North America
India, US-based Netradyne gets $21m Series B round
Netradyne, a US and India-based developer of artificial intelligence (AI) technology focused on automotive applications, has raised $21 million in Series B funding from a group of VC and strategic investors.
CalPERS names ex-SAFE executive as CIO
California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) has appointed Yu Ben Meng, who has spent the last three years as deputy CIO of China’s State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) as its new CIO.
Hahn & Co-owned Hanon agrees $1.2b bolt-on acquisition
Hanon Systems, an auto parts manufacturer owned by Hahn & Company and formerly known as Halla Visteon Climate Control, has agreed a $1.23 billion bolt-on acquisition of Magna International’s fluid pressure and controls business.
China's HighLight to exit US-based biotech player Bonti
Chinese healthcare-focused GP HighLight Capital is set to exit its position in US-based biotechnology company Bonti after Allergan agreed to acquire the business for $195 million, plus additional payments if certain development targets are met.
Deal focus: PingCap sees borderless future in the cloud
Fosun Group and Morningside Venture Capital lead a $50 million Series C round to support PingCap's US-China cloud database services push
Silver Lake to invest $600m in Wanda-owned cinema chain
Silver Lake has invested $600 million in AMC Entertainment Holdings, a US cinema chain owned by Dalian Wanda Group, a once acquisitive Chinese conglomerate now said to be retreating from overseas markets.
Carlyle invests in Chinese pharma industry supplier
The Carlyle Group has paid an undisclosed sum for a significant minority stake in Ambio, a US-based pharmaceuticals company with substantial operations in China.
SPACs: Beneficiaries of the bull run
Special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, are staging a modest comeback in Asia on the back of a resurgence in the US. These structures offer considerable upside, but they aren’t for everyone
Japan Post backs $94m round for US-based Cloudian
Japan Post Investment Corporation (JPIC), a direct investment unit launched by Japan Post Bank and Japan Post Insurance earlier this year, has joined a $94 million round for Japan-founded and US-based data company Cloudian.
Q&A: Top Tier Capital Partners' David York
David York, a managing partner at venture capital-focused fund-of-funds Top Tier Capital Partners, assesses the motivations behind the flood of capital into the US late-stage technology space
Los Angeles Fire & Police Pensions backs Baring Asia fund
Los Angeles Fire & Police Pensions (LAFPP) has committed $25 million to Baring Private Equity Asia’s seventh pan-regional fund. It invested the same amount in the firm’s previous two vehicles.
China-US computer vision start-up Clobotics gets $11m
Clobotics, a China and US-based computer vision start-up backed by a number of venture capital firms, has raised $11 million in Series A funding.
GGV seeks $1.9b for new venture funds
Sino-US venture capital firm GGV Capital is targeting $1.88 billion for its latest fund, which like its previous fund is grouped into four separate vehicles.
Nexus leads $8m Series A for India-US BPO platform
Nexus Venture Partners has led an $8 million Series A funding round for Observe.AI, a business process outsourcing (BPO) services provider based in the US and India.
Sailing, Sanpower-owned Brookstone files for bankruptcy
US specialty retailer Brookstone, which was acquired in 2014 by Sailing Capital and Chinese retail conglomerate Sanpower Group, has filed for bankruptcy again and will close its 102 retail stores located in shopping malls.
ClassPass raises $85m, targets SE Asia expansion
US-based fitness services company ClassPass has raised a $85 million Series D round led by Temasek Holdings and L Catterton as part of a global expansion effort that will emphasize Southeast Asia.
India-focused blank check company files for US IPO
Tenzing Acquisition, a blank check company headed by New Silk Route Ventures (NSR) co-founder and CEO Parag Saxena, has filed for a $50 million IPO on NASDAQ. The firm will use the proceeds to invest in companies with a focus on businesses operating in...
Andreessen Horowitz promotes Connie Chan to partner
Connie Chan (pictured), the executive at US venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz responsible for managing the Asian network, has been promoted to general partner.
US CIOs must see Asia if they are to get comfortable with it - AVCJ Forum
Alternatives investment officers from US institutions should involve their senior leadership teams in site visits to Asia if they want to push ahead with emerging markets investment programs, LPs told the AVCJ USA Forum.
Jafco leads $11m round for Japan, US-based Trillium
Jafco has led an $11 million funding round for Trillium, a cybersecurity company focused on the autonomous vehicle industry based in Japan and the US.
VC and supercomputing: Access denied
VCs continue to shun the field of supercomputing despite new commercial upside related to the rise of artificial intelligence. Asia, however, could offer a relatively competitive launchpad for start-ups in the segment
China-US tech: The innovation game
The emergence of domestically-developed tech business models in China that can be exported overseas has VC investors hoping the country can become known as an innovator rather than a copycat
Outsourced CIO: Secret sauce
Teams spinning out from US endowments are competing in an increasingly competitive market for outsourced investment mandates from institutions. Scale and differentiation are the key selling points
China-US trade: Balance of power
A long-smoldering trade dispute between the US and China has begun to reverberate globally across a range of sectors. Private equity must not ignore the potential impacts