Investments
China industrial robotics start-up raises $61m
Youshan Capital and China Merchants Capital have led a RMB395 million ($61 million) Series B round for Han's Robot, a China-based manufacturer of industrial robots.
Investcorp leads Series D for China healthcare SaaS player
Linkedcare, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) and supply chain provider to China's healthcare sector, has closed a Series D funding round. Including an earlier Series C extension, the company claims to have raised $100 million in the past six months.
Philippines-based fintech player Voyager raises $167m
Voyager Innovations, a Philippines financial technology company, has raised $167 million in funding from new and existing investors that will support the development of its PayMaya payments service.
Hong Kong industrial AI start-up raises $200m
SmartMore, a Hong Kong-headquartered artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision start-up, has achieved unicorn status after raising $200 million in Series B funding.
Tiger Global leads $35m Series C for India's Classplus
Tiger Global Management has led a $65 million Series C round for Classplus, an India-based education technology platform through which teachers can distribute, track, and monetize content.
Redbird Capital buys stake in Indian cricket team
RedBird Capital Partners, a US investment firm that has backed numerous sports franchises globally, has made its first foray into cricket by picking up a 15% stake in Indian Premier League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals.
NewQuest exits BPO business to US GP
NewQuest Capital Partners is exiting Integreon, a business process outsourcing (BPO) provider with a significant Asia footprint to US private equity firm EagleTree Capital.
China VCs bullish on SaaS - AVCJ webinar
Software-as-a-service (Saas) has emerged as the biggest investment opportunity in China's technology sector, venture capitalists told AVCJ's China outlook webinar.
Australia carbon neutral courier raises $35m Series C
Sendle, an Australia-based package delivery provider for small businesses that claims to be 100% carbon neutral, has raised a $35 million Series C round led by local investor AP Ventures.
Nippon Investment acquires Japan wine brand
Japanese private equity firm Nippon Investment Corporation (NIC) has acquired the local subsidiary of Germany-based winemaker and distributor Pieroth for an undisclosed sum.
OTPP leads $154m round for Chinese microfinance player
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) has led a RMB1 billion ($153 million) funding round for CD Finance, a China-based provider of loans and other financial services to small businesses in rural areas.
Hong Kong crypto player Amber raises $100m
Hong Kong crypto financial services provider Amber Group has raised a $100 million Series B round led by China Renaissance. It is said to value the company at $1 billion.
Korea's Viva Republica raises $405m at $7.2b valuation
Viva Republica, operator of the Korean money transfer app Toss, has raised a KRW460 billion ($404 million) round led by US-based Alkeon Capital, at a valuation of around $7.2 billion.
KKR impact fund backs Australasian edtech player
KKR’s global impact investment fund has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Australia and New Zealand-based Education Perfect, a provider of digital teaching and learning toolkits for schools, at a valuation of NZ$455 million ($320 million).
Warburg Pincus leads Series C for China AI drug developer
Insilico Medicine, which leverages artificial intelligence (AI) technology to speed up the drug development process, has closed a $255 million Series C funding round led by Warburg Pincus.
PE investors agree $5.7b 51job take-private
A consortium led by DCP Capital Partners has finalized terms for a $5.7 billion privatization of US-listed Chinese online recruitment platform 51job.
Portfolio: Mandala Capital and EFRAC
Mandala Capital is helping Indian food and pharma testing laboratory EFRAC distinguish itself against a field of ragtag competitors. Personnel, networks, and technology are the critical inputs
Deal focus: Australia’s ENA hits COVID-19 in the nose
Australian investors see hope in ENA Respiratory, a nasal spray specialist aiming to complement global COVID-19 vaccine programs with an immune system-boosting product
Japan activists: Enablers or destabilizers?
The corporate governance scandal at Toshiba underlines the increasing influence of activist investors in Japan. For private equity firms, there are two sides to the coin
Deal focus: Content to the masses
Xiaoe Tong gained traction during the pandemic in China as channel for educational content providers, big and small, to reach their customers. It is also a SaaS player that stands firm on product standardization
Quadrant buys Australia's Affinity Education from Anchorage
Quadrant Private Equity has acquired Australia-based childcare business Affinity Education from Anchorage Capital Partners for A$650 million ($490 million).
KKR buys controlling stake in India's Vini Cosmetics
KKR has agreed to pay $625 million for a controlling stake in Vini Cosmetics, a leading branded personal care and beauty products company in India.
Singapore gene therapy start-up closes $24m Series A
Nuevocor, a preclinical biotech company specializing in gene therapy for heart disease, has closed an oversubscribed Series A round with $24 million in commitments.
Apis leads $45m Series C for India's RenewBuy
Apis Partners has led a $45 million Series C round for RenewBuy, an India insurance comparison platform specializing in motor insurance.