Investments
Blackstone agrees $6.3b buyout of Australian casino operator
Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has agreed to an acquisition by The Blackstone Group at an equity valuation of AUD 8.9bn (USD 6.34bn), ending a nearly one-year pursuit.
Longreach expands Japan coffee shop footprint
The Longreach Group has completed a third investment in Japan’s coffee shop space with the acquisition of Pokka Create Corporation, which operates more than 200 stores under the Café de Crie brand.
Philippines digital bank Tonik raises $131m
Mizuho Bank has led a USD 131m Series B round for Philippines digital bank Tonik with support from Sequoia Capital India and Prosus Ventures.
Legend leads $63m round for China's Hoteam Software
Legend Capital has led a CNY 400m (USD 63m) Series C round for Chinese industrial software supplier Hoteam Software
India logistics player Xpressbees raises $300m
The Blackstone Group, TPG Capital, and ChrysCapital Partners have participated in a USD 300m round for Xpressbees, an Indian logistics start-up established by the team behind mother-and-baby retailer FirstCry.
India B2B e-commerce player ElasticRun hits $1.5b valuation
Unicorn creation continues apace in India, with B2B e-commerce marketplace ElasticRun becoming the seventh company to achieve a USD 1bn since the start of the year, following the close of a USD 300m Series E round.
Korea autonomous driving tech supplier raises $20m
Morai, a Korean autonomous vehicle simulation technology supplier, has raised USD 20m in Series B funding from investors including Korea Investment Partners and Hyundai Motor Group.
India virtual events platform gets $35m Series B
Airmeet, a US-headquartered and Asia-focused virtual events platform with extensive operations in India, has raised USD 35m in Series B funding featuring Sequoia Capital India.
Proterra establishes Asian oat milk brand
Proterra Investment Partners, a private equity firm that targets natural resources like food and agriculture, has launched an oat milk brand for the Asian market.
India blockchain player Polygon gets $450m
Sequoia Capital India has led a USD 450m investment in Polygon, an Indian platform for building, scaling and connecting Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks.
India BNPL start-up Mintifi raises $40m Series C
Norwest Venture Partners and Elevation Capital have led a USD 40m Series C round for Indian B2B buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform Mintifi.
India's Kedaara creates digital services platform
India’s Kedaara Capital is forming an outsourced digital services platform through the merger of Gavs Technologies and Great Software Laboratory (GS Lab), having acquired majority interests in the two companies over the past three months.
KKR leads $180m round for Singapore's Livspace
KKR has led a USD 180m round for Singapore-based omnichannel home interiors renovation platform Livspace at a valuation of at least USD 1bn.
Asia agglomeration: Strength in numbers?
PE-backed agglomeration platforms are looking to buy up consumer brands in Asia with a view to leveraging the might of the collective. The model requires discipline in selection and execution
Deal focus: NPX adds tech to Korea’s culture thesis
NPX Capital is creating a US-based media platform to tap rising global appetite for Korean entertainment. Early acquisitions emphasise artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the metaverse
Deal focus: Fourier brings robotics to rehab
China-based Fourier will use its USD 63m Series D round to support an evolution of its business model from manufacturing rehabilitation robots to providing end-to-end treatment services
China's Taichi Graphics raises $50m
Taichi Graphics, a China-based 3D digital content creation platform has raised a USD 50m Series A led by Source Code Capital, GGV Capital and BAI. Existing investor Sequoia Capital China re-upped.
Affirma buys Singapore preschool chain
Affirma Capital has acquired Singaporean premium preschool operator Little Paddington for an undisclosed sum.
VCs invest in Japan sports analytics start-up
Global Brain has joined a JPY 770m (USD 7m) pre-Series B round for Japan’s Run.Edge, a sports video search and analytics platform.
Apollo commits $125m to India's Hero FinCorp
Apollo Global Management has invested USD 125m in Hero FinCorp, an Indian non-banking financial company (NBFC) controlled by local two-wheeler manufacturer Hero Motorcorp.
Tiger Global leads $40m round for India's Loadshare
Tiger Global Management has led a INR 3bn (USD 40m) Series C round for Indian logistics platform LoadShare.
India edtech player Scaler raises $55m
Lightrock India has led a USD 55m Series B round for Scaler Academy, an Indian education technology start-up that operates an upskilling platform focused on IT professionals.
China second-hand luxury goods platform Ponhu raises $45m
Ponhu, a China-based second-hand goods trading platform specialising in the luxury segment, has raised USD 45m in an extended Series C round led by Hedgestone Capital.
India's Chargebee gets $250m, valuation more than doubles
Tiger Global Management and Sequoia Capital India have co-led a USD 250m round for Indian financial technology provider Chargebee, more than doubling its valuation in 10 months to USD 3.5bn.