Funds
Japan Industrial Partners exits Yutaka Electric
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has exited electrical component manufacturer Yutaka Electric to GlassOne, a manufacturer of touch screen panels for tablets and smart phones.
Blackstone's Asia head Michael Chae to return to New York
Michael Chae, head of international private equity at The Blackstone Group, will move back to New York after a four-year stint in Hong Kong.
VC-backed Chinese package tour platform files for US IPO
Tuniu, a Chinese online package tour provider backed by DCM, Temasek Holdings, Gobi Partners and Sequoia Capital, is seeking to raise up to $120 million through a US IPO.
China online music provider Kuke secures Milestone support
China-focused Milestone Capital has committed a Series A round of funding to Kuke.com, an online music supplier.
Baring Asia targets $3b for Fund VI
Baring Private Equity Asia will seek to raise around $3 billion for its sixth pan-regional fund, its largest vehicle to date.
Kingsoft commits $90m to VC-backed file-sharing service Xunlei
Chinese software developer Kingsoft Corporation will invest $90 million in Xunlei, a file-sharing service backed by a string of VC firms including Morningside Technologies, IDG Ventures and Ceyuan Ventures.
China online liquor retailer raises $68m
Jiuxian.com, a Chinese e-commerce site that sells wines and spirits, has raised RMB425 million ($68 million) across two rounds of funding.
Templeton to raise $100m India PE fund
Franklin Templeton is looking to raise up to INR6 billion ($100 million) for its second India-focused private equity fund.
Hopu supports $1.5b Noble Agri deal, reaches first close on Fund II
A consortium led by Hopu Investments will take a minority position in an agribusiness joint venture being set up by Chinese agricultural conglomerate COFCO Corporation and Noble Group, an agriculture and energy supply chain manager.
Wolseley's Blue Star targets Australia printing consolidation
Blue Star Group, an Australian printing and communications specialist owned by Wolseley Private Equity, has agreed to merge with Independent Print Media Group (IPMG) to form the country’s largest printing company.
LanzaTech forms Asian alliance
LanzaTech is a classic example of how a disruptive technology can attract investors from different geographies. Originally from New Zealand, the company has developed a technology for converting carbon dioxide into fuel and chemical products. This kind...
Singapore VC: Silicon dreams
Buoyed by government support and increasing private sector interest, Singapore has created a legion of tech start-ups that now require further investment. Can it become Southeast Asia’s answer to Silicon Valley?
A Capital targets $1.38b for Sino-European tech fund
Sino-European PE firm A Capital has launched a EUR1 billion ($1.38 billion) technology fund to invest in European innovative firms. It will help them expand into emerging markets, in particular China.
Jafco invests $2m in Japan leisure booking site
Globis Capital Partners and Jafco Ventures have invested JPY200 million ($1.95 million) in Catarizm, the Japanese start-up behind online leisure booking site Asoview.
IDG leads round for Chinese restaurant review app Ricebook
IDG Capital Partners has led a $7 million Series B round of funding for Ricebook, a Chinese restaurant review mobile app operator.
China gaming firm Ourpalm commits $16m to Huatai M&A fund
Ourpalm, a Shenzhen-listed mobile games developer, has committed RMB100 million ($16 million) to Beijing Huatia Ruilian M&A Fund, a new investment vehicle managed by Huatai United Securities, an investment banking arm of Huatai Securities.
Kalaari provides Series A for India big data start-up
Kalaari Capital has committed $3 million in Series A funding to Germin8, a Mumbai-headquartered big data analytics company.
China Aier Eye Hospital invests in Huatai Securities’ M&A fund
Shenzhen-listed Aier Eye Hospital Group plans to commit RMB100 million ($16 million) to an M&A fund managed by Huatai United Securities, an investment banking arm of Huatai Securities.
CHAMP PE gets GE financing for Accolade Wines expansion
CHAMP Private Equity has secured $300 million in cross-border financing from GE Capital International for Accolade Wines, the firm behind mass-market brands such as Hardys and Banrock Station.
Sequoia-backed Baioo Family launches HK IPO
Baioo Family Interactive, a children's online game developer backed by Sequoia, has launched its Hong Kong IPO, seeking to raise between $200 million and $250 million.
Baring Asia-backed Nord Anglia raises $304m, jumps on debut
Nord Anglia Education, a school operator controlled by Baring Private Equity Asia, saw its shares close up 12.5% on the first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. This followed an IPO that raised $304 million.
Profile: Intel Capital's Richard Hsu
Richard Hsu, managing director at Intel Capital, has spent 14 years as a VC investor, mostly in China. For all the change he has witnessed in entrepreneurs and ideas, some market features remain steadfastly the same
The soft middle
What has become of the mid-market GP in Asia? If there is one area of the fundraising landscape that has hollowed out in the last year or so, this is it, giving credence to the notion of bifurcation.
Valar, SquarePeg lead $20m round for New Zealand’s Vend
Vend, a New Zealand-based point-of-sale software provider, has received NZ$25 million ($20 million) in Series B funding. The round was co-led by Valar Ventures, an investment vehicle run by PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel, and...