Funds
Blume Ventures in $30m first close on second India fund
Blume Ventures has reached a first close of more than $30 million on its second India early-stage fund. The vehicle has a full target of $60 million.
Bain closes third Asian fund at hard cap
Bain Capital has closed its third Asian fund at the hard cap of $3 billion plus a GP commitment of at least $250 million. The fundraising process has taken approximately seven months.
China cloud-computing provider UnitedStack raises Series C
UnitedStack, which claims to be the first OpenStack-enabled cloud computing provider in China, has received a Series C round of funding of undisclosed size from Sequoia Capital.
China online ticketing sites Weiying Times, Gewara to merge
Chinese movie ticket-booking platforms Beijing Weiying Times Technology and Gewara – both of which have received several rounds of funding from VC and strategic investors – have agreed to merge.
Fund focus: Plugging the innovation gap
First State Super teams up with local VC player H2 Ventures to back Australia financial technology start-ups
2015 in review: Capital in abundance
Ample liquidity and a tech boom drive up investment activity; venture takes center stage in a relatively quiet fundraising environment; exits do not disappoint, but fail to match the highs of 2014.
Five trends for 2016
What do the next 12 months have in store? AVCJ has some ideas, but first here is a review of the predictions made for 2015…
China's Cowin Capital to exit jewelry retailer Myray
Shenzhen Cowin Capital is poised to exit jewelry retailer Myray to Gansu Gangtai Holdings following the Shanghai-listed company's agreement to buy a further 36.96% of Myray for RMB170 million ($26 million).
China Phoenix TV's online finance platform secures $80m
Fengjr.com, an online finance platform created by Chinese television broadcaster Phoenix Satellite TV, has raised an $80 million Series A round led by CITIC Asset Management and CASH Capital – the VC arm of the state-owned Chinese Academy of Sciences...
WuXi Healthcare closes second Sino-US VC fund at $290m
WuXi Healthcare Ventures, a corporate venture arm owned by China-based WuXi PharmaTech, has closed its second early-stage healthcare fund at $290 million, exceeding the target of $200 million.
Formation 8 leads round for Korea's Yello Mobile
Formation 8 has re-upped in South Korean mobile internet company Yello Mobile, leading a $47.2 million financing round. The capital will be used to strengthen the company’s business domestically and across Asia.
Blackstone raises $18b for latest global fund
The Blackstone Group has reached a final close on its latest global private equity fund at $18 billion, with demand said to be well in excess of the $17.5 billion hard cap.
CITIC PE-owned online finance platforms raise $65m
Maidai Licai and China Top Credit, two Chinese online finance platforms wholly-owned by CITIC Private Equity, have raised RMB420 million ($65 million) from their parent company and other strategic investors.
DKSH acquires 20% of Southeast Asia-focused aCommerce
DKSH, a Switzerland-based company that helps clients find outsourcing partners in new markets, has acquired a 20% stake in Southeast Asia-focused e-commerce solutions provider aCommerce.
India B2B logistics start-up BlackBuck gets $25m
Tiger Global, Accel Partners, Flipkart and a fund linked to Yuri Milner of DST Global have committed $25 million in Series B funding to BlackBuck, an India-based business-to-business logistics start-up.
Australia's Blue Sky targets $144m VC fundraise
Blue Sky Venture Capital, a division of Australia-based Blue Sky Alternative Investments, will raise a A$200 million ($144 million) fund focused on later-stage local start-ups.
Australia's First State Super to invest in fintech start-ups
First State Super has teamed up with VC firm H2 Ventures to support financial technology start-ups. The Australian superannuation fund expects to deploy around A$250 million ($182 million) in technology innovation.
AVCJ Awards 2015: AVCJ Special Achievement: Ta-Lin Hsu
As founder and chairman of H&Q Asia Pacific, Ta-Lin Hsu has played a key role in the development of private equity in Asia. He continues to look for ways to spread innovation
AVCJ Awards 2015: Venture Capital Professional of the Year: Neil Shen
Neil Shen, managing partner of Sequoia Capital China, on identifying stand-out entrepreneurs and the competitive dynamics of a maturing start-up ecosystem
AVCJ Awards 2015: Deal of the Year - Late Stage Technology: Didi Kuaidi
Having raised $3 billion in the largest-ever private funding round for a start-up, newly-merged Didi Kuaidi is looking to put past rivalries behind it
AVCJ Awards 2015: Fundraising of the Year - Venture Capital: Banyan Capital
Set up in 2013, Banyan Capital got busy quickly in China’s early-stage space and is now managing its second US dollar fund, which closed at $362 million
AVCJ Awards 2015: Deal of the Year - Early Stage Technology: Ninebot
China-based electric scooter manufacturer Ninebot made an aggressive move into the US with the purchase of Segway. VCs were happy to support the deal
Q&A: InnoVen Capital's Ajay Hattangdi
InnoVen Capital, formerly SVB India, is the oldest player in India’s nascent venture debt market. CEO Ajay Hattangdi discusses the firm’s experiences as a pioneer and Temasek’s plans for regional expansion
Australian government unveils incentives for start-ups
The Australian government has introduced a range of measures to boost local innovation and entrepreneurship.