Funds
Carlyle hires ex-Johnson & Johnson chair to advise Asia buyout
The Carlyle Group has hired Jesse Wu, the former chairman of Johnson & Johnson China, as a senior advisor to the firm’s Asia buyout team.
Tax law eased for Indian start-up investments
India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has implemented an exemption on income taxes for investments in some start-ups.
HighLight Capital leads $7.6m round for TCM play
Chinese healthcare-focused GP HighLight Capital has led a RMB50 million ($7.6 million) Series B round for Jun He Tang, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) business, followed by existing investor Qiming Venture Partners.
SAIF leads $12m round for India's ClearTax
SAIF Partners has led a $12 million Series A round for Indian online tax filing website ClearTax.
Sequoia leads $20m Series B for India's Voonik
Indian personalized fashion portal Voonik has raised a $20 million Series B round of funding led by existing investor Sequoia Capital.
China search giant Baidu launches $303m media fund
Baidu, China's leading internet search provider, has set up a RMB2 billion ($303 million) fund that will support the production of at least 30 movies over the next two years.
Pavilion invests $5.8m in Japan’s Soracom
Pavilion Capital, a private equity unit of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has committed JPY600 million ($5.8 million) to Japanese internet-of-things (IoT) company Soracom.
China parenting site Beibei raises further $100m
Beibei, a Chinese maternal and infant products e-commerce platform, has raised $100 million in a new round of funding led by existing investors Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC) and New Horizon Capital.
India's Lok Capital reaches $40m first close on third fund
Indian venture capital firm Lok Capital has reached a first close of $40.5 million for its third fund, which is targeting a $100 million total corpus within 12-18 months.
China's Fenqile receives $235m in Series D funding
Fenqile, a Chinese installment payment platform, has received $235 million from investors including Huasheng Capital, CoBuilder Partners and an unnamed Chinese insurance company.
KKR to buy Korean retailer Kim's Club - report
KKR has agreed to buy Korean luxury grocery chain Kim's Club from its owner, Korean retail conglomerate E-Land Group.
Carlyle appoints new Australia, New Zealand buyout head - update
The Carlyle Group has promoted David Bluff to managing director and head of its buyout team in Australia and New Zealand. He was previously a director with the firm.
Hamilton Lane closes $210m global credit fund
Hamilton Lane has raised $210 million for a credit-focused strategic opportunities fund, exceeding the initial target of $150 million.
Q&A: J-Star's Gregory Hara
Gregory Hara, CEO and managing partner of J-Star, discusses the global opportunities available for smaller Japanese manufacturers and the importance of setting clear goals for portfolio companies
Golden Gate closes $60m SE Asia VC fund
Singapore-based Golden Gate Ventures has closed its second early-stage venture fund focused on Southeast Asia at $60 million.
H&Q leads $30m round for Chinese car rental site Huizuche
H&Q Asia Pacific has led a RMB200 million ($30 million) Series B round of funding for Huizuche.com, a Chinese car rental platform for outbound tourists.
Japan VC: Outbound ambition
Japanese start-ups are looking to address global markets from day one, but few domestic venture capital firms are equipped to support cross-border strategies. Corporate VCs could provide the solution
Singapore's CapitaLand launches VC unit
Singapore real estate developer CapitaLand has set up a dedicated VC unit – known as C31 Ventures – to support global tech start-ups. This comes after the company received funding under the early stage venture fund program (ESVF) to make investments...
US AR specialist Meta raises $50m for China expansion
US-based augmented reality (AR) start-up Meta has raised a $50 million Series B round of funding from Chinese investors Tencent Holdings, Lenovo and Banyan Capital. They will support the company's expansion in China.
China’s Chenhui Capital, Lancy Group launch Sino-Korean fund
Chinese GP Chenhui Venture Partners have teamed up with one of its LP – Shenzhen-listed company Lancy Group – to create a Sino-South Korea PE fund that will invest in consumer and technology companies.
China online sports platform Banana Games raises $23m
Banana Games Media, a Chinese electronic sports platform founded by Xicong Wang, the son of Chinese billionaire Jianlin Wang, has raised a RMB150 million ($23 million) Series A round of funding from IDG Capital Partners.
Australia's Starfish in $17.5m China push for US marketing company
Australian VC firm Starfish Ventures has joined a $17.5 million round for Aktana, a US and Japan-based marketing services provider looking to consolidate its Asian footprint.
CDC commits $10m to South Asia impact investor
The DFID Impact Fund, a social impact investment vehicle managed by UK-based development finance institution CDC, has made its first investment in South Asia, committing $10 million to the Insitor Impact Asia Fund.
Microsoft, Salesforce lead $23m round for India's Helpshift
Microsoft Ventures and Salesforce Ventures have led a $23 million Series B round for Indian customer service platform Helpshift.