Funds
LP interview: ROC Partners
Having created the largest Asia-focused fund-of-funds as a division of Macquarie, Michael Lukin and his team spun out two years ago to form ROC Partners. Secondaries and co-investments are the areas of focus
Corporate VC: Pleasing the parent
Companies want to keep tabs on technological innovation in order to stay relevant in their industries by nurturing Asia’s tech start-ups. However, there is no uniform approach to corporate venture capital
Sequoia leads $15m Series B for Chinese food platform Mishi
Sequoia Capital has provided $15 million in Series B funding to Mishi, a Chinese app that aggregates private kitchens. Neil Shen, Sequoia’s managing partner, compared the business to a “gourmet version of Airbnb.”
India's Veeba Foods raises $6m from Saama Capital
Saama Capital has led a $6 million round for Indian specialty food ingredients maker Veeba Food Services. Existing investor DSG Consumer Partners also took part.
WI Harper, ITIC lead $4m Series A for Taiwan's HWTrek
Taiwan business networking startup HWTrek has raised a $4 million Series A round led by WI Harper and the Industrial Technology Investment Corporation (ITIC), with participation from Legend Star Capital, JD.com, and Global Brain.
Advantage exits GTA TeleGuam to Indonesian trade buyer
Japan's Advantage Partners has exited GTA TeleGuam - the former state-owned telephone company based on the island of Guam - to Telkom Indonesia. The value of the transaction has not been disclosed.
CyberAgent Ventures launches $50m Southeast Asia fund
Japan's CyberAgent Ventures (CAV) - the corporate venture arm of the eponymous Japanese internet firm - has launched a $50 million fund focusing on Southeast Asia start-ups.
China luxury e-commerce site gets $30m Series C round
Pacific Venture Partners has led a $30 million Series C round of funding for Xiu.com, a China-based luxury brand e-commerce platform.
Cathay backs China food ingredients maker
Cathay Capital has bought a 25% stake in Chinese food ingredient maker Cabio Bioengineering (Wuhan).
Aberdeen Asset Management buys FLAG Capital
Aberdeen Asset Management has bought FLAG Capital Management, the US-based firm that acquired Asia-focused fund-of-funds Squadron Capital in 2012. The financials of the transaction were not disclosed.
China VC activity will continue to thrive - AVCJ Forum
Chinese VC deal activity is expected to retain its strong momentum over the next few years, largely due the increasing diversity of exit channels.
GIC, BlackRock cornerstone CITIC PE-backed 3SBio's IPO
GIC Private and BlackRock have joined four other investors to cornerstone Chinese biotech pharmaceutical developer 3SBio's relisting in Hong Kong, two years after it was taken off NASDAQ by CITIC Private Equity.
Institutional investors: Join the club
Tales of large pension funds and sovereign wealth funds gathering in five-star hotels to map out their ultimate dominance of private equity are legion, if perhaps overblown.
Energy: A world beyond funds
A small but growing band of GPs are modifying the conventional PE fund model in favor of solutions that better meet their needs. For those with long-hold, asset-heavy strategies, the future may lie in platforms
TVS Logistics, Tata Opportunities to acquire DIESL
India's Tata Capital will acquire a minority stake in TVS Logistics Services and support the company in its acquisition of Drive India Enterprise Solutions (DIESL).
Chinese games platform Egret gets Series B round
Shenzhen Capital Group and Matrix Partners China have participated in a Series B round of funding for Egret Technology, a Chinese internet technology platform that focuses on mobile games development.
China's JD.com leads $70m round for VC-backed Fruitday
Chinese online retailer JD.com has led a $70 million Series C round for Fruitday, a China-based e-commerce site dedicated to selling imported fruit.
Chinese consortium to buy US biotech firm Ambrx
A consortium of Chinese investors including Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Group, Hopu Investments, CEL Healthcare Fund and WuXi PharmaTech will acquire Ambrx, a US-based biotech pharmaceutical developer.
KKR Asia head Joe Bae to move back to US
Joe Bae, who moved to Hong Kong 10 years ago to set up KKR’s Asia business, will return to the US in the summer. He will continue to lead the firm’s regional operations as managing partner of KKR Asia.
Qiming leads $30m round for China internet security firm
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $30 million Series B round of funding for FraudMetrix, a Chinese internet security solutions provider.
US digital payment firm raises $28m for Asia expansion
US-based online payment system developer Ripple Labs is looking to expand in Asia on the back of a $28 million Series A round provided by investors including IDG Capital Partners and AME Cloud Ventures.
Sequoia leads $16m Series B round for India's Akosha
Indian customer feedback platform Akosha has raised $16 million in a Series B round led by existing investor Sequoia Capital.
Australia's PE Gateway Group backs messaging service
Australia-based Private Equity Gateway Group (PEGG) has invested in U&Me Communication, a subsidiary of Malaysia’s OM Technology that has developed a mobile messaging platform.
China hardware start-ups: Maker's mark
Best known as the go-to location in China for cheap electronics manufacturing, Shenzhen is now emerging as a Silicon Valley for hardware. Can these start-ups get traction with software-focused VCs?