Funds
Contrarians bullish on India investment opportunities
Private equity players are upbeat on investment prospects in India, arguing that those looking to commit capital now will benefit when the country's weak economy eventually rebounds.
Matrix leads Series B round for China menstruation app
Matrix Partners China has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Meet You, a menstruation cycle-tracking mobile app. Founder Fangyi Chen and existing investor China Renaissance K2 Ventures has reportedly participated.
Technology Crossover Ventures leads Series B for Australia's Siteminder
Australian hotel booking start-up SiteMinder has raised $30 million in funding led by Palo Alto-based Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV).
Helion backs India language localization firm
Pune-based LinguaNext has raised a Series A round of funding from Helion Venture Partners to expand its international business. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Boston Scientific leads round for VC-backed Amaranth Medical
Amaranth Medical, a medical device manufacturer backed by Singapore’s Bio*One Capital and Phillip Private Equity, has received a Series C round of funding from US-listed Boston Scientific.
SoftBank leads $120m round for Chinese app platform Wandoujia
SoftBank Corp. has led a $120 million Series B round of funding for Wandoujia, a Chinese Android mobile app platform. Existing investors DCM and Innovation Works Development Fund (IWDF) also participated in the round.
India’s ASK Group reaches first close on offshore real estate fund
ASK Group has reached a first close of $50 million on its debut offshore real estate fund. The full target for the vehicle, which will invest in middle income residential projects in Mumbai, Bangalore, the Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), Pune and...
India Awards: Firm of the Year - Baring PE Asia
Baring Private Equity Asia’s efforts in India paid off last year with $650 million invested in Lafarge India and Hexaware Technologies. Jimmy Mahtani, the firm’s country head, tells AVCJ how it was done
India Awards: Venture Capital Deal of the Year – Snapdeal
Having brought in eBay as a financial and a strategic partner for its Series C round, online marketplace Snapdeal continues to invest in its technology with one eye on profitability and ultimately a US IPO
India Awards: PE Professional of the Year – Ravi Adusumalli
SAIF India defied a challenging exit market by taking Just Dial public and selling CSS Corp via a trade sale in 2013. Ravi Adusumalli, the firm’s managing partner, sees the weak IPO market as a mixed blessing for PE
Facebook buys VC-backed Little Eye Labs
Within 19 months of starting-up, Bangalore-based Little Eye Labs was snapped up by Facebook to take the social network’s mobile development to the next level. Little Eye Labs was also in talks with Twitter, but Facebook ended up offering a better deal....
BVCF supports anti-viral drug innovation
Since the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), a natural mechanism for regulating gene expression, in the 1990s, billions of dollars have been invested by the world’s pharmaceutical giants in using this technology to develop therapeutic drugs. A particular...
NewQuest agrees $190m China Hydroelectric take-private
NewQuest Capital Partners has agreed to buy China Hydroelectric in a deal that values the US-listed hydropower operator at approximately $190 million.
Qiming hires ex-GGV partner to cover consumer internet space
Qiming Venture Partners has hired Helen Wong, formerly of GGV Capital, as a partner with responsibility for investment in the internet and consumer sectors. The move comes a few months after her predecessor in the role, Hans Tung, left Qiming for GGV.
Canara Bank targets $81m for sixth India VC fund
Canbank Venture, a subsidiary of India’s Canara Bank, plans to start fundraising in April for its sixth VC fund, with a target of INR5 billion ($81.6 million).
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.