Investments
Australia's Saluda Medical secures $40m round
Action Potential Venture Capital (APVC), an investment arm of British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline, has led a A$53 million ($40 million) all-equity Series D round for Australia’s Saluda Medical.
Sequoia, Perfect World back China online bookstore business
Sequoia Capital China has co-led a funding round for online reading business Zongheng Literature, working in tandem with Perfect World, the Chinese movies-to-gaming company that controls Zongheng.
Tech investors leverage changing Chinese consumption patterns
The disruption caused by technology in China's consumer and business services sectors - and the change this brings to traditional business models - is generating increased deal flow for private equity and venture capital investors.
Bain to buy $200m Chinese NPL portfolio
Bain Capital Credit (BCC) has agreed to buy a portfolio of Chinese non-performing loans (NPLs) worth approximately $200 million, reflecting the growing interest from foreign investors in the country’s distressed debt space.
Fairfax to part exit India's ICICI Lombard
Fairfax Financial Holdings will sell a 12.2% stake in ICICI Lombard General Insurance to a group of PE investors including Warburg Pincus, Tamarind Capital, and IIFL Asset Management.
Everstone re-ups in India's Servion
Everstone Capital has invested $8 million in Indian customer experience management (CEM) solutions provider Servion Global Solutions, raising its total stake in the company to $74 million.
Australian adtech start-up Unlockd secures $23m
Malaysian telecommunications conglomerate Axiata has led a $23 million investment in early-stage Australian advertising technology company Unlockd.
Global PE firms bullish on Vietnam - AVCJ Forum
Global and regional private equity firms are increasingly turning their attentions to Vietnam, reassured by the country’s relative economic stability and impressed by the rising number of investable companies.
Naspers invests $5m in Philippines-based Coins
The venture capital division of South African media firm Naspers has invested $5 million in Coins, a US-founded blockchain and financial technology company operating in the Philippines.
China automobile services platform Lechebang gets $44m
Lechebang, a Chinese online automobile services platform focused on after-sale services, has completed a RMB300 million ($44 million) Series B round led by Grand Flight Investment.
China genomics: Coded messages
Investors are looking to tap the massive potential of China’s genomic industry, with a particular focus on companies that leverage large amounts of patient data to support drug development and testing services
CITIC Capital in $600m Australian health acquisition
CITIC Capital China has joined a consortium including China’s Humanwell Healthcare to acquire the sexual health division of Australia-listed medical products supplier Ansell for $600 million.
SAIF, Accel in $30m round for India insurance start-up Acko
Acko General Insurance, an Indian online insurance broker, has raised $30 million from a group of investors including SAIF Partners and Accel Partners.
Japan's Gree Ventures closes second fund at $67m
Gree Ventures, which was set up by Japanese mobile gaming company Gree, has closed its second early-stage VC fund at $67 million.
PE-backed UrWork, 5Lmeet get $116m from Beijing Xingpai
Chinese PE-backed co-working space operators UrWork and 5Lmeet – both of which were founded by Daqing Mao, formerly a real estate executive at China Vanke – have raised a total of RMB800 million ($116 million) from conglomerate Beijing Xingpai Group....
Deal focus: Mekong joins Nhat Tinh's second trip
Mekong Capital backs the management team that grew and then sold Vietnam express delivery player Tin Thanh Express to repeat the trick with Nhat Tin Investment Trading
China biopharma player gets $25m Series B
CANbridge Life Science, a Beijing-based clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing Western drug candidates in China and North Asia, has raised a Series B round worth $25 million.
China mobile communication app Chubao raises $100m
Shanghai-based mobile communication app developer Chubao Technology has completed a $100 million Series D round co-led by CCB International, an investment unit of China Construction Bank, and China PE firm HG Capital.
Deal focus: Wish scales up cross-border e-commerce
Wish secures an extended Series F round to build out its platform that enables Chinese suppliers to sell cut-price goods to US and European consumers
Portfolio: Samara Capital and Cogencis
Cogencis’ market data terminals have made a strong showing in India against Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters. Now the Samara Capital-backed company is looking to repeat that success worldwide
Co-working spaces in Asia: Spaced out
Co-working spaces are proliferating in Asia as companies – from multinationals to start-ups – opt for more flexible real estate arrangements. The transition is real, but are the valuations justified?
MBK to buy Modern House from Korea's E-Land for $626m
MBK Partners has agreed to buy Modern House, the household and consumer goods unit of Korean retail giant E-Land Group, for KRW700 billion ($626 million).
Sino-Australian consortium to buy Icon Group from Quadrant
QIC, Goldman Sachs and Pagoda Investment – a China-focused private equity firm set up by a former QIC executive – have agreed to buy Icon Group, an Australian oncology services provider, from Quadrant Private Equity.
China's Cloudwise raises $26m from VCs
CBC Capital has led a $26 million Series C round for Cloudwise, a Beijing-based application performance management (APM) solutions provider, with participation from SIG Asia and Sequoia Capital China.