Investments
HESTA backs PEP-owned Australia software business
HESTA has acquired a A$120 million ($85 million) equity stake in Australian enterprise software and IT services provider Citadel, following its merger with medical practice software specialist Genie Solutions.
Secondaries supply-demand mismatch most extreme in Asia - AVCJ Forum
There is not enough capital in Asia to address the number of secondary opportunities – mirroring the situation globally – with investors claiming to have more transaction choices than ever before.
China GPU chip designer secures $313m Series A
Moore Threads, a Chinese chip designer established 13 months ago by a team from Nvidia, has closed Series A at RMB2 billion ($313 million) led by Shanghai Guosheng Capital, 5Y Capital, and a BOC International fund.
Bain leads $69m Series C for Japan's Linc'well
Bain Capital has led a JPY8 billion ($69 million) Series C round for Linc’well, a Japan-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that caters to medical institutions.
KKR backs Southeast Asia K-12 schools business
KKR has acquired a minority interest in the K-12 schools business of Taylor’s Education Group (TEG), one of the largest private education providers in Malaysia.
RedBird joins $840m round for India's Dream Sports
RedBird Capital Partners, a US investment firm that has extensive sport exposure and several months ago picked up a stake in an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, has co-led a $840 million round for local fantasy sports platform Dream Sports.
India's NoBroker joins unicorn club
General Atlantic, Tiger Global Management, and Moore Strategic Ventures have participated in a $210 million Series E round for Indian real estate marketplace NoBroker at a valuation of $1 billion.
K1, Level Equity invest $350m in Australia SaaS player
US private equity firms K1 Investment Management and Level Equity have invested about $350 million in Australia’s Simpro, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider focused on field service management.
Singapore bio-plastics developer RWDC raises $95m
Singapore’s RWDC Industries, a developer of biodegradable plastics, has raised a $95.1 million round led by Temasek Holdings and Vickers Venture Partners.
China ocular drugs developer raises $63m
China’s Neurophth Biotechnology, a gene therapy developer for ocular diseases, has raised a RMB400 million ($63 million) Series C round led by SDIC China Merchants Investment and Sequoia Capital China.
Microsoft VC unit leads $22m round for India’s SalesKen
M12, Microsoft’s VC arm, has led a $22 million Series B round for SalesKen, an Indian enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) provider focused on sales-related services.
Deal focus: Orchestra delivers pizza to Seoul
Banolim has become Korea’s fourth-largest pizza delivery business largely on the back of savvy marketing and expansion in lower-tier cities. Orchestra Private Equity is supporting a rollout in Seoul
Deal focus: Icon retains its private equity appeal
EQT’s $1.67 billion acquisition of Icon Group underscores the recent trend in large-cap buyouts, as well as the long-term growth potential for cancer care specialists in Australia and the wider Asian region
Deal focus: Quiet confidence persists in hydrogen power
H3 Dynamics is bringing hydrogen-powered delivery drones to Asia’s crammed megacities as a steppingstone to a cleaner aviation sector. This is a sweet spot for Hong Kong’s Audacy Ventures
Key takeaways: Apollo Global Management’s Marc Rowan
High valuations, pursuing complexity, and eradicating write-offs were on the agenda when Marc Rowan, co-founder and CEO of Apollo Global Management, spoke at the AVCJ Forum. Here are some highlights
Singapore BNPL player Pace gets $40m Series A
Singapore’s Pace Enterprise, a one-year-old start-up in the fast-growing buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financial services niche, has raised a $40 million Series A round from a pan-Asian mix of VC firms.
Warburg Pincus backs China new materials business
Ambilight, a China-based new materials company focused on electrochromic (EC) components, has raised several hundred million dollars in Series C funding led by Warburg Pincus.
India e-commerce industry financier raises $20m
Velocity, an Indian start-up that provides growth capital to e-commerce brands, has raised a $20 million Series A round led by Valar Ventures, a firm set up by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
EQT buys Australia cancer care business from PE consortium
Goldman Sachs Asset Management, QIC, and Pagoda Investment – a China-focused GP set up by a former QIC executive – have agreed to sell Australia cancer care provider Icon Group to EQT for a reported valuation of A$2.3 billion ($1.67 billion).
Carlyle acquires Korean cafe operator, Anchor Equity exits
The Carlyle Group has acquired A Twosome Place, a Korea-based café operator with more than 1,400 stores nationwide, from Anchor Equity Partners.
Investors emphasize GP-LP alignment - AVCJ Forum
Eroding the alignment of interest between GP and LP – by tweaking the partnership structure, a manager overstretching to pursue multiple strategies, or conflicts emerging over secondaries – could harm returns at a time when valuations are already...
Airwallex adds $100m to Series E at $5.5b valuation
Hong Kong-based cross-border payments provider Airwallex has received a $100 million Series E extension led by Lone Pine Capital at a valuation of $5.5 billion.
Xiaomi invests $70m in China LiDAR specialist Hesai
Xiaomi Industrial Investment Fund, a vehicle controlled by smart devices brand Xiaomi, has invested $70 million in Hesai Technology, a China-based developer of sensors used in autonomous driving.
Australia's Allegro hits overall target with Fund IV first close
Allegro Funds, an Australia-based turnaround specialist, has reached a first close of A$600 million ($449 million) on its fourth fund, hitting the overall target for the vehicle.