Investments
2Q analysis: Substituting China?
India and Southeast Asia come to the fore as China demonstrates weakness in both growth-stage investment and fundraising; exits continue to struggle amid reluctance from strategic buyers
Indonesia B2B agriculture marketplace gets $35m Series A
AgriAku, an Indonesia-based B2B marketplace that looks to improve agriculture supply chain efficiency for retailers of agricultural inputs, has raised USD 35m in Series A funding led by Alpha JWC Ventures.
Prosus leads $25m Series B for India's Vegrow
Prosus Ventures, a technology investment business controlled by Naspers, has led a USD 25m Series B round for Vegrow, an India-based marketplace that helps farmers sell their fruit crops into organised distribution channels.
China medical big data player Aden secures $30m
Aden Technology, a China-based medical big data company specialising in insurance, has raised an extended Series B round of CNY 200m (USD 30m) led by Haier Capital with participation from Xingtuo Capital.
Singapore blockchain gaming start-up gets $20m
Singapore’s Oasys, a blockchain technology developer focused on web3 gaming, has raised USD 20m from several specialist crypto investors.
Korean GP backs $1.5b buyout of US-listed Meridian Bioscience
SJL Partners, a Korea-based private equity firm that specialises in cross-border transactions, has teamed up with domestic in vitro diagnostics business SD Biosensor to acquire US-listed peer Meridian Bioscience for USD 1.53bn.
India fintech player Cred closes $140m Series F
Cred, an India-based credit card rewards provider, has closed a USD 140m Series F round that includes a secondary component intended to facilitate exits for existing investors.
Korea's Kakao considers partial divestment of mobility spin-out
South Korean internet giant Kakao has indicated it may sell around 10% of Kakao Mobility, its transportation division, which has several private equity backers.
Quadrant exits Australia underwear brand to Swedish strategic
Quadrant Private Equity has exited Australian hygiene apparel brand Modibodi to Swedish strategic Essity for AUD 140m (USD 96m).
Accel-KKR targets Australia-listed SaaS player Damstra
Damstra Technology, a listed Australian software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specialising in worker safety and risk management, has received an unsolicited buyout proposal from Accel-KKR.
Government funds support China's Dark Matter AI
Dmai, a Chinese cognitive artificial intelligence (AI) platform also known as Dark Matter AI, has raised RMB 500m (USD 75m) in the first tranche of a Series B round from five state-backed investors.
Blackstone backs Australia, US clean commodities platform
The Blackstone Group has led a USD 400m investment in Xpansiv, an Australia and US-based marketplace for trading clean commodities such as carbon offsets, renewable energy credits (RECs), and low-carbon fuels.
Australian start-up wins backing for spider venom drug
Infensa Bioscience, a newly established Brisbane-based drug developer, has raised AUD 23m (USD 15.6m) in funding to support the licensing of a nascent treatment that uses spider venom to mitigate heart attacks and strokes.
Deal focus: Carlyle targets consumerism in ceramics
The Carlyle Group, like many investors, sees premiumisation as a natural outcome of the expansion of India’s middle class. It could be the first to test this thesis in the local building materials industry
Deal focus: India’s Shubham sees opening to accelerate
Shubham believes its long-curated datasets and institutional memory differentiate it from a growing pack of low-income housing lenders. Global impact investors appear convinced
Australia tech: Valuation conundrum
Valuation adjustments and down rounds are expected to proliferate in Australia’s technology sector in the next 12 months. Investors are busy scrutinising business models for signs of vulnerability
Deal focus: Novel angle on mobile adoption gains traction
Cashify is leveraging and propelling India’s mobile penetration narrative at the most fundamental level. Adding tech to the secondhand smart phone space has allowed it to create a first-of-its-kind brand
Legend leads $150m Series E for China CRO ClinChoice
US and China-based clinical contract research organization (CRO) company ClinChoice has raised a USD 150m Series E round led by Legend Capital.
Singapore blockchain player Rubix raises $100m
Singapore-based crypto transaction infrastructure provider Rubix has raised USD 100m from US-based LDA Capital to transition into a more web3-oriented and “green blockchain” model.
PAG launches Asia renewables platform
PAG plans to commit more than USD 1bn to renewables over the next several years with the launch of a platform dedicated to the development, construction, and operation of projects in Asia.
China IC software player raises $81m
Semi-Tech, a China-based semiconductor manufacturing software provider, has raised CNY 540m (USD 81m) across two rounds - the second extended tranche of a Series A and a Series B.
Sequoia, Dayone back China solid state battery developer
China-based Enpower Greentech, which claims to be a pioneer in next-generation all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), has raised more than USD 20m in an extended Series A round led by Sequoia Capital China and Dayone Capital.
India start-up financier GetVantage raises $36m
GetVantage, a provider of revenue-based financing to Indian start-ups, has secured USD 36m in funding led by Varanium Nexgen Fintech Fund, DMI Sparkle Fund, Chiratae Ventures, and Dream Incubator Japan.
Arpwood leads acquisition of India's Sterling Hospitals
Indian private equity firm Arpwood Capital has led the acquisition of Sterling Addlife India, operator of the Sterling Hospitals chain, for an undisclosed sum.