Investments
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.
Hera, DSG invest $4m in Singapore's SaladStop
Hera Capital and DSG Consumer Partners have committed S$5 million ($3.7 million) for a minority stake in Singapore-based restaurant chain SaladStop.
Deal focus: IVFA pushes Seedworks’ hybrid agenda
Hybrid rice has yet to achieve meaningful penetration of India's agriculture sector. India Value Fund Advisors is backing Seedworks International ride the expected growth wave
Profile: Myanmar Investments' Aung Htun
Myanmar Investments founder Aung Htun sees his latest venture as the culmination of his years spent finding a way forward in Asia by embracing the unorthodox
Australia VC: Interesting times
AirTree Ventures' successful fundraise underlines the growth interest in Australian venture capital, but the superannuation funds have yet to prove themselves to be a consistent source of capital
ABF’s China cane sugar business sold to PE-backed consortium
Associated British Foods (ABF), a UK-based food processing and retailing company, has agreed to sell its cane sugar business in southern China to a PE-backed consortium led by Shenzhen-listed Nanning Sugar Industry for RMB1.68 billion ($252 million).
China’s Sinovation Ventures raises $674m across two funds
Chinese early-stage VC firm Sinovation Ventures, formerly Innovation Works, has closed its third US dollar-denominated fund and second renminbi fund, with more than $674 million in aggregate commitments.
Australian marketing platform raises $7.5m for US expansion
Simple, an online marketing platform based in Australia, has raised A$10 million ($7.5 million) to support its expansion in the US.
Ex-NBA star Yao Ming's PE fund seals US kickboxing deal
Yao Capital, an investment firm co-founded by Chinese former NBA star Yao Ming, has invested in Singapore-based kickboxing programmer Glory Sports International. The deal includes a joint venture that will promote the sport in China.
Indonesia healthcare services app gets $11m Series A
Clermont Group, a Singapore-based private investment firm led by billionaire Richard Chandler, has led a Series A round worth $11 million for Indonesian healthcare services app HaloDoc.
IVFA buys India's Seedworks
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has bought a majority stake in India-based agricultural research firm Seedworks International.
China logistics software start-up raises $25m Series B round
OTMS, a China-based logistics software developer, has raised a $25 million Series B round led by Weixing Chen, founder of local ride-hailing app operator Kuaidi Dache.
Deal focus: Allegro to revamp Pizza Hut’s recipe
Allegro Funds plans new store expansion for Pizza Hut Australia, but first the GP and its management team partners will make operational improvements to the existing business
IFC, EMA Power invest $176m in Bangladesh's Summit
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has joined EMA Power Investment to invest $175.5 million in Bangladeshi independent power producer Summit Corporation (SCL).