Investments
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.
IFC proposes $20m investment in Indian MFI
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a $20 million investment in Indian microfinance institution (MFI) RGVN Microfinance.
GE Ventures backs Hong Kong digital logistics business
GE Ventures, the VC arm of General Electric, has led a $25 million extended Series B round of funding for Freightos, a Hong Kong-based logistics technology company. It brings total funding for the business to $50 million.
Morningside closes debut renminbi VC fund at $143m
Morningside Venture Capital, a China-focused early-stage VC firm that used to manage only US dollar-denominated funds, has closed its first renminbi vehicle at RMB1 billion ($143 million).
TPG buys majority stake in Vietnam school, Mekong exits
TPG Capital has agreed to acquire a controlling position in Vietnam Australia International School (VAS), facilitating an exit for existing backers Mekong Capital and Denmark-based MAJ Invest.
Apax commits $388m to Guotai Junan's Hong Kong IPO
Apax Partners has agreed to invest $388 million in Guotai Junan Securities as the largest cornerstone investor in the Chinese brokerage’s HK$16.5 billion ($2.1 billion) Hong Kong IPO.
ClearVue leads $30m round for Chinese convenience store chain
Consumer-focused GP ClearVue Partners has led a RMB200 million ($30 million) Series B round of funding for I Believe, a Chinese convenience store operator.
India's PE-backed Byju's gets $30m
Indian online education start-up Byju’s has received a $30 million investment from Verlinvest, an investment holding company created by the founders of Anheuser-Busch InBev.