Greater China
SAIC invests $382m in China solid-state battery player
China’s QingTao Energy Development, a VC-backed developer of solid-state lithium battery technology, has raised CNY 2.7bn (USD 382m) from local auto giant SAIC Motor.
HighLight updates final close timeline for China healthcare fund
HighLight Capital, a Chinese life sciences investor, has pushed out the final close on its fourth US dollar-denominated fund to the third quarter amid challenging fundraising conditions for the industry.
Primavera closes fourth China fund on $4bn
China-based private equity firm Primavera Capital Group closed its fourth US dollar-denominated fund in February on target at USD 4bn.
Deal focus: U Power wins backing for EV turnkey proposition
China’s U Power has developed an integrated chassis as a cost-effective foundation on which electric vehicle makers can build their own creations. Government and independent investors are piling in
Asia private credit: Muffled momentum
The conservative virtues of private credit relative to private equity have come into fashion in a risk-off world. But global participation in the Asian side of the story will be limited
Prosperity7 backs China autonomous driving player Hyperview
Prosperity7 Ventures, a growth equity fund established by Saudi Arabia state oil giant Saudi Aramco, has invested in Hyperview, a China-based autonomous driving technology provider.
China National Energy Storage raises $143m
Zhongchu Guoneng Technology (ZGT), also known as China National Energy Storage, has raised CNY 1bn (USD 143m) in Series A funding led by a China Development Bank Capital-managed fund and Xinda Kunpeng Equity Investment Management.
Shenzhen Capital backs Chinese titanium metal producer
Shenzhen Capital Group has participated in a CNY 2.27bn (USD 321m) funding round for Yunnan National Titanium Metal, a subsidiary of Shenzhen-listed chemicals producer LB Group.
PE-backed CompareAsiaGroup merges with US-listed SPAC
CompareAsiaGroup, an Asia-focused financial products comparison platform also known as MoneyHero Group, has agreed to merge with a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at an enterprise value of approximately USD 342m.
VC investors primed for exit with China Youzan reorganisation
Hillhouse Capital and Matrix Partners China are set for liquidity events after China Youzan, an e-commerce software-as-a-service (SaaS) business listed in Hong Kong, agreed to take full control of its key subsidiary for HKD 2.6bn (USD 334.5m).
China generative AI start-up Luchen gets Series A funding
Luchen Technology, a Chinese start-up specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) training, has closed a Series A round amounting to several hundred million renminbi.
Energy transition: An emerging speciality
Kerogen Capital is trying to plot a more nuanced course into energy transition than building renewables. It is one of a growing number of nascent specialists in the space.
Deal focus: Investcorp finds optimal entry point with Jianuo
Investcorp negotiated its debut China control deal in the shadow of COVID-19 but expects to see long-term gains through the target company’s exposure to electric vehicles and renewable energy
Q&A: Gobi Partners’ Thomas Tsao
Thomas Tsao, co-founder of Gobi Partners, on Chinese investors targeting Southeast Asia, the fallout from US-China tensions, fundraising and fund strategy, and what excites him about technology
China EV chassis maker U Power gets Series B funding
U Power, a China-based manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs) and smart EV chassis, has raised several hundreds of millions of renminbi in Series B funding led by Hefei Industry Investment.
China's Biomissile secures $28m Series B
Suzhou-based Biomissile has raised CNY 200m (USD 28m) in a Series B funding round led by Kequan Capital. Existing investor Fosun Health Capital re-upped.
Blackstone buys jewellery certification business, China's Fosun exits
The Blackstone Group has paid USD 569.7m for 100% of Belgium-headquartered jewellery certification business International Gemological Institute (IGI), taking out investors including China’s Fosun Group.
China energy storage player JD Energy raises $100m
Xi’an-based energy storage company JD Energy has raised a CNY 700m (USD 100m) Series B round led by Goldstone Investment, a private investment subsidiary of CITIC Securities.
Alibaba plans IPO for PE-backed logistics unit
Cainiao Smart Logistics Group, the private equity-backed logistics unit of Alibaba Group, will be spun off via an IPO as part of the parent company’s broader restructuring effort.
Qiming hits $930m final close on latest renminbi fund
Qiming Venture Partners has closed its seventh renminbi-denominated fund on CNY 6.5bn (USD 930m), marking what it claims is China's largest local currency fundraise of 2023 to date
China's Drug Farm secures $27m in first tranche of Series C
Drug Farm, a China and US-based developer of treatments for infection and immunological diseases, has raised USD27m in the first tranche of Series C funding led by Shanghai's YD Capital.
China investors see long-term positives in demise of Oppo's chip unit
Investors in China's semiconductor industry expect the closure of local mobile manufacturer Oppo's chip design unit to clear the way for start-ups operating in the space, despite a likely near-term hit to valuations.
Investcorp completes debut China control deal
Investcorp has acquired a controlling stake in China’s Shandong Jianuo Electronics, a components supplier for the electric vehicle (EV) and renewable energy industries, for an undisclosed sum.
South by Southeast: Asia’s next growth engine?
Grouping together markets based on growth and scale is a problematic with South Asia and Southeast Asia as it was with the BRIC economies. But to some extent, investors are buying into the story