Regions
AVCJ Awards 2020: Fundraising of the Year - Mid Cap: Ascendent Capital Partners
A $500 million investment in Wumart is the exception rather than the rule for Ascendent Capital Partners’ third China fund, but the digital transformation theme is a constant
China's BangEr Orthopedic raises $46m
Chinese hospital chain operator BangEr Orthopedic has raised a RMB300 million ($46 million) Series D round led by Fortune Capital and Cenova Capital.
Fund focus: Novo Tellus closes second Southeast Asia fund at $250m
Although its second fund is considerably larger than its first, Novo Tellus Capital Partners expects to target the same kind of Southeast Asian industrial technology businesses that have succession and expansion issues
Tower Capital hits first close on Southeast Asia fund
Tower Capital, a Singapore-based GP that previously operated on a deal-by-deal basis, has achieved a first close of approximately $250 million on its first Southeast Asia-focused private equity fund.
Sinovation sharpens focus on healthcare-plus-AI
Healthcare, rather than “rocket science,” represents the biggest opportunity for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, according to Kai-Fu Lee, chairman and CEO of China’s Sinovation Ventures.
COVID-19 changing conduct as much as tech usage
Experiences vary across geographies as Asian GPs adapt to pandemic working conditions. Technology use is up, but the most lasting changes may be more cultural in nature.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Deal of the Year - Small Cap: TaniGroup
Openspace Ventures played a key role in helping Indonesian agriculture technology start-up TaniGroup achieve critical mass as COVID-19 weeded out much of the competition
Deal focus: Monetizing mice
ORI Capital’s 2.8x return on its investment in Kymab was in part based on helping the company make the transition from antibody-based discovery platform to drug development engine
Salesforce invests $15m in India's Darwinbox
Salesforce Ventures has invested $15 million in Darwinbox as part of the Indian staff management technology provider's latest growth round. It brings funds raised to date to about $35 million.
Prosus leads $30m Series C for India agtech start-up
Prosus Ventures, formerly a VC arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers, has led a $30 million Series C round for Indian agricultural technology provider DeHaat.
Fund focus: Endiya sees India’s early-stage upside
Having scaled up in fund size to $75 million for its second vintage, Endiya Partners is looking for opportunities in an increasingly attractive yet competitive Indian start-up ecosystem
Monument Group recruits Japan representative
Placement agent Monument Group has appointed Hiroshi Nishimuro, formerly of Morgan Stanley, as its Japan representative to lead fundraising efforts and manage GP relationships in the country.
Asia PE investment ends 2020 on a tear
A fourth-quarter surge in growth-stage deal-making took Asia private equity investment to $198.5 billion in 2020, comfortably surpassing the previous year’s total despite the strictures of COVID-19.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Operational Value Add: TEG
Affinity Equity Partners turned TEG from a ticketing business into a broad-based live events promoter, while simultaneously taking it from Australia-centric to global
Hillhouse founder bullish on China life sciences
Lei Zhang, founder and CEO of Hillhouse Capital, emphasized the opportunities at the nexus of life sciences and artificial intelligence-enabled supercomputing, while describing his firm as “probably the largest investor in healthcare in China.”
Lake Bleu raises $560m for Asia pre-IPO healthcare fund
Lake Bleu Capital, a Hong Kong-based private equity investor focused on healthcare, has raised $560 million for a pre-IPO fund targeting Asia with an emphasis on Greater China.
Navis invests in Singapore fintech supplier Moneythor
Navis Capital Partners has made an investment of undisclosed size in Moneythor, a Singapore financial technology supplier focused on digital banking.
China-based English learning platform raises $100m
Tencent Holdings and Trustbridge Partners have led a $100 million Series C funding round for Jiliguala, a Shanghai-based online English learning platform.
Australia's CPE makes $1.7b bid for Bingo Industries
A consortium led by CPE Capital has submitted a buyout offer for Bingo Industries, an Australia-based waste management and recycling company at an enterprise valuation of A$2.28 billion ($1.7 billion).
AVCJ Awards 2020: Fundraising of the Year - Venture Capital: Ince Capital Partners
A year after leaving Qiming Venture Partners, J.P. Gan raised $351.9 million for his debut fund at consumer internet-focused Ince Capital Partners
Chinese-owned gaming business completes $1.9b IPO
Playtika, an Israel-headquartered social and mobile games company that was acquired by a PE-backed Chinese consortium in 2016, gained 17% on its US trading debut following a $1.88 billion IPO.
China mapping start-up gets $40m Series A extension
Chinese mapping start-up Wayz.ai has raised $40 million in an extended Series A round from a range of local investors.
China's Firstred targets $500m US dollar fund
Firstred Capital, a Chinese private equity firm established by M&A veteran Xiaodan Liu, is looking to raise approximately $500 million for its debut US dollar-denominated fund.
SEAF hits first close on Southeast Asia women’s fund
The Southeast Asia division of US-headquartered impact private equity firm SEAF has reached a first close of at least $16 million for a women’s economic empowerment fund.