Funds
VCs look beyond ad-driven business models - AVCJ Forum
Venture capital investment opportunities in Southeast Asia increasingly lie beyond the traditional advertising-driven monetization model, industry participants told the AVCJ Singapore Forum.
WestSummit, SAIF in $15.2m round for social analytics firm
WestSummit Capital and SAIF Partners have invested $15.2 million in NetBase, a US-based company that tracks social media.
Shenzhen Capital to exit e-commerce site via trade sale
Shenzhen Capital Group will exit Shenzhen Globalegrow E-commerce as the online platform use to sell Chinese products overseas is acquired by Shanxi Baiyuan Trousers Chain Management.
Steadview leads $21m round for India’s Urban Ladder
Hong Kong-based hedge fund Steadview Capital has led a $21 million Series B round of financing for Urban Ladder, an Indian furniture online retailer.
Sequoia, Norwest commit $14m to India's Capillary Technologies
Existing backers Sequoia Capital and Norwest Venture Partners have contributed $14 million in Series B to Capillary Technologies, an Indian cloud-based retail customer relationship management (CRM) platform.
Distress fundraising: In credit?
Whether disillusioned by the returns from conventional private equity or seeking to diversify their exposure, LPs are more open to Asia credit strategies. The returns are there, provided you pick the right strategy.
Singapore online grocery retailer RedMart raises $23m
Singapore-based online grocery store RedMart has raised a $23 million Series B round led by gaming firm Garena, with participation from SoftBank Ventures, Visionnaire Ventures and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin.
Nice targets selfies with style
The world has seen plenty of selfies. From dining tables to football matches, there is always someone, arm outstretched and phone in hand, keen to capture a photo of themselves for posterity. It was only a matter of time before mobile apps enabling people...
WiL aims high with Japan’s ‘next Nintendo’
From Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. all the way through to Sony PlayStation’s Final Fantasy, there was a time when Japan ruled the gaming industry. Microsoft’s Xbox and recent Western successes such as Call of Duty and Grand Theft Auto have dented...
IFC leads $8m Series B for China recycling site Aihuishou
International Finance Corporation (IFC) has led a $8 million Series B round of funding for Aihuishou, a Chinese electronics recycling start-up.
Tiger Global, Nirvana lead $5m Series B round for India's Zopper
Tiger Global Management and Nirvana Venture Advisors have led a $5 million Series B round of investment for Delhi-based Solvy Tech Solutions, which operates products review portal Zooper.com.
China online home textiles retailer Dapu secures $5m
Tianxing Capital has committed RMB30 million ($4.8 million) in a Series B round of funding to Dapu.com, a Chinese online retailer of home textiles.
China property site Fangdd raises $80m
Fangdd.com, a Chinese real estate portal, has raised $80 million in a Series B funding from Vision Knight Capital, Lightspeed China Partners and CDH Venture.
IFC targets up to $1b for emerging markets fund-of-funds
International Finance Corporation (IFC) wants to raise a $750 million to $1 billion for an emerging markets-focused fund-of-funds with a final close pegged for the end of this year or early 2015.
IDG backs Chinese app developer Landscape mobile
IDG Capital Partners has committed $1.85 million in seed funding to Landscape Mobile, the China- and US-based developer of mobile information management app Sight.
Noble Group, EIG form energy joint venture
Private equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners has teamed up with Asia-based agriculture and energy supply chain manager Noble Group to acquire and operate upstream and mid-stream energy assets.
Shunwei invests in China online travel site Fxtrip
Shunwei Capital Partners has provided a Series A round of funding for Fxtrip.com, a Chinese outbound travel start-up.
Chinese regulator issues guidelines for domestic PE
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has issued draft rules for the domestic private equity industry, including a definition of investors qualified to participate in funds.
PE consortium targets $1.5b China outbound fund
A consortium of foreign and Chinese PE firms has launched a $1.5 billion fund, which aims to raise a combination of US dollars and Chinese currency to invest abroad.
DeAWM hires ex-Paul Capital executive for Asia secondaries
Jason Sambanju, formerly co-head of Asia at Paul Capital Partners, has joined Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management (DeAWM) as head of Asia secondaries.
Steadview, Sequoia lead $41m round for India’s Olacabs
Indian online taxi-booking and car rental platform Olacabs has raised INR2.5 billion ($41.8 million) through a Series C round of funding led by Sequoia Capital and Hong Kong-based hedge fund Steadview Capital.
Chinese stationery firm launches PE fund
Shenzhen Comix Stationery, a Shenzhen-listed stationery manufacturer, has won approval to launch a PE fund, which will be managed by Hejun Consulting.
India lays ground for real estate investment trust roll-out
India’s long-awaited real estate investments trusts (REITs) inched closer to reality as the government offered clarification on the tax status of the structures.
Japan's Gree leads $4.5m round for HotelQuickly
Japanese tech giant Gree has led a $4.5 million Series A-1 round of funding for HotelQickly, a Hong Kong-headquartered last-minute hotel booking platform.