Investments
Tiger backs India's Open Financial at $1b valuation
Indian digital banking start-up Open Financial Technologies has received funding from Tiger Global Management, Temasek Holdings, 3one 4 Capital, and IIFL at a valuation of USD 1bn.
Deal focus: Laiye leverages European connections
M&A helped Chinese artificial intelligence start-up Laiye develop its product and gain a foothold in Europe. With more than USD 160m in Series C funding, the company is aggressively targeting global expansion
India's Turtlemint closes $120m Series D
Amansa Capital, Jungle Ventures, and Nexus Venture Partners have led a USD 120m Series E round for Indian online insurance broker Turtlemint, taking its valuation close to the USD 1bn mark.
Actis sells India renewables platform to Shell for $1.55b
Actis has sold Indian renewables platform Sprng Energy, including its flagship solar business Solenergi Power, to Shell Overseas investment for USD 1.55bn.
India grocery delivery start-up Zepto gets $200m
Zepto, an Indian grocery app that claims it can deliver food in 10 minutes, has raised a USD 200m round led by Y Combinator at a valuation of USD 900m.
China's VisionNav Robotics raises $80m
5Y Capital and Meituan, China’s leading online-to-offline services provider, have led a USD 80m Series C extension for VisionNav Robotics, a local manufacturer of driverless industrial vehicles.
Singapore's Neuron Mobility gets $43.5m
Singapore-based e-scooter rental start-up Neuron Mobility has raised USD 43.5m in Series B funding co-led by GSR Ventures and Square Peg Capital.
Singapore mRNA vaccine developer raises $140m
RVAC Medicines, a Singapore-based company involved in developing messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for COVID-19, has closed a Series B round that takes its overall funding to USD 140m.
China delivery player Gogox files for Hong Kong IPO
Gogox, a last-mile logistics company formed through the merger of Hong Kong's GoGoVan and an affiliate of mainland China-based 58.com, has filed to list in Hong Kong
KKR launches tender offer for Japan's Hitachi Transport System
KKR has launched a tender offer for Hitachi Transport Systems at a valuation of approximately JPY 749.5bn (USD 5.8bn) after agreeing to acquire parent company Hitachi’s controlling stake in the business.
Vulcan leads $65m Series B for Singapore's Bandlab
Vulcan Capital, an investment vehicle established by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has led a USD 65m Series B round for Singapore-based social music platform BandLab.
Deal focus: Goldman embraces Japan robotics
Rapyuta Robotics offers solutions flexible enough to plug into existing warehouse infrastructure and nurtures ambitions to create a cloud-based operating system. This was enough to win over Goldman Sachs
China RPA player Shadowbot raises $100m
Shadowbot, a China-based robotic process automation (RPA) service provider, has raised USD 100m in its Series C funding led by Goldman Sachs and an undisclosed corporate venture capital investor.
General Atlantic leads $300m Series D for Biofourmis
Biofourmis, a Singapore founded and now US-based operator of a health analytics platform, has achieved unicorn status with the closing of a USD 300m Series D round led by General Atlantic.
Vision Fund backs Japan's AI Medical Service
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a JPY 8bn (USD 70m) Series C funding round for AI Medical Service, a Tokyo-based medical technology company that has developed an artificial intelligence-enabled (AI) endoscopy diagnostic solution.
VIG buys Korean healthy beverage brand
VIG Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Teazen, a South Korean producer of tea-based health drinks, for approximately USD 70m.
Deal focus: KV Asia finds another way into PPE
Malaysia’s G.B. Industries is already a leading global player in the electrical personal protective equipment space. KV Asia aims to drive growth by professionalising the family-run business
Asia credit: Shift in the cycle
Private debt investors in Asia are mindful of mounting global risks, but they also see opportunities emerging within the region across the capital structure
China digital CRO Elixir raises $52m
Elixir, a China-based clinical research organisation (CRO), has raised a USD 52m Series A round from Lyfe Capital, Chow Tai Fook Investment, and Sinovation Ventures.
Venturi leads $55m Series C for Singapore's Believe
Venturi Partners, a consumer-focused investment firm established by a former Verlinvest executive in Asia, has led a USD 55m Series C round for Believe, a Singapore-based consumer products company aimed at Muslim consumers.
MSPEA buys control of Singapore-listed APAC Realty
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) as agreed to buy Northstar Group’s majority stake in APAC Realty, a Singapore-listed real estate services company in Asia, for SGD 129.5m (USD 94.2m).
Hong Kong e-commerce financier secures $250m in debt funding
Hong Kong-based FundPark, a VC-backed liquidity provider for e-commerce merchants, has received an asset-backed securitisation (ABS) facility of up to USD 250m from Goldman Sachs.
Dream Capital leads $120m Series A for India cricket NFT platform
Dream Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of India fantasy sports platform operator Dream Sports, has led a USD 120m Series A for Rario, a specialist in cricket-themed non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Japan's Hitachi mulls divestment of logistics unit
Hitachi has confirmed it may divest its logistics unit, Hitachi Transport System, following a report that KKR was poised to buy the asset for more than JPY 600bn (USD 4.69bn).