Investments
Pioneer hits $180m hard cap on third New Zealand fund
New Zealand’s Pioneer Capital has hit the hard cap of NZ$260 million ($180 million) on its third growth fund, beating the target of NZ$210 million. It follows the first investment from the new vehicle in Havelock North Fruit.
GIC invests $113m in India's Can Fin
Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC Private has invested about INR7.5 billion ($113.2 million) for a 13.4% stake in Indian mortgage lender Can Fin Homes.
Carlyle exits India's Edelweiss for $131m
The Carlyle Group has fully exited its stake in India’s Edelweiss Financial Services for INR8.7 billion ($131 million) in an open market transaction.
Denham platform to assume control of Australia-listed miner
Denham Capital has agreed to take full ownership of Cradle Resources, an Australia-listed mining company that holds a 50% interest in a niobium deposit in Tanzania, at a valuation of A$55 million ($41.6 million).
Qualcomm, Accel back India-China IoT player Borqs
Qualcomm Ventures and Accel Partners India have co-led a new round of funding worth $10 million for Borqs, an India-China venture that develops internet-of-things (IoT) devices.
Northstar withdraws interest in Singapore-listed Spindex
Northstar Group has withdrawn its interest in Singapore-listed precision components manufacturer Spindex Industries after a consortium led by the company’s chairman acquired a more than 50% stake in the business, putting it on course for a buyout.
Legend leads $36m round for China truck logistics platform
Legend Capital has led a RMB250 million ($36 million) Series C round for Fuyoukache, a Beijing-based online truck logistics platform.
Goodwater leads $48m investment in Korea's Viva Republica
US-based venture capital firm Goodwater Capital has led a KRW55 billion ($48 million) Series C funding round for South Korean financial technology company Viva Republica.
Hong Kong PE buys into US-HK entertainment merger
Co-High Investment Management, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm focused largely on culture and media, has agreed to invest in a film production company formed through a US-Hong Kong merger.
Australia to streamline foreign investment approvals
The Australian government has proposed an amendment to foreign investment rules introduced in late 2015 that require some private equity firms to obtain regulatory approval when making a buyout.
Business cycles: China bike-sharing start-ups
Mobike and Ofo are engaged in a battle of private equity-fueled one-upmanship as they strive for supremacy in China's bike-sharing space. Will they die off, merge or become differentiated (and profitable)?
IDG-led consortium completes buyout of Osram unit
A Chinese consortium led by IDG Capital has completed the purchase of Ledvance, the lamps business of German lighting manufacturer Osram, for approximately EUR500 million ($527 million).
Southeast Asia video streaming service Iflix gets $90m
Iflix, a primarily Southeast Asia-focused video streaming service that follows a similar business model to Netflix, has raised $90 million in Series B funding led by Liberty Global and Kuwaiti telecom company Zain Group.
Matrix leads $15m Series C for China's Easemob
Matrix Partners China has led a RMB103 million ($15 million) Series C round of funding for Easemob, a Chinese start-up that provides instant-messaging services to mobile app developers.
VC-backed Fave buys Groupon Singapore
Malaysian VC-backed online-to-offline (O2O) e-commerce company Fave has agreed to acquire Groupon Singapore, extending a string of related bolt-ons in Southeast Asia.
CPPIB, CDPQ pay $337m for stake in India's Kotak
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) have paid INR23 billion ($337 million) for a 1.5% stake in India’s Kotak Mahindra Bank.
Japanese accelerator launches $17.5m hardware fund
Darma Tech Labs, operator of Japanese hardware-focused accelerator Makers Boot Camp, plans to launch a JPY2 billion ($17.5 million) venture capital fund, with Kyoto Bank serving as the anchor LP.
China NPLs: Great expectations
Foreign private equity firms are positioning themselves to address an anticipated surge in non-performing loan sales to third-party investors. Will the reality match the hype?
Q&A: GGV Capital's Jenny Lee
Jenny Lee, managing partner at Sino-US VC firm GGV Capital, discusses supporting start-ups from early through later-stage rounds, and why technology players increasingly need to think internationally
China cloud computing: Billowing forth
China’s nascent cloud computing industry appears set to replicate a US-style growth trajectory. Venture investment, however, may play a larger role due to a range of cultural and economic differences
Ping An leads Series C for Singapore's Bigo Live
Bigo Live, a Singapore-based social video streaming app, has raised a Series C round of funding from a Hong Kong-based investment arm of Ping An Insurance Group.
Chengwei leads Series B round for China messaging service provider
Chengwei Capital has led a Series B round of funding for Xin Xi Bao, a Chinese text messaging software developer.
VIDEO: Milton Chou, GE Ventures
Milton Chou, China growth leader and senior director at GE Ventures, discusses the role of a captive VC firm
China chauffeured car service Ucar raises $668m
Chinese chauffeured car service provider Ucar, which is backed by Warburg Pincus and Yunfeng Capital, has raised RMB4.6 billion ($668 million) through a private placement on the National Equities Exchange and Quotation (NEEQ).