Investments
Chinese credit card management app raises $310m Series C
U51.com, a Chinese credit card management mobile app, has raised a $310 million Series C round led by A-share listed property developer Xinhu Zhongbao and domestic VC firm Tiantu Capital.
Portfolio: L Capital Asia and Seafolly
Beachwear maker Seafolly was already a leader in Australia when L Capital Asia acquired it in 2014. Now the founding family and the GP plan to build it into a global lifestyle brand
Chinese online lender FirstP2P secures $70m
FirstP2P, a Chinese online peer-to-peer (P2P) financing site, has raised a $70 million Series C round led by existing investor CCB International.
Lindeman Asia backs China's Cogobuy – update
Lindeman Asia Investment has joined China Reinsurance and People's Insurance Company of China in a HK$2 billion ($258 million) investment in Hong Kong-listed e-commerce company Cogobuy.
Singapore's Grab raises $750m round led by SoftBank
Singapore-based taxi-hailing app provider Grab has raised a $750 million round of funding led by Japanese technology giant and long-term strategic partner SoftBank.
Northern Light leads Series B for China's TenNor Therapeutics
Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC) has led a $25 million Series B funding round for TenNor Therapeutics, a Chinese drug developer specializing in infectious diseases.
China LeEco's smart car unit raises $1b
Leshi Internet Information and Technology, also known as LeEco, has raised $1.08 billion for its self-driving electric car project.
ChrysCapital leads $149m round for India's Hero FinCorp
Indian non-banking financial company (NBFC) Hero FinCorp has raised more than INR10 billion ($149 million) from investors including ChrysCapital, Credit Suisse and its parent, the Hero Group.
Linear Venture closes $70m China early-stage VC fund
Linear Venture, a Chinese early-stage VC firm founded by former Facebook and JD.com employees, has closed its second fund – which comprises US dollar and renminbi-denominated tranches – with approximately $70 million in aggregate commitments.
Qiming backs China rehabilitation services provider
Qiming Venture Partners has invested an undisclosed sum in LIH Investment & Management, a Beijing-based healthcare company that specializes in providing rehabilitation services.
Singapore's ViSenze raises $10.5m Series B
ViSenze, an e-commerce-focused artificial intelligence (AI) company based in Singapore, India and the US, has completed a $10.5 million Series B funding round led by Rakuten Ventures, WI Harper and Enspire Capital.
Quadrant buys Australia-based Jetts Fitness
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity has made its fifth new investment within four weeks – and its second in the fitness club space – with the purchase of gym operator Jetts Fitness.
Careful targeting key to Philippines M&A – AVCJ Forum
Efforts to increase foreign M&A activity in the Philippines at later investment stages depend on targeting the right kinds of companies and understanding their needs, industry participants told the AVCJ Philippines Forum.
MLS, 1955 Capital back US agrochemicals specialist
Crop Enhancement, a US-based company that develops sustainable agrochemicals, has received an $8.5 million Series B round led by the Asia and Americas-focused MLS Capital Fund II and 1955 Capital, a cross-border PE firm set by former Khosla Ventures partner...
India's VC-backed Citrus Pay sold to Netherlands strategic
Citrus Pay, an India-based online and mobile payment solutions developer backed by Sequoia Capital, Ascent Capital and Beenos, has been acquired by Netherlands-based rival PayU.
Blackbird, Felicis invest $15m in Australia's Canva
Canva, an Australian online design platform, has raised a $15 million round of funding led by existing investors Felicis Ventures and Blackbird Ventures.
TA backs MBO of Goldman's Australia equities, fixed income unit
Mid-market private equity firm TA Associates is supporting a management buyout of Goldman Sachs Asset Management’s (GSAM) Australian equities and fixed income business.
Quadrant buys Australia's Great Southern Rail from Allegro
Australia’s Allegro Funds is set for a first exit from its second fund – which closed at A$180 million ($139 million) in June of last year – having agreed to sell a majority stake in Great Southern Rail (GSR) to Quadrant Private Equity.
Taiwan regulation: Forward views, sideways moves
The Taiwan government is attempting to reconcile its conservative tendencies with a need for innovation as the local venture capital industry marks mixed progress in filling an early-stage vacuum
Deal focus: HaloDoc targets healthcare access
A spin-out from domestic pharmaceutical players Mensa Group, Indonesian healthcare services app HaloDoc wants to make medication and doctor consultations more accessible to the masses
VC value-add: Operational gambit
As competition for VC deals intensifies in Asia and capital becomes commoditized, GPs are stressing their value-add credentials. Should we believe the hype?
Filipino rise demands a sharper focus – AVCJ Forum
Increased competition for private equity deals in the Philippines means investors must be more disciplined in their approach to transactions, according to industry participants at the AVCJ Philippines Forum.
India's Quikr buys VC-backed StayGlad
Indian classifieds site Quikr has bought StayGlad, an online marketplace for beauty services backed by Bessemer Venture Partners.
China used car platform Guazi finalizes $250m Series A round
Guazi.com, a China-based consumer-to-consumer (C2C) used car trading platform, has completed its $250 million Series A round of funding, which includes $204.5 million the company raised six months ago.