Funds
India's Snapdeal set for $650m funding round – report
Indian e-commerce business Snapdeal is expected to raise up to $650 million in a new round of funding lead by Japan's SoftBank Corporation with existing investors also participating.
Chinese consortium, Benchmark in $70m US education play
Chinese after-school tutoring provider TAL Education Group has teamed up ZhenFund, Yongjin Group and Silicon Valley VC firm Benchmark Capital to invest in an undergraduate education business in the US.
Q&A: SOS Ventures' William Bao Bean
William Bao Bean has left Singtel Innov8 for a new role as investment partner of SOS Ventures in China and managing director of the firm's accelerator program. He shares his thoughts on the China start-up scene
3Q analysis: The IPO genie
Real and paper windfall for PE investors in Alibaba spurs exit environment; the latest round of fundraising for pan-regional mega vehicles draws to a close; growth capital dominates the investment numbers
China online finance: Money to the masses
The rise of peer-to-peer lending businesses in China is good for small companies that can't get bank financing and VC firms looking to ride the next wave. But concerns remain over regulation and reliability
India's Lightbox reaches $100m close on Fund II
Indian venture capital firm Lightbox Management has reached a INR6.1 billion ($100 million) close on its second fund.
Former Carlyle, TPG executives plan $500m India fund
Rajeev Gupta, formerly of The Carlyle Group, and Amol Jain, previously of TPG Capital, are launching a new PE fund that will focus on mid-market buyout opportunities in India.
DCM raises $170m China top-up fund, wins SFERS backing
The San Francisco Employees' Retirement System (SFERS) has committed $25 million to a China-focused venture capital fund being raised by DCM that will make follow-on investments in later-stage portfolio companies.
Bain leads $18m investment in Korean car-sharing service
Bain Capital has led a KRW18 billion ($18 million) Series A round of funding for Socar, a Korean car sharing company.
SoftBank to buy VC-backed online video site DramaFever
Japanese telecom giant SoftBank has agreed to buy DramaFever, a streaming video service that specializes in Korean TV shows and movies. Financial details were not disclosed.
CyberAgent, Mizuho back Japan venue rental marketplace
CyberAgent Ventures and Mizuho Capital have together invested JPY100 million (about $1 million) in SpaceMarket, a Japanese online platform that lists vacant spaces that users can rent for corporate events such as meetings and training courses.
Navis makes Modern Star education play
Just over a year ago, Navis Capital Partners bought Australian childcare services provider Guardian Early Learning from fellow PE investor Wolseley Private Equity for A$120 million ($110 million). The idea then was to anticipate the rise in the demand...
Baring Asia reaches $3.2b first close on Fund VI
Baring Private Equity Asia has reached a $3.2 billion first close on its sixth pan-regional fund, exceeding its original target of $3 billion for the entire vehicle.
Hahn & Co in $900m first close on second Korea fund
South Korean GP Hahn & Co – which was founded by Scott Hahn, formerly CIO of Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) – has reached a first close of approximately $900 million on its second fund.
Tencent leads $100m round for Chinese medical service platform
Tencent Holdings has led a $100 million round of funding for Guahao.com, a Chinese healthcare information portal.
Intel invests in China cloud communication service Gotye
Intel Capital, the corporate investment arm of the US chipmaker Intel Corp, has invested an undisclosed sum in Gotye.com, a Shanghai-based start-up that provides cloud communication technology solutions.
Gree Ventures backs Japan marketing start-up
Japanese online marketing firm Somewrite has raised JPY100 million (about $1 million) from corporate venture capital arm Gree Ventures and other undisclosed investors.
Bertelsmann Asia launches angel fund in China
Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI), the Beijing-based investment arm of German media giant Bertelsmann, has launched a new angel fund to focus on seed-stage investments in China.
IDFC closes second India infrastructure fund at $900m
IDFC Alternatives has reached a final close on its second Indian core infrastructure fund of $900 million. LPs have also pledged significant additional capital for co-investment opportunities.
China's Baidu buys VC-backed Brazilian online discount site
Chinese search giant Baidu has bought a controlling stake in Brazil-based Peixe Urbano, an online discount platform that has received several rounds of VC funding, for an undisclosed sum.
Alibaba invests $50m in US TV remote app Peel
Alibaba Group, China's largest e-commerce player, has invested $50 million in Peel Technology, a California-based start-up that has developed a TV remote control mobile app.
Shares in Bain-backed Skylark fall on Tokyo debut
Shares in Skylark, the Japanese restaurant operator backed by Bain Capital, fell by nearly 4.8% on the first day of trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) following a JPY75.1 billion ($686.2 million) IPO.
Sun Hung Kai invests in China P2P lending site Dianrong
Sun Hung Kai & Co.(SHK), a leading Hong Kong financial institution, has invested in a Series B round of funding for Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending service Dianrong.
Japan's Mercari raises $22m Series C round
Mercari, the Japanese start-up behind the mobile flea market app of the same name, has raised JPY2.36 billion ($21.8 million) in Series C funding from World Innovation Lab (WiL) and existing investors Global Brain, Globis Capital Partners, GMO Venture...