Funds
Sequoia leads $13m investment in India's BankBazaar.com
Sequoia Capital has led a $13 million round of investment in Indian financial services portal BankBazaar.com. Walden International, which invested $6 million in the company in 2011, also participated in the round.
Cloud billing platform ChargeBee gets Series A backing from Accel
Accel Partners has led an $800,000 Series A round of investment in ChargeBee, an Indian start-up that helps companies manage their subscription billings.
Indonesia's Bakrie group leads $25m Path round
Indonesian conglomerate The Bakrie Group has reportedly led a $25 million Series C round of funding for Path, a San Francisco-based social network platform. Existing investors also participated in the round, including Greylock Partners, KPCB, Index Ventures,...
Platinum buys Australia directories business Sensis
US private equity firm Platinum Equity has reached an agreement with Telstra Corporation, Australia's biggest phone company, to acquire a 70% stake in its directories business Sensis for A$454 million ($407.17 million).
Milestone Capital invests in China animation producer Joyworks
China-focused Milestone Capital has invested in a Series A round of financing for Peking Joyworks Culture and Media, a Beijing-based online animations and comics producer. The specific investment amount was not disclosed but the company said it was tens...
KKR reaches $2b final close on special situations fund
KKR has reached a final close of $2 billion on its KKR Special Situations Fund (KSSF), double its original target of $1 billion. It will make distressed and event-driven investments in Europe, Asia and North America.
Apollo holds $18.4b final close on global Fund VIII
Apollo Global Management has held a final close on its flagship global fund - Apollo Investment Fund VIII - at $18.4 billion, the largest of its kind since the global financial crisis.
Adveq appoints new Asia head
Swiss fund-of-funds Adveq has promoted Viswanathan Parameswar to executive director and chosen him to head the firm's Asia program.
Indiareit raises $160m domestic property fund
Piramal Enterprises’ Indiareit Fund Advisors has reached a final close of INR10 billion ($160.5 million) on its fifth domestic fund.
Facebook buys VC-backed Indian start-up Little Eye Labs
Facebook has acquired Ventureast and GSF Superangels-backed start-up Little Eye Labs, reportedly paying around $15 million for the Android app optimizer.
Omaha Capital leads $30m round for China jewelry maker
Hong Kong-based Omaha Capital has led a $30 million Series C round of funding for Bloves, a Shenzhen-based manufacturer of customized wedding rings.
Lightspeed leads Series B for China cloud services provider
Lightspeed China has led a $20 million Series B round of funding for Chinese cloud services provider QingCloud. Matrix Partners and existing investor BlueRun Ventures also participated.
Asian Healthcare Fund leads Series B for Forus Health
Asian Healthcare Fund (AHF) has led a INR500 million ($8 million) Series B round of investment in Forus Health, a Bangalore-based firm that develops affordable medical technology for eye treatment.
JAIC spin out WM Partners reaches first close on maiden secondaries fund
WM Partners, a venture capital secondaries fund launched last year by former JAIC CEO Moriyoshi Matsumoto, has reached a first close on its JPY5.25 billion ($50.1 million) first fund.
Blackstone passes $3b mark on Asia real estate fund
The Blackstone Group has received more than $3 billion in capital commitments for its first Asia real estate fund, which is targeting $4 billion.
Bull Capital, Sequoia back China online steel trading platform
Zhaogang.com, a Chinese B2B steel trading platform, has received a $34.8 million Series C round of funding led by Bull Capital Partners and Sequoia Capital. Previous investors Matrix Partners and China Renaissance K2 Ventures also participated.
BVCF leads $7.5m Series A for Quark Pharma China JV
China-focused life sciences and healthcare investor BVCF has led a RMB45 million ($7.5 million) Series A round of funding for Kunshan RiboQuark Pharmaceutical Technology, a joint venture established by Quark Pharmaceuticals and Suzhou Ribo Life Science....
LightInTheBox to buy VC-backed e-commerce player Ador
LightInTheBox, the venture capital-backed Chinese online retailer that went public in the US last year, has acquired US social e-commerce site Ador for an undisclosed sum.
Japan IPOs: Rising sun
On the back of a cautious economic recovery Japan witnessed a boom in IPOs in 2013 as a host of venture capital-backed companies went public. How long will the good times last?
Intel connects to car tech with SanJet
"The way things are evolving, there is more and more technology getting into the car - the functionality and electronics components are increasing," says Sudheer Kuppam, Intel Capital's managing director for Asia Pacific.
Longreach agrees Christmas carve-out
Christmas was delayed at the Longreach Group as the North Asia-focused private equity firm finalized an agreement to buy Japanese molded plastics manufacturer Sol-Plus Group on December 25, bringing to an end several weeks of negotiations.
TA promotes Sippel, Wadhera to lead Asia operations
TA Associates has promoted Edward Sippel and Naveen Wadhera to co-heads of its Asia business. The changes were effective January 1.
Blackstone names Carnegie Australia PE head
The Blackstone Group has appointed James Carnegie as a senior managing director in its Sydney office from where he is expected to lead private equity activities in Australia.
SAIF leads $30m round for battery maker Amprius
SAIF Partners has led a Series C round of funding worth $30 million for Amprius, a lithium-ion battery manufacturer headquartered in the US but with production lines in China. All of the company’s existing investors also participated.