Greater China
Brunei, CPE join Series C extension for China's Pony.ai
Chinese autonomous driving technology supplier Pony.ai has secured a Series C extension of $100 million featuring new investors Brunei Investment Agency and CPE. It takes the company’s total funding to date past $1.1 billion.
PE-backed Luckin files for bankruptcy in the US
Chinese coffee shop chain Luckin Coffee, which has several private equity backers, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US to aid its restructuring efforts following the emergence of a sales fraud last year.
China robotics: Automation nation
China is a global leader in robot manufacturing, but only in areas characterized by high volumes and low technology value. Can more start-ups climb from medium-tech to hard-tech?
China vocational education provider gets $390m Series A
Fenbi, a China-based vocational education platform, has raised $390 million in a Series A round led by IDG Capital and Trustbridge Partners. Hony Capital also took part.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Special Achievement: Lip-Bu Tan
Recognized as one of the pioneers of venture capital in Asia, Walden International’s Lip-Bu Tan still gets a kick out of leveraging his years of experience to help nascent start-ups
China's Kuaishou surges on debut after $5.4b Hong Kong IPO
Kuaishou, a Chinese video-sharing and social networking platform backed by Tencent Holdings, 5Y Capital and DST Global, started trading at nearly three times its IPO price following a Hong Kong IPO that valued the company at HK$1.1 trillion ($142 billion)....
Tencent leads Series C for China gene sequencing player
Guangzhou-based precision diagnosis and gene sequencing company Vision Medicals has raised RMB200 million ($31 million) in Series C funding led by Tencent Holdings.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Responsible Investment: Canvest Environment
Olympus Capital has guided China’s Canvest Environment from polluting waste-to-energy minnow to category leader in operational scope and sustainability credentials
Q&A: Bain & Company's Henrik Naujoks
Henrik Naujoks, Bain & Company’s financial services lead for Asia, observes that investors must not ignore the increasing cohesion of the Greater Bay Area despite a relative lack of near-term gambits
Lilly Asia Ventures raises $1.35b for healthcare funds
Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) has raised $1.35 billion for its latest healthcare fund, having introduced a $450 million opportunity vehicle that sits alongside a core pool of $900 million.
CDH leads $108m Series B for China baby care brand
Babycare, a Chinese baby products brand, has raised RMB700 million ($108 million) in Series B funding led by CDH Investments. Sequoia Capital China and Huaxing Growth Capital also participated.
Orchid, Matrix commit $100m to China gaming platform
Orchid Asia and Matrix Partners China have participated in a $100 million Series B round for Chinese gaming company Quwan Network Technology. Matrix led the Series A last year.
Sailing, GF lead $77m round for Chinese cognitive AI specialist
Dmai, a Chinese cognitive artificial intelligence (AI) platform also known as Anwu Zhineng, has raised RMB500 million ($77 million) in a Series A round led by Sailing Capital and GF Venture Capital.
China gas station location platform Newlink raises $100m
Newlink Group, operator of a platform that helps drivers in China locate the best value gas stations, has raised $100 million in funding led by CMB International. Other investors include Hongtai Capital, Joy Capital and Nio Capital.
Allen & Overy strengthens Asia fund formation capabilities
Allen & Overy has recruited James Ford from O’Melveny & Myers as a partner in its Asia Pacific funds and asset management group. He continues to be based in Hong Kong.
China's Didi raises $300m for autonomous driving unit
Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing has raised $300 million for its autonomous driving unit, with IDG Capital taking the lead.
Tencent backs China enterprise training start-up
Yunxuetang, a Chinese online corporate training services provider, has raised more than $100 million in the first tranche of Series E round led by Tencent Holdings.
GGV closes latest US dollar funds at $2.5b
GGV Capital has closed its latest set of US dollar-denominated funds with $2.52 billion in aggregate commitments. It represents the largest fundraising since the firm’s inception in 2000.
China chip designer Memsic raises $155m
Memsic, a Chinese semiconductor design company that was privatized with support from IDG Capital in 2013, has raised more than RMB1 billion ($155 million) led by an industry fund under Hangzhou Fortuna Investment Management.
Deal focus: Olympus credit team spins out, gets OMERS backing
Olympus Capital Credit has rebranded as Orion Capital Asia, with OMERS replacing Olympus as the firm’s equity partner. The strategy is unchanged, with COVID-19 helping to drive deal flow
Aspex leads $200m Series E for Hong Kong's Klook
Aspex Management has led a $200 million Series E round for Klook as the Hong Kong travel app pivots to domestic holiday services during a freeze in international tourism.
China online education: Class war
K-12 online education in China is a battle for market share that only the largest players can afford to play. Investors can either get comfortable with high-cash-burn or look for niche exposure
CVC recruits EQT's Asia mid-market head
Martin Mok has joined CVC Capital Partners as a Hong Kong-based senior managing director after spending nearly 20 years with EQT.
Fund focus: LPs flock to Lake Bleu's late show
Lake Bleu Capital leveraged a lift in Chinese healthcare sentiment to raise $560 million for a fund that will target late-stage healthcare investments