Investments
VCs back Series C for China mother-and-baby player
Eight Roads Ventures has led a group of investors in a Series C round of funding for Mama+, a social networking and e-commerce platform focused on China’s mother-and-baby market.
Warburg Pincus invests $77m in Indian jeweler
Warburg Pincus has committed INR5 billion ($77 million) to Indian jewelry retailer Kalyan Jewellers.
Jafco invests $12m in Singapore adtech firm AdAsia
Jafco Asia has invested $12 million in a Series A funding round for Singapore-based advertising technology company AdAsia Holdings.
The devil you know: PE and Southeast Asian entrepreneurs
Due to a shortage of companies in Southeast Asia that have proved themselves capable of working private equity, when GPs identify a group they like it is not uncommon for them to work together more than once
Deal focus: True North keeps healthcare ball rolling
Having turned down Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences once due to potential conflicts of interest, True North moved quickly to deploy $200 million when presented with a second opportunity to invest in the hospital chain
Mahindra leads $21m round for India's Medwell
Mahindra Partners has led a $21 million Series B round for Indian home healthcare start-up Medwell Ventures, operator of Nightingales Home Health Services.
Deal focus: KKR returns to Masan, PENM exits
KKR will team up with Vietnam's Masan Group for a second time, committing $250 million to the parent and its meat industry subsidiary. The GP's entry facilitates a partial exit for long-standing investor PENM Partners
Deal focus: GSSG sharpens focus on Japan solar
A turnaround in Japanese government policy on solar power is responsible for a renaissance in the renewables space. GSSG Solar has earmarked its entire corpus of its $120 million second fund for deployment in the country
China credit assessment platform Wecash gets $80m
Wecash, a Chinese financial technology company that provides credit evaluations online, has completed an $80 million Series C round jointly led by China Merchants Venture Capital, Forebright Capital and SIG Asia.
Q&A: CITIC Private Equity's Feng Zhai
CITIC Private Equity has sought to differentiate itself from other Chinese GPs with an operations-driven buyout strategy. Feng Zhai, managing director and head of the portfolio management team, explains the approach
China outbound M&A: The smarter money
Despite regulatory curbs on Chinese outbound investment, companies are still interested in M&A opportunities – and they are pursuing less high-profile assets with greater sophistication
L Catterton-owned Seafolly makes South America bolt-on
L Catterton Asia, the Asia arm of global consumer-focused GP L Catterton, has purchased Colombian beachwear brand Maaji in a bolt-on acquisition for its Australian swimwear brand Seafolly.
J-Star acquires Japan pet services company
J-Star has bought Japanese veterinarian services company Fuji Field for an undisclosed sum as part of a pet clinic consolidation strategy.
Deal focus: Freightos looks to take shipping digital
GE Ventures leads a $25 million round for Freightos, giving the Hong Kong-based logistics software specialist dry powder to build out its price information marketplace for freight forwarders
Sequoia India leads Series C for Australia's HealthEngine
Sequoia Capital India has made its debut investment in an Australia-based start-up, leading a A$26.7 million ($20.2 million) Series C round of funding for HealthEngine, an online healthcare marketplace.
Multiples acquires India's PeopleStrong
Indian private equity firm Multiples Alternative Asset Management has acquired a controlling stake in domestic human resource (HR) services and technology company PeopleStrong.
Capital Square agrees Essar BPO carve-out
Singapore-based Capital Square Partners has agreed to acquire business process outsourcing (BPO) service provider Aegis from Indian conglomerate Essar Group.
VCs back China female-focused consumer finance start-up
Shanghai Mime Financial, a consumer finance platform targeting the young females in China, has raised a Series C round led by domestic investors Haier Capital, Xiyu Capital and Panda Capital.
KKR commits $250 million to second Vietnam consumer play
KKR has entered into a second partnership with Masan Group – just over a year after exiting the first with a more than 2x return – through a $250 million commitment to the Vietnamese conglomerate and its branded meat subsidiary.
Actis invests in Malaysia’s GHL, Creador exits
Emerging markets-focused private equity firm Actis has invested MYR290 million ($65.6 million) in Malaysia-listed payment services provider GHL Group, facilitating a full exit for Creador.
PEP, CHAMP win approval for New Zealand acquisitions
Pacific Equity Partners’ (PEP) acquisition of food supplier Leader Products and CHAMP Private Equity’s purchase of several shipping and freight assets have won regulatory approval in New Zealand.
Oceanwide, IDG Capital complete purchase of International Data Group
China Oceanwide Holdings has completed its acquisition of International Data Group (IDG) and now holds a 90% stake in the target’s operating business, with IDG Capital owning the remaining 10%.
China’s first One Belt One Road project secures $1.4b facility
Pakistan’s Karot hydroelectric power project has secured a $1.4 billion facility from a group of Chinese investors and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). It is considered the first infrastructure deal under China’s One Belt One Road initiative.
Redpoint, Sinovation lead round for China online TCM player
Redpoint Ventures and Sinovation Ventures have led a Series B round worth RMB100 million ($14 million) for Xiaolu Clinic, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) online services provider.