Funds
Taiwan regulator allows VC firms to list domestically
Taiwan’s Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) has issued guidelines for Taiwan-based venture capital firms to pursue onshore IPOs.
Partners Group, Kedaara to buy unit from India's Au Financiers
A joint venture between Kedaara Capital and Partners Group has agreed to buy Au Housing, the mortgage arm of Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Au Financiers.
Kalaari leads $4m round for India’s RKSV Securities
Kalaari Capital has led an INR270 million ($4 million) Series A round for RKSV Securities, a Mumbai-based online stock trading firm.
India's VC-backed Oyo Rooms acquires rival Zo Rooms
Oyo Rooms, an India-based budget hotel booking app backed by SoftBank Corp. and other VCs, has acquired industry rival Zo Rooms, which counts Tiger Global Management as an investor.
IMJ targets $53m for Japan venture fund
Singapore-based IMJ Investment Partners has raised JPY2 billion ($17.7 million) for a venture capital fund that will back start-ups in Japan. The full target is JPY6 billion.
China tightens domestic private fund supervision
The Asset Management Association of China (AMAC), a self-regulatory organization for the PE industry set up by the securities watchdog, has tightened rules on domestic fund managers’ registration, with a view to cracking down on financial scams.
Rocket Internet raises $31.4m for property portal
Emerging markets property portal Lamudi has raised EUR29 million ($31.4 million) from its main backer, Germany's Rocket Internet, and several additional investors.
Japan's SBI to lead Series B for US bitcoin exchange Kraken
SBI Investment, the VC arm of Japan's SBI Holdings, has agreed to lead a Series B round for US-based bitcoin exchange Kraken.
Singapore's EDBI, TAL Education in $52m round for US-based Knewton
New York-based adaptive learning system developer Knewton has raised $52 million from a consortium of investors including EDBI - the corporate VC arm of Singapore's Economic Development Board - and Chinese education company TAL Education Group.
VC-backed China bus service start-up raises $26m
Dada Bus, a mobile-enabled provider of bus services in China, has raised RMB173 million ($26 million) in a round led by a Shenzhen-listed construction materials manufacturing company.
Alibaba leads $793.5m round for US-based Magic Leap
Chinese internet giant Alibaba Group has led a $793.5 million Series C round for Magic Leap, a Florida-based augmented and virtual reality (VR) technology developer.
China Merchants Bank leads $102m round for Boqii.com
China Merchants Bank has led a $102 million Series C round of funding for Boqii.com, a Chinese social network and e-commerce platform for pet owners.
Wipro Ventures leads $4m round for India's Altizon
Wipro Ventures, the strategic investment arm of Indian technology company Wipro Group, has led a $4 million Series A round for internet development platform provider Altizon Systems.
Hong Kong: Start-up central
Hong Kong ranks low in a new study of global start-up ecosystems, but has the potential to fly high. A mixture of policy, patience and positive attitude is required
India VC: Smooth waters ahead?
India’s government has made promising signals about its willingness to engage the venture capital community. GPs are optimistic, but reservations remain about the details
Q&A: KKR's David Liu and Ming Lu
David Liu and Ming Lu, who head up KKR’s private equity operations in Asia, discuss dislocation in China and its neighboring markets, engineering cross-border deal flow, and how GPs can differentiate themselves
Fund focus: SBCVC moves with the times in China
Having raised $459 million for its latest venture capital fund, SBCVC is tracking the latest developments in China technology with a focus on robotics and advanced industrial applications
Navis sells Guardian Early Learning to Partners Group
Partners Group has bought a controlling stake in Australian early childhood education provider Guardian Early Learning Group from Navis Capital Partners at a post-deal valuation of A$440 million ($313 million)
Innovation Works approved to list on China’s New Third Board
Innovation Works, a Chinese early-stage VC firm founded by ex-Google China head Kai-Fu Lee, has been approved to list on the National Equities Exchange and Quotations (NEEQ), an over-the-counter (OTC) market also known as the New Third Board.
Hong Kong is world's fifth fastest-growing start-up ecosystem – study
Hong Kong's start-up ecosystem is expanding rapidly from a low base and was the fifth fastest-growing ecosystem globally last year, according to a new report.
EQT buys Hong Kong social compliance assessment business
EQT Partners has bought a majority stake in Hong Kong-based social compliance assessment and improvement service Elevate.
Venturra leads $12m round for Malaysia's KFit
Venturra Capital has led a $12 million Series A round for Malaysia-based gym membership app KFit.
VC-backed China healthcare platform raises $20m
We Doctor Group, a Chinese online healthcare information portal formerly known as Guahao.com, has raised a further $20 million from Shanghai-listed property developer Shandong Tyan Home.
Sequoia closes fifth India fund at $920m
Sequoia Capital has closed its latest India fund – which has a minority allocation to Southeast Asia – at $920 million, comprising an $875 million institutional corpus and a GP commitment of $45 million.