Investments
India's Muthoot Microfin raises $19m from US-based GP
US private equity firm Creation Investments has committed about INR1.3 billion ($19 million) for an 11% stake in Indian microfinance services provider Muthoot Microfin.
VIDEO: Jun Tsusaka, NSSK
Jun Tsusaka, managing partner, CIO and founding member at NSSK, discusses Japan's middle market
Deal focus: Q&A start-up Xueba to enter the classroom
Chinese education app provider Xueba raises a $100 million Series C round as it looks to monetize its user base through one-to-one tuition and in-classroom services
Japan succession deals: The long game
Succession planning opportunities are growing in Japan’s middle market as a generation of founders bend to the will of time and commercial pressure. For GPs seeking buyouts, it is all about who you know
Australia's CEFC, Southern Cross Venture back GreenSync
GreenSync, an Australian company that has developed smart software for use in electricity grids, has raised A$11.5 million ($8.7 million) in Series B funding from Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and Southern Cross Venture Partners.
CapitalG leads $15m round for India's Cuemath
CapitalG, the investment arm of Google parent company Alphabet, formerly known as Google Capital, has led a $15 million Series B round for Indian math learning start-up Cuemath.
Australian analytics start-up Local Measure raises $3.4m
Local Measure, an Australian analytics technology provider servicing the tourism industry, has raised $3.4 million for an expansion effort that will include opening new offices in Los Angeles and Dubai.
Taiwan's Foxconn invests in PE-backed Mobike
Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group has made a strategic investment in Mobike, a Chinese bike rental service start-up backed by several PE investors including Warburg Pincus.
IMJ, Opt invest $4.4m in Japan's Enechange
Enechange, which manages an energy price comparison site aimed at Japanese customers, has raised JPY500 million ($4.4 million) from Opt Ventures and IMJ Investment Partners.
IFC proposes $10m investment in India's Zinka Logistics
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a $10 million investment in Indian logistics company Zinka Logistics Solutions.
China VCs lead $100m round for local education app Xueba
China Merchants Capital and Grand Fight Investment have co-led a $100 million Series C round of funding for Xueba, a Chinese education app that helps students understand homework exercises.
Australia SaaS start-up Deputy gets $25m from OpenView
US-based VC investor OpenView has committed $25 million in Series A funding to Australian workforce management software developer Deputy.
China online grocery retailer Miss Fresh gets $100m Series C
Chinese online grocery retailer Miss Fresh has raised $100 million in a Series C round of funding jointly led by Lenovo Capital and Zheshang Venture Capital.
PE-backed e-Shang Redwood buys Singapore industrial REIT
E-Shang Redwood (ESR), a pan-Asian logistics services company backed by Warburg Pincus, has moved into Southeast Asia with an agreement to buy 80% of Cambridge Industrial Trust (CIT), a Singapore real estate investment trust (REIT) with assets worth S$1.4...
China VC-backed UrWork completes $58m Series B
China VC-backed UrWork, a co-working space provider for start-ups, has raised a RMB400 million ($58 million) Series B round of funding at a post-money valuation of about $1 billion.
500 Startups closes Thailand fund at $15.4m
500 Startups has reached a final close of $15.4 million on its Thailand-focused early-stage fund. It had originally targeted $10 million.
LPs see limitations as well as opportunities in Asia co-investment
Co-investment opportunities are increasing in Asia, with LPs pushing for direct exposure to deals and GPs more willing and able to bring them in, but they do not appeal to all institutional investors.
Asia secondaries challenged by valuation complications
Valuations remain a key obstacle to securing secondary transactions in Asia, even as a generation of funds becomes a year older and still struggles to generate liquidity, but the market is also growing in complexity due to the nature of the assets on...
LPs must address staffing constraints as Asian opportunities multiply
Global LPs targeting increasingly complex opportunity sets in Asia must streamline their activity and employ a range of techniques to reconcile shortages in investment team resources, panelists told the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association's...
Warburg Pincus invests $120m in India's PVR
Warburg Pincus has invested INR8.2 billion ($120 million) for a 14% stake in Indian listed film and retail entertainment company PVR, providing a partial exit for Multiples Alternative Asset Management.
Innotech targets Asia with US marketing acquisition
Shanghai-based Innotech Capitals, a PE arm of Innotech International Group specializing in advertising technology, has acquired US data aggregation platform Ad-Juster with a view to helping the company expand into Asia.
Deal focus: Yao Capital backs new motor-racing formula
With its investment in Formula E, Yao Capital hopes to help electric car racing achieve some of Formula One's success, but with an emphasis on China, downtown circuits, younger fans, and environmentally friendly entertainment
Portfolio: EQT Partners and Australia's I-Med
When EQT Partners acquired Australia-based I-Med Radiology Network, the company had spent years in the hands of different creditors. The GP had to restore confidence internally and drive long-term growth
Deal focus: Ednovation finds China solution
CDH investments has acquired Tembusu Partners' stake in Ednovation and will commit more capital for a controlling position as it supports the Singapore pre-school operator's China expansion