Investments
China bike-sharing start-up Bluegogo raises $58m
Chinese bike-sharing start-up Bluegogo has raised a RMB400 million ($58 million) funding round led by domestic GP Black Hole Capital.
US online lender SoFi raises $500m to expand in Australia
US online lender and financial services company SoFi has secured a $500 million Series F funding round led by Silver Lake for an expansion effort into Australia.
MBK to buy Korean gas business from Goldman consortium
MBK Partners has agreed to buy Daesung Industrial Gases from a Goldman Sachs-led consortium that has majority-owned the South Korean industrial gas manufacturer since July 2014.
Kickstart, BPI invest in Zalora Philippines alongside parent
Kickstart Ventures and BPI Capital have joined their parent Ayala Group to buy a 49% stake in the Philippines business of online fashion retailer Zalora.
China P2P car rental site Atzuche raises $58m Series C
Atzuche, a Shanghai-based peer-to-peer (P2P) car rental start-up, has completed a RMB400 million ($58 million) Series C round of funding.
Soft middle: Australia's underserved lower middle market
Fewer GPs are targeting Australia's lower middle market as a result of increasing fund sizes and the difficulties local LPs have writing small-ticket checks. The arrival of new PE firms is encouraging, but they aren't necessarily positioned to fill this...
Oaktree merges Fitness First Asia with Navis-owned gym business
The Hong Kong and Southeast Asia business of Fitness First, which is controlled by Oaktree Capital Management, has agreed to merge with Celebrity Fitness, a Southeast Asia gym operator owned by Navis Capital Partners.
IDG Capital invests in CreditEase's insurance unit
CreditEase Insurance Agency, an insurance unit of China’s CreditEase Wealth Management, has raised RMB80 million ($12 million) from investors including IDG Capital through a private placement on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ).
AirTree leads $19m investment in Australia's Prospa
AirTree Ventures has led a A$25 million ($19.2 million) investment in Australian financial technology company Prospa.
US materials group gets $15m for China, Korea push
A group of investors including GSR Ventures has committed $15 million to C3Nano, a US-based supplier for the touchscreen and digital display industry looking to expand its footprint in China and Korea.
Hong Kong AR player Banuba raises $5m
Banuba, a Hong Kong-based developer of technologies for augmented reality (AR) mobile applications, has raised $5 million from VP Capital and Larnabel Ventures.
Shanda leads $5.6m round for Indonesia's Nida
Indonesian hotel reservation services provider Nida Rooms has raised a $5.6 million Series A round of funding led by China’s Shanda Group.
China healthcare platform Anxin Doctor raises $29m
Beijing-based Anxin Doctor, a mobile app focused on pediatric and women's healthcare, has completed a RMB200 million ($29 million) Series B round of funding across two tranches.
Australia mining: Desert stirrings
A stronger commodity price environment has spurred some opportunistic private equity investment in Australian mining services, but caution remains the mantra in this industry of capricious value drivers
China's Ant Financial invests $200m in Kakao payment unit
Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate of China’s Alibaba Group, has agreed invest $200 million in a dedicated mobile finance platform that will soon be launched by South Korean internet giant Kakao Corp.
PE investors join $1.53b financing round for Baidu's iQiyi
China’s iQiyi.com, a video-streaming platform majority-owned by search giant Baidu, has raised $1.53 billion from a group of private equity investors through the sale of convertible notes.
IFC set for $60m investment in SE Asian medical player
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has proposed a commitment of $60 million to IDS Medical Systems, a Hong Kong-based healthcare industry supplier for Southeast Asia.
Australia aged care: The golden years
Australia’s aged care segment continues to appeal to private equity investors. But GPs must be wary of the challenges posed by the government’s unique stake in the market
The hybrids: GPs seek to work with Australian family offices
Australia’s lower middle market is rich in investment opportunities but underpenetrated by private equity. Local family offices are increasingly keen on participating, although in their own way
VIDEO: Jenny Lee, GGV Capital
Jenny Lee, managing partner at GGV Capital, discusses the venture capital environment in China
Temasek, Hillhouse invest in China's Mobike
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings has made a strategic investment in Mobike, a Chinese smart bike rental services start-up, while existing backer Hillhouse Capital has also re-upped.
China B2B hotel booking site raises $17m
Chinese B2B hotel booking platform Haoqiao.cn has raised RMB120 million ($17 million) in an extended Series B round led by the government-backed National SME Development Fund and China Merchants Capital.
IFC proposes investment in China-listed credit union
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has proposed an investment of up to RMB130 million ($19 million) in Chinese listed bank Qiongzhong Rural Credit Cooperative.
Global Brain backs Japan cybersecurity, driverless car play
Global Brain has led a Series A funding round of undisclosed size for Trillium, a Japanese cybersecurity company focused on the emerging autonomous vehicle industry.