C2C) used car trading platform that spun out from US-listed Chinese classifieds site 58.com, has completed a $400 million Series B round led by existing investor Sequoia Capital China.
Blackstone completes dividend recap of India's Mphasis
Indian IT services provider Mphasis has issued $500 million in bonds, the proceeds of which will be used to recapitalize its debt and make a dividend payment to majority owners The Blackstone Group and GIC Private.
Q&A: Unison Capital's Tatsuo Kawasaki
Tatsuo Kawasaki, co-founder and partner at Unison Capital, discusses why deal flow is growing in Japan’s middle market – not only in terms of volume, but also in seller type and sector scope
KKR founders, Fosun join $22m round for Japan's Seven Dreamers
KKR co-founders Henry Kravis and George Roberts have joined a group of investors including Chinese conglomerate Fosun International in a JPY2.5 billion ($22.8 million) round for Seven Dreamers Laboratories, a Japan-based manufacturer of personal-use devices....
Sequoia leads $9m Series A for India's MoneyTap
Sequoia Capital India has led a $9 million Series A round for domestic financial technology start-up MoneyTap.
Japan consumer: Beyond borders
Private equity investors see an opportunity in taking advantage of the popularity of Japanese brands in other Asian markets. Making these strategies work requires patience and a tolerance for risk
VCs in $15m round for China software start-up PingCap
PingCap, a Beijing-based start-up that provides database solutions for enterprise customers, has secured a $15 million Series B round led by China Growth Capital.
Intudo closes debut Indonesia-focused VC fund
Intudo Ventures, a newly-formed Indonesia-focused VC firm, has raised $10 million for its debut fund that will co-found and invest in early-stage companies.
Nexus, Founders Fund invest $7m in India's HyperTrack
Nexus Venture Partners and Founders Fund have committed $7 million in Series A funding to Indian location-tracking tool developer HyperTrack.
Tencent-backed Futu Securities raises $146m
Tencent Holdings has re-upped in Futu Securities International, leading a $145.5 million Series C round for the Hong Kong-registered cross-border stock trading platform.