North America
Deal focus: H&Q backs flexible EV player
Efficient Drivetrains produces powertrain systems suitable for electric vehicles and hybrids, leveraging automakers desire to meet emissions requirements without building costly in-house operations. H&A Asia Pacific is financing a wider geographic roll-out
China's Orient Hontai to buy US mobile marketing platform
Chinese private equity firm Orient Hontai Capital has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in US-based mobile marketing platform provider AppLovin in a transaction valued at $1.4 billion.
Asia-IO, Redview buy Source Photonics from US GP
Asia-IO Advisors – a PE firm set up by Denis Tse, formerly of Lockheed Martin Investment Management, and Michael Prahl, a professor at business school INSEAD – has teamed up with New Horizon Capital spin-out Redview Capital to buy US communications...
Shanhai Capital to acquire US VC-backed Analogix
Beijing Shanhai Capital Management has led a consortium of investors to acquire US-based microchip manufacturer Analogix Semiconductor for more than $500 million.
CPPIB to assist China on pension policy reform
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has signed an agreement with China’s National Development & Reform Commission (NDRC) to provide assistance to policymakers as they address the challenges presented by an aging population.
Malaysian pension fund KWAP invests in Uber
Malaysia’s public sector pension fund, KWAP, has invested in US-based ride hailing app operator Uber Technologies. This is its first direct investment in a foreign company.
H&Q backs US, China-based EV player
H&Q Asia Pacific has led a $7.8 million investment in Efficient Drivetrains (EDI), a US and China-based developer of electric vehicle (EV) systems and technologies.
Singapore’s ViSenze raises $10.5m Series B
ViSenze, an e-commerce-focused artificial intelligence (AI) company based in Singapore, India and the US, has completed a $10.5 million Series B funding round led by Rakuten Ventures, WI Harper and Enspire Capital.
MLS, 1955 Capital back US agrochemicals specialist
Crop Enhancement, a US-based company that develops sustainable agrochemicals, has received an $8.5 million Series B round led by the Asia and Americas-focused MLS Capital Fund II and 1955 Capital, a cross-border PE firm set by former Khosla Ventures partner...
Wanda-lust: Chinese investment in the US movie industry
Jianlin Wang, chairman of Dalian Wanda Group, has set his sights on buying one of Hollywood's six major studios. The rationale is sound but a strategy of incremental acquisitions might work better
Japan's Taiho Ventures backs US cancer drug developer
Taiho Ventures, the newly established VC arm of Japan’s Taiho Pharmaceutical, has participated in a $70 million Series B round of funding for Arcus Biosciences, a US-based start-up that develops cancer drugs.
China's Zhongwang acquires PE-owned Aleris for $2.3b
A unit of China Zhongwang has agreed to buy US aluminum company Aleris Corporation in a deal worth $2.3 billion, facilitating an exit for majority owner Oaktree Capital Management.
Sequoia leads $27m round for India, US-based Mitra
Sequoia India and US-based Sands Capital Ventures have led a $27.4 million Series B round of funding for Mitra Biotech, an India and US-based company that focuses on personalized cancer therapies.
Jaganath Swamy leaves HarbourVest to lead start-up
Jaganath Swamy, a vice-president at HarbourVest Partners, has left the firm to join Good Parents, a health and wellness-focused start-up based in San Francisco and Hong Kong.
3D printing: Dimension jump
3D printing technology is expected to grow at an accelerated rate now that its practical applications have come into focus. As a global manufacturing leader, Asia could be at the center of the boom
Deal focus: NextVR takes live VR worldwide
US-based virtual reality broadcaster NextVR raises $80 million for expansion, mostly from Asian investors
Australia’s Square Peg in $17m round for UpGuard
Australian VC firm Square Peg Capital has contributed to a $17 million Series B round for UpGuard, a Sydney-founded cybersecurity start-up now headquartered in the US.
Norwest leads $15m Series B for India, US-based Zenoti
Norwest Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Zenoti, an India-founded and US-headquartered software provider for the spa and wellness industry.
India's WestBridge leads round for healthcare big data start-up
WestBridge Capital Partners has led a $15.6 million Series A round of funding for Innovaccer, a healthcare-focused IT outsourcing start-up with bases in Palo Alto and New Delhi.
CDPQ buys 20% stake in Plenary's Australia business
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has agreed to acquire a 20% stake in Plenary Group Holdings, which controls the Australian operations of the global specialist infrastructure investor Plenary Group.
Australia's Future Fund leads round for US-based MapR
Australia’s Future Fund has led a $50 million round of funding for US-based big data services company MapR Technologies.
Asian investors back $80m global expansion for NextVR
NextVR, a US-based start-up developing live streaming content for virtual reality (VR), has raised an $80 million Series B round, mostly from investors in Asia.
Drones: High-flying tech
The exponential rise in drone technology investment during the past few years is now expected to level off into slower growth as venture capitalists discover a galaxy of more nuanced opportunities
Deal focus: RocketSpace plots a China trajectory
With support from HNA Group, RocketSpace wants to take its San Francisco-based co-working space and accelerator model into new markets. China is the top priority