Funds
Actis raises $1.15b for global energy fund
Actis has closed its third global energy fund - Actis Energy 3 - at $1.15 million, exceeding its original $750 million target by 50%.
SE Asia online retailer Lazada gets $250m in funding from Tesco, others
Rocket Internet’s Southeast Asian online shopping mall, Lazada, has raised a $250 million round of funding from Tesco, Access Industries, and return backers Investment AB Kinnevik and Verlinvest.
Australian taxi app Ingogo gets new funding, eyes listing
Ingogo, the Australian start-up behind the mobile taxi-booking app of the same name, has raised a A$3.4 million ($3.1 million) from a group of PE investors ahead of a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) next year.
Legend Capital leads Series A round for VHall
Legend Capital, the VC arm of Legend Holdings, has led a Series A round of funding for Vhall, a Chinese online conference service providers. Three other domestic VC firms also participated.
Japan’s VC-backed Oncolys Pharma raises $64m in Tokyo IPO
Oncolys Pharma, a VC-backed developer of drugs targeting cancer and serious infectious diseases, saw its stock open at JPY3,500 per share - a 34.6% premium on the offering price - on its first day of trading in Tokyo. This followed a JPY6.6 billion ($64.4...
Matrix provides Series A for India traffic information portal
Matrix Partners India has provided a Series A round of funding for real-time traffic and travel information platform Birds Eye Systems. The size of the investment was not disclosed but the capital will be used to expand the company’s coverage from Mumbai,...
Horizon Ventures leads $15.2m Series B for Misfit Wearables
Hong Kong-based Horizon Ventures has led a $15.2 million Series B round for Misfit Wearables, the US start-up behind the physical activity monitor Shine. Existing investors – which include Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, OATV,...
Sequoia-backed Citrus Payment raises $5.5m in Series B funding
Citrus Payment Solutions has raised a $5.5 million Series B round from Japanese investors econtext Asia, an online payments company, and Beenos. Existing investor Sequoia Capital also participated in the round.
Tokio Marine to launch $294m mezz fund
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance is to launch a new mezzanine fund with a target of JPY 30 billion ($294 million).
BootstrapLabs launches Korea accelerator
Silicon Valley-based accelerator program BootstrapLabs, and Coolidge Corner Investment (CCVC), a Korean technology venture firm, have together formed BootstrapAccelerator Korea, a Seoul-based six-month accelerator program.
Jafco Asia leads Series B round for US games developer
Japanese venture capital investor Jafco Asia has led a Series B round of funding for US games developer Playnery. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.
EIG raises $6b for global energy fund
EIG Global Energy Partners has reached a final close of $6 billion for its Energy Fund XVI after just 10 months in the market. The fund had a target of $4.25 billion.
Japan's Ride On Express raises $23m in Tokyo IPO
Ride On Express, a Japanese food delivery franchise operator backed by Jafco Ventures, saw its stock open at JPY3105 per share - a 55% premium on the offering price - on its first day of trading. The company earlier raised JPY2.3 billion ($22 million)...
SDCL launches $200m UK-China energy efficiency fund
UK-based Sustainable Development Capital LLP (SDCL) has teamed up with with Hong Kong private equity infrastructure firm First Eastern Investment Group to launch a $200 million fund that will invest in energy efficiency projects in the UK and China.
The secondary network: Online platforms
Setter Capital’s Secondary Link is the latest online platform intended to fill the information void in the secondaries market. Industry participants have mixed feelings as to its utility
VCs to take Kingsoft across borders, platforms
Hong Kong-listed software developer Kingsoft is not in desperate need of capital. It posted a net profit of RMB466.4 million ($76.6 million) in 2012, up 39% year-on-year, and its cash reserves stood at RMB2.4 billion for the year. Furthermore, in July...
Asia Awards: VC Professional of the Year – Richard Liu
Richard Liu has spent 14 years investing in tech, media and telecom for Morningside Technologies. He has witnessed increasing competition, ups and downs in e-commerce, and the rise of the domestic super angel
Asia Awards: VC Deal of the Year – Tujia
Lightspeed China likes disruptive business models that build up traction online and then use the momentum to gain a foothold offline as well. This has worked to good effect with Meilele, an online furniture retailer that now has a network of 200 offline...
China Huace Media buys stakes in VC-backed Herun Media
Shenzhen-listed film and television producer Huace Media has picked up a 20% stake in Herun Media, a Beijing-based marketing specialist backed by several domestic VCs, for RMB104 million ($17 million).
Crescent-owned travel insurer to raise $475m in Australia IPO
Crescent Capital Partners-owned travel insurer Cover-More Group is targeting a A$521.2 million ($475 million) IPO on the Australian Securities Exchange.
MBK consortium bids for Woori NPL unit - report
MBK Partners is said to have teamed up with BS Financial Group to place a final bid for Woori Finance Holdings’ non-performing loans business. This is the second part of a three-phase auction intended to finally dispose of the Korean government’s...
Advantage to exit Japan's Nissen for $22.8 million
Advantage Partners, the Japanese mid-market buyout firm, is to exit its stake in catalogue and web-based retailer Nissen Holdings to Seven & i Holdings, the Japanese parent of 7-Eleven and the Ito Yakado supermarket chain, for JPY2.36 billion ($22.8 million).
Sailing Capital launches cross-border RMB buyout fund
China’s Sailing Capital and its subsidiary Shanghai Sailing Industrial Capital have launched a RMB5 billion ($821 million) buyout fund, in a bid to facilitate cross-border transactions.
Portea Medical raises $7.6m from Accel, Ventureast
Accel Partners and Ventureast have contributed INR480 million ($7.69 million) in Series A funding for Indian home healthcare provider Portea Medical.