Investments
Kirwood leads Series C for New Zealand fintech player
Kirwood Capital, a private equity firm that makes growth investments in Australia and New Zealand-based companies with global expansion prospects, has joined a NZ$25 million ($16 million) Series C round or digital lending platform Harmoney.
Naspers VC unit backs India's ElasticRun
Prosus Ventures, a VC unit of South African internet conglomerate Naspers, has led a $40 million investment in Indian logistics technology developer ElasticRun.
Quadrant wins board approval for buyout of Australia's QMS Media
Quadrant Private Equity has agreed to buy Australian outdoor advertising business QMS Media Group for an enterprise valuation of A$571.6 million ($392 million) through a scheme of arrangement.
Deal focus: China's XTransfer fills missing link in fintech
XTransfer has won backing from Alibaba and a string of venture capital investors to provide a bridge to payment services that so many small businesses in China are still forced to go without
Chinese VC in Africa: Cultural barriers
Chinese investors recognize the long-term potential in fostering technology-enabled business models in Africa, but reluctance to engage local stakeholders and develop local knowledge is holding them back
Hillhouse wins battle for China electronics player Gree
Hillhouse Capital has secured a 15% interest in Gree Electric Appliances, China's leading manufacturer of air conditioners, beating a consortium led by Hopu Investment.
Manulife secondaries business to target Asia
Manulife Investment Management will target Asia with a newly launched private markets secondary business.
India motorcycle taxi platform Rapido gets $55m Series B
Chinese early-stage investor Shunwei Capital Partners has participated in a Series B funding round for Indian motorcycle taxi operator Rapido, drawing comparisons with the growth trajectory of Indonesia’s Go-Jek.
Singapore marketing tech player Mobikon raises $12.5m
Mobikon, a Singapore-based marketing technology provider for the restaurant industry, has received a $12.5 million Series B round led by Binny Bansal, co-founder of Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart.
Qiming leads $21m Series C for Chinese lingerie brand
Neiwai, a Chinese lingerie brand, has achieved a valuation of more than RMB1 billion ($142 million) following a RMB150 million Series C round led by Qiming Venture Partners.
Goldman leads $62m Series D for China's Fountain Medical
Fountain Medical Development, a China-based contract research organization (CRO) that serves a global client base of drug developers, has received $62 million in Series D funding led by Goldman Sachs.
Deal focus: Cornell picks Lorom for Asia debut
Cornell Capital, a US-based mid-market buyout firm, is starting to realize its Asian ambitions with an investment in Taiwan-based industrial supplier Lorom Holding. Bolt-on expansions appear likely
Japan's J-Star forms media platform with three acquisitions
Japanese private equity firm J-Star has acquired three local internet media companies with a view to bundling them into an acquisition platform for the sector.
CDC backs Nepalese internet service provider
CDC Group has made its first equity investment in Nepal with a NPR1.35 billion ($12 million) commitment to WorldLink, the country’s largest private sector internet service provider.
China AI chatbot developer raises $45m
Emotibot, a Chinese provider of computer vision and emotional recognition solutions to e-commerce platforms, financial institutions, and call center operators, has raised $45 million in an extended Series B round of funding.
Huaxing, Hillhouse lead $50m round for China's Hetao 101
Hetao 101, a Chinese online education platform dedicated to computer programming for children, has raised $50 million in Series B funding.
Chinese online-offline retailer KK Group achieves unicorn status
Chinese retailer KK Group - formerly known as KK Guan - has raised a $100 million Series D led by an Alibaba Group-backed fund. N5 Capital, Matrix Partners China and Black Algae Capital all re-upped.
ARQ Capital backs Philippines dialysis business
ARQ Capital, a Philippines-based GP focused on the local small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, has invested an undisclosed sum in dialysis clinic operator Medline.
Portfolio: China Everbright and Terminus
China Everbright has turned a sub-scale consumer-facing smart door lock manufacturer into an internet-of-things platform catering to enterprise customers. Terminus is now building out its product base
Chinese enterprise software player Ekuaibao receives $50m
Ekuaibao, a Chinese software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specializing in corporate reimbursements, has raised $50 million in an extended Series C round.
Consumer hardware: Some assembly required
Consumer hardware is a cratered landscape in venture capital, and the risk-reward equation is not particularly well understood. New ways of looking at a traditional industry are needed
Alibaba-backed positioning service provider raises $141m Series A
Qianxun Spacial Intelligence or Qianxun SI, a high-precision positioning services provider, has raised RMB1 billion ($141 million) in a Series A funding round, taking its valuation past RMB13 billion.
Australia's Athena Home Loans gets $48m Series C
Australian financial technology start-up Athena Home Loans has raised A$70 million ($48 million) in Series C funding from a group of investors led by AustralianSuper.
Deal focus: Fast fashion strategy pays off for Worldtool
CLSA Capital Partners backed Japan's Worldtool having been won over by a Uniqlo-inspired business model. It turned into a domestic and overseas expansion story
