Funds
Macquarie consortium to buy Australia telecom tower business
A consortium led by Macquarie Infrastructure & Real Assets (MIRA) has agreed to buy Crown Castle International’s Australia telecom towers business for A$2 billion ($1.6 billion) in cash.
Venture to benefit from Australia investor visa reforms
The Australian government has finalized changes to its significant investor visa (SIV) program, which will see more capital funneled into domestic venture capital.
PAG targets $3b for second Asia fund
PAG Asia Capital has launched its second pan-regional fund and is looking to raise $3 billion. The GP, which is led by Weijian Shan, formerly of TPG Capital, closed its maiden fund at $2.5 billion in 2012.
ICG invests in Korean tutoring business
Intermediate Capital Group (ICG) has invested an undisclosed sum in Time Education, a privately-owned education company in Korea that provides tutoring services from kindergarten through high school.
SIDBI, Maharashtra government form $31m start-up fund
The government of the Indian state of Maharashtra has paired with the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) to set up a INR2 billion ($31.1 million) venture fund for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Korea’s Posco, Green Cross lead round for US-based Juventas
South Korea-based Posco Capital and biopharmaceutical player Green Cross have led a $7.5 million round for Juventas Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech development company based in the US.
Q&A: Unison Capital's Tatsuo Kawasaki
Unison Capital is in the process of raising its fourth Japan-focused fund. Tatsuo Kawasaki, a partner at the firm, discusses how government policy and market dynamics might impact its deployment
Deal focus: Canva’s simple design wins VC support
When Australian entrepreneur Melanie Perkins taught design in schools, she noticed that students struggled when using traditional software such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Clearly there could be a simpler solution.
Deal focus: Warburg Pincus rides with China’s eDaijia
It is estimated that around three shots of soju is sufficient for an adult to attain a blood alcohol content of 0.05% and therefore be in violation of Korea’s laws that prohibit driving while intoxicated. Punishments start at six months in jail or a...
India e-commerce: Grocery growth spurt
There has been a proliferation of start-ups in India’s online grocery sector, and investors have taken notice. But the companies that survive in the harsh competition to come will have to be tough
India IPOs: Staying afloat
India’s public markets are at record highs, but IPO activity remains lackluster. Investors want an overhaul of the listings approval process and a regulatory system that is suited to PE and VC-backed companies
Primavera leads $50m round for China online advertising platform
Primavera Capital has led a $50 million Series D round of funding for Miaozhen Systems, a Chinese third-party big data company that specializes in advertising services.
Thailand’s aCommerce raises $5m from existing backers
Existing investors including Ardent Capital, Indonesian conglomerate Sinarmas and Inspire Ventures have committed $5 million to aCommerce, a Thailand-based e-commerce services provider.
Australia's Tank Stream raises $15.8m to back start-ups
Australia's Tank Stream Ventures has raised a A$20 million ($15.8 million) fund to invest in local tech start-ups.
SIMI's Arora appointed COO of SoftBank Group
SoftBank Corp. has named Nikesh Arora - CEO of SoftBank investment unit SoftBank Internet & Media Inc.(SIMI) - as the Japanese telecom and internet conglomerate's new president and COO.
Babson closes Asia mezzanine fund at $177m
Babson Capital Management has reached a final close of $177.2 million on its latest Asia-focused mezzanine fund.
Lightspeed to raise dedicated India venture fund
US-based Lightspeed Venture Partners is looking to raise $115 million for its first India-focused fund.
Crescent leads $50m round for China parenting site
Crescent HydePark - a unit of Crescent Group - has led a $50 million Series B round of funding for Guo.com, a Chinese online retail platform for maternity and baby products.
VC-backed 58.com acquires ChinaHR.com
Chinese online marketplace 58.com has acquired local recruitment site ChinaHR.com from its parent company Sangroup, an Irish recruitment firm.
Nexus raises $434m for two India VC funds
Nexus Venture Partners has closed its fourth India venture capital fund at $304 million and raised a further $130 million for a top-up fund focusing on later-stage investments in existing portfolio companies.
VC investors commit to Indian online education start-ups
Two Indian online education start-ups have received venture capital funding, with Toppr raising a $10 million round led by Fidelity Growth Partners and Vedantu attracting $5 million in Series A funding from Accel Partners and Tiger Global.
China’s Tsing Capital joins $20m round for GaN Systems
Beijing-based Tsing Capital has participated in a $20 million Series C round of funding for GaN Systems, a Canadian fabless semiconductor developer. Local VC firm Cycle Capital is the lead investor.
SAIF leads $16m round for China real estate site Jiwu
SAIF Partners China has led a RMB100 million ($16 million) Series A round of funding for Jiwu.com, a Shenzhen-based real estate listings portal.
CRCI leads $100m round for China car-sharing app Dida Pinche
China Renaissance Capital Investments (CRCI) has led a $100 million Series C round for Dida Pinche, a Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) car-sharing app. TrustBridge Partners, IDG Capital Partners and US-listed automotive website Bitauto also took part.