Investments
Allianz leads $75m round for Hong Kong's WeLab
Allianz Group has led a $75 million round for Hong Kong’s WeLab with a view to helping the financial technology provider develop new insurance and investment products.
FountainVest leads $100m round for China's Ushopal
FountainVest Partners has led a $100 million funding round for Ushopal, a China-focused e-commerce platform that sources global luxury brands for the high-end consumer market.
China LiDAR specialist Innovusion raises $60m
Innovusion, a Chinese developer of LiDAR technology used in autonomous driving, has raised $60 million in funding. The company is best known as a supplier to domestic electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio.
TA backs Australia ETF manager BetaShares
TA Associates has added to its Australia and New Zealand financial services portfolio with an investment in BetaShares, an Australia-based exchange-traded fund (ETF) manager.
Korea biotech start-up gets $44.5m pre-IPO round
Korea’s Standigm, which provides artificial intelligence (AI) systems to biotech operators, has raised a $44.5 billion pre-IPO round led by SKS Private Equity and Daishin Privat Equity.
Odyssey backs Australia mountain bike business
Odyssey Private Equity has acquired a significant stake in MTB Direct (MTBD), an Australia-based online retailer specializing in mountain bikes, replacement parts, and cycling clothing and accessories.
Indonesia's Sicepat secures $170m Series B
Indonesian logistics start-up Sicepat has raised a $170 million Series B round from investors including Temasek Holdings’ growth-stage PE unit Pavilion Capital.
Buyout funds: Growth paradigm
Most traditional large-cap buyout funds have become hybrids in Asia, taking minority stakes in businesses to generate deal flow in certain markets and to harness regional growth trends
Japan space robotics start-up gets $17m
Gitai, a Japanese start-up developing a humanoid general-purpose work robot for use in space, has secured a JPY1.8 billion ($17 million) Series B round from local VCs.
Chinese GPU chip designer raises $186m
Iluvatar CoreX, a Shanghai-based computing chip designer has raised RMB1.2 billion ($186 million) in Series C funding led by Cedarlake Capital and Centurium Capital.
Deal focus: ANE Logistics targets attractive middle
China’s less-than-truckload logistics market, which sits in between express couriers and big truck operators, is ripe for consolidation. GPs have identified their favored players
India direct secondaries: Footprint freefall
A darker mood for Chinese investors in India is stirring expectations for a wave of direct secondary opportunities
PAG acquires Australia's Unispace
PAG Asia Capital has acquired Australia-based Unispace with a view to expanding the office design and construction consultancy across Asia.
VCs commit $50m to China's Medilink Therapeutics
Suzhou Medilink Therapeutics, a Chinese biotech company specializing in antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) commonly used as targeted therapies for treating cancer, has raised $50 million in Series A funding across two tranches.
Australia's Employment Hero gets $35m Series D
Australian online human resources services start-up Employment Hero has raised A$45 million ($35 million) in Series D funding led by domestic recruitment business Seek.
Singapore food tech start-up raises $10m seed round
Singapore-based Next Gen, which markets a vegetarian chicken brand called Tindle, has raised $10 million in what is being called the largest-ever seed round in the food tech space.
Lunar buys majority stake in Hong Kong IVF business
Chinese middle-market buyout firm Lunar has agreed to acquire a women’s health and IVF business from Mason Group, a Hong Kong conglomerate with interests in financial services and healthcare, for HK$268 million ($34.5 million).
Hillhouse launches China sports retail JV with US-based Fanatics
Hillhouse Capital has established a China joint venture with Fanatics, a US-based sports retailer that specializes in licensed sports apparel.
Blackbird, King River lead Series B for Australia's Lexer
Blackbird Ventures and King River Capital have led a A$33.5 million ($26 million) Series B investment in Australian retail industry data services provider Lexer.
China EV battery maker raises $542m Series A
Svolt Energy Technology, formerly the battery business unit of Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor, has raised a RMB3.5 billion ($542 million) Series A round featuring a string of government-linked investors.
Tiger leads $100m Series C for India's Infra.Market
Tiger Global Management has led a $100 million Series C round for India’s Infra.Market, valuing the construction materials marketplace at $1 billion.
VCs flock to Chinese chip designer Moore Threads
Moore Threads, a Chinese chip designer established as recently as last October by a team from Nvidia, has closed two funding rounds amounting to several billion renminbi.
FountainVest buys China logistics business
FountainVest Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in China-based CJ Rokin Logistics from Korea’s CJ Logistics for KRW733.8 billion ($661.3 million).
Everstone exits India bakery business
Everstone Capital has exited Indian bread brand Modern Foods to a local subsidiary of Grupo Bimbo, a global strategic headquartered in Mexico, for an undisclosed sum.