Investments
Brookfield buys Hong Kong's Trimco from Affinity - update
Affinity Equity Partners has sold Hong Kong-headquartered garment label manufacturer Trimco Group to Brookfield Asset Management, for an enterprise value of USD 850m.
GSV leads $45m round for India's Simplilearn
GSV Ventures has led a USD 45m round for Indian education technology provider Simplilearn. The Blackstone Group acquired 70% of the company last year for USD 250m.
Bain buys Japan fashion business
Bain Capital has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Mash Group, a Japan-based fashion label, for an undisclosed sum.
Blackstone pursues $359m take-private of India's R Systems
The Blackstone Group has agreed to acquire a majority stake in India-based IT services provider R Systems International at a valuation of INR 29.04bn (USD 359m) and moved to delist the company.
China investors plan to step up activity – AVCJ Forum
Investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum that they are looking to accelerate their pace of investment in China next year despite economic and regulatory challenges.
GPs seek alternatives in absence of US IPOs – AVCJ Forum
Private markets investors have responded to the drop-off in US IPO activity by exploring listings within Asia, while M&A is expected to play a more important role, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
Uncertainty prompts deal financing discipline – AVCJ Forum
Large-cap buyout investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum they are hesitating to underwrite higher returns as debt terms tighten in cloudier market conditions.
Australia cultured meat start-up gets $49m Series A
Blackbird and Prosperity7 Ventures, a unit of Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco, have led a USD 49.2m Series A round for Australian cell-cultured meat company Vow.
TPG's Coulter calls for patience, perspective amid 'great reset' - AVCJ Forum
James Coulter, executive chairman and founding partner of TPG, told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum that the current “great reset” represents one of the most interesting periods in his career, although he advised investors to look beyond immediate...
China automotive industry supplier Kasco raises $72m
Kasco, a China-based air suspension supplier for passenger vehicles, has closed a Series B round of CNY 510m (USD 72m) led by an investment arm of CRRC Group, China State-Owned Venture Capital Fund, Source Code Capital, and Shenzhen Capital Group.
India fintech player Lentra gets $60m Series B
India’s Lentra, a financial technology provider focused on cloud-based lending, has raised USD 60m in Series B funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners and SIG Venture Capital.
BPEA EQT, Blackstone, PEP claim top prizes at AVCJ Awards
Baring Private Equity Asia – now BPEA EQT – retained the large-cap firm of the year prize at the 2022 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards as it, Pacific Equity Partners (PEP), and The Blackstone Group claimed two victories apiece.
Glenwood invests $514m in Hanwha's advanced materials unit
Korean carve-out specialist Glenwood Private Equity has agreed to acquire a significant minority stake in the advanced materials unit of Hanwha Solutions, a listed subsidiary of Hanwha Group, for an enterprise valuation of KRW 680bn (USD 514.2m).
KKR leads $48m Series C for Indonesia's Privy
KKR has led a USD 48m Series C round for Privy, an Indonesia-based company that specialises in technology for providing legally binding digital signatures.
Fortress to buy Sogo & Seibu from Japan's Seven & i
Seven & i Holdings, a Japanese retail conglomerate best known as the parent company of 7-Eleven, has agreed to sell department store operator Sogo & Seibu to Fortress Investment Group.
Singapore's Speeddoc gets $28m pre-Series B round
Bertelsmann Investments, Shinhan Venture investment, Mars Growth and Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India have participated in a USD 28m pre-Series B round for Singapore virtual healthcare platform Speedoc.
Australia's Perpetual rejects improved BPEA EQT, Regal bid
BPEA EQT – formerly Baring Private Equity Asia – and Regal Partners have increased their offer for Australia-based asset manager Perpetual only for the target company’s board to reject them once again.
Japan-based microfinance player gets $47m Series E
Gojo & Company, a Japan-headquartered microfinance institution that operates across Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Cambodia, India, and Tajikistan, has raised USD 47.6m in Series E funding.
Investcorp leads $66m round for India dental chain
Investcorp has led a INR 5.45bn (USD 66.7m) investment in Global Dental Services (GDS), an India-based dental clinic chain that claims to be the largest business of its type in Asia and one of the top 15 globally.
Local investors pump $54m into China's Rokid
Rokid, a China-based company specialising in augmented reality (AR) technology, has raised CNY384m（USD53mn）across two tranches, largely from state-linked investors.
China AR start-up with celebrity founder raises $55m
Meituan investment unit Dragonball Capital has led a CNY 400m (USD 55m) angel round for Thin Red Line, a China-based start-up that provides operating systems for augmented reality (AR) glasses.
Carlyle pursues take-private of Japan's Totoku Electric
The board of Japan-based electric wire manufacturer Totoku Electric has endorsed a tender offer from The Carlyle Group that values the company at approximately JPY 38.2bn (USD 261m).
China to Singapore: A VC invasion
Chinese venture capital firms are establishing and expanding operations in Singapore in response to challenges at home and to address the Southeast Asian market. Do they have staying power?
China battery maker WeLion secures $207m Series D
Beijing WeLion New Energy Technology, a China-based manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, has raised CNY 1.5bn (USD 207m) in Series D funding led by Chengtong State-Owned Enterprises Mixed Ownership Reform Fund.