Funds
DCM closes China VC Fund at $330m
Technology-focused venture capital firm DCM has closed its latest China-focused fund - DCM Ventures China Fund (DCM VII) - at $330 million, above the initial target of $250 million.
VCs keep the faith in Snapdeal
Saama Capital was one of a group of VCs that backed Indian online jewelry store Bluestone.com in early 2012. It is a vertical play in the country's e-commerce industry - targeting a particular market segment - and this might ordinarily have been a turn...
China tech M&A: Money to burn
Chinese technology firms are becoming increasingly acquisitive, with certain players snapping up assets within months of going public. What is driving this change?
A story that sells
One of the observation's made in last week's Australia-themed viewpoint was that private equity fundraising tanked in 2013, although there was a caveat.
Ventech Capital invests in China's Zhenpu Education
France-based Ventech Capital has provided a Series A round of funding for Beijing-based Zhenpu Education. Details of transaction were not disclosed but the investment size is above $10 million.
India VC Nexus raises $110m top-up fund
Indian GP Nexus Venture Partners is raising a $110 million “opportunity fund” focusing on later-stage investments in existing portfolio companies. The vehicle is not open to new LPs and is scheduled to close in March.
China’s online pet store Boqii raises $25m Series B round
Boqii.com, a Chinese social network and e-commerce platform for pet owners, has secured $25 million in Series B funding from an undisclosed US-based investment firm, with participation from existing backer Goldman Sachs.
Australia’s Quadrant in $758m quick-fire fundraise
Australian GP Quadrant Private Equity has closed its seventh fund at A$850 million ($758 million) after just over one month in the market. The vehicle was two times oversubscribed with interest from both domestic and offshore investors.
VC-backed Food Runner buys Philippines' City Delivery
Food Runner, a Singapore-based food delivery company backed by Digital Media Partners, has acquired Philippines counterpart City Delivery.
Qiming leads $15m round for Chinese personal finance app developer
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $15 million round of funding for Hangzhou Wacai Science, a Chinese personal finance management mobile app developer, with participation from IDG Venture Partners and CDH Investments.
Carlyle vies with local, Chinese bidders for Transpacific NZ - report
The Carlyle Group is expected to face competition for Transpacific Industries Group's New Zealand waste management unit from a competing bid from a local consortium involving two Maori tribes.
Bayer buys Legend Capital-backed Dihon Pharma
Bayer has agreed to buy Dihon Pharmaceutical Group, a manufacturer of herbal traditional Chinese medicines (TCM). The acquisition facilitates the exit of Legend Capital, an investor in Dihon since 2010.
PE-invested mining services provider enters administration
The Anywhere Group (TAG), an Australian provider of temporary accommodation for the mining sector, has gone into administration owing Singapore-based PE firm Crest Capital Asia A$9.5 million ($8.4 million).
EBay leads $134m round for Indian online marketplace Snapdeal
Indian online marketplace Snapdeal has raised a new round of funding worth $133.8 million led by eBay. It comes less than a year after the US e-commerce giant led a $50 million Series C round for the company.
SIG leads $10m round for China mobile voice search app
SIG has led a Series B round of funding worth nearly $10 million for Mobvoi, a voice-activated mobile search services provider. Sequoia Capital and ZhenFund, which provided the Series A round in 2012, also participated.
China to see PE fundraising rebound in 2014 – PwC
China is expected to see a significant rebound in private equity fundraising this year in response to the domestic IPO markets re-opening, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC). Meanwhile, renminbi-denominated fundraising will prevail as usual.
Scentan invests $75m in SaaS start-up Tradeshift
Tradeshift, a start-up which provides businesses with free payment management tools, has raised $75 million from Singapore-based Scentan Ventures.
Q&A: HarbourVest's Sebastiaan van den Berg
Sebastiaan van den Berg, managing director and head of Asia at HarbourVest Partners, discusses his expectations for Australian deal flow, best practice for IPO exits, and co-investment opportunities
The IT crowd: Australia embraces crowdfunding
Australia has embraced crowdfunding as a supplement to an early-stage traditional VC market that has yet to regain its former strength. Industry participants are seeking differentiation and deregulation
Australia distress: Sifting the strain
The low-hanging fruit created by the post-global financial crisis troubles of highly-leveraged Australian companies has mostly been picked. Distress investors are looking in smaller and less obvious places
EQT buys restructured I-Med from hedge fund owners
Australian radiology provider I-Med Network Radiology is being sold by its hedge fund owners to a consortium led by EQT Partners.
Ventech invests in China P2P lending platform Jimubox
Ventech Capital, a France-based VC firm, has provided a Series A round of funding for Beijing-based peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending platform Jimubox.com. Transaction details were not disclosed but the investment is worth about $10 million.
Kendall Court ends Intrepid’s Indonesia mining nightmare
Kendall Court has acquired Intrepid Mines’ interest in the Tujuh Bukit copper-gold project in Indonesia for $80 million, ending the Australia-listed resources company’s long-running ownership dispute over the asset.
CSRC to restructure, introduce private equity department
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) is undergoing a restructuring that will see the creation of four divisions to oversee fast-moving markets, including private equity.