Regions
Warburg Pincus, Advantage honored at AVCJ Awards
Warburg Pincus and Advantage Partners triumphed in the firm of the year categories at the 2020 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards, with The Carlyle Group and Affinity Equity Partners also among the winners with two trophies apiece.
Sequoia, Matrix back $200m Series A for China’s D3 Bio
D3 Bio, a Chinese drug developer that studies and specifically targets areas where existing approaches to care are not delivering satisfactory outcomes, has raised $200 million in Series A funding.
KKR buys majority stake in New Zealand animal health business
KKR has acquired Argenta, a New Zealand-based animal health services provider, for an undisclosed sum.
Global LPs want more control in China – AVCJ Forum
North American and European LPs see promise in Asia, and China in particular, but remain wary due to a lack of control opportunities, especially in the context of COVID-19.
Investcorp acquires Singapore food company Viz Branz
Investcorp has agreed to acquire Singapore-based Viz Branz, a cereal and beverage brands maker and distributor in China and Southeast Asia, for an undisclosed sum.
Asset allocation: So long, silo?
The total portfolio approach remains on the margins of asset management. Advocates of the model hope LPs will reconsider as they look for alpha beyond the areas where they normally find it
VC-backed Chinese online education business files for US IPO
17 Education & Technology Group, a China-based education service provider that claims to pursue an integrated “in-school plus after-school” model, has filed for a US IPO.
Big platform creation in China coming to an end – AVCJ Forum
Opportunities to build Chinese platforms that can outperform segment leaders such as video-sharing apps Kuaishou and Douyin may not exist in the coming years, the AVCJ Forum heard.
Fund focus: Future Capital looks forward
Cloud-based infrastructure, logistics technology, mobility solutions and the internet of things are key themes for Future Capital as it begins to deploy its latest China-focused early-stage technology fund
CITIC exits data business to European GP
CITIC Capital is exiting its stake in business intelligence database provider ISI Emerging Markets Group to UK-based Montagu Private Equity.
Chinese noodle shop chain raises $68m Series D
Hefu Noodle, a Chinese noodle restaurant chain, has raised a RMB450 million ($68 million) Series D round co-led by Tencent Holdings and Longfor Capital, an investment unit of Hong Kong-listed property developer Longfor Group.
China agricultural drone maker XAG raises $182m
XAG, a Chinese manufacturer of agricultural drones, has raised a RMB1.2 billion ($182 million) round led by Baidu Capital and SoftBank Vision Fund II.
Q&A: British Columbia Investment's Jim Pittman
Jim Pittman, global head of private equity at British Columbia Investment Management, discusses the mechanics of building a co-investment heavy portfolio from Canada’s 12th largest urban center
KKR agrees $1.6b carve-out of Walmart's Japan business
KKR has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Seiyu, a Japanese supermarket operator controlled by US-headquartered Walmart, in a deal that values the business at JPY172.5 billion ($1.6 billion).
Aavishkaar, Circulate invest $18m in Indian recycling company
Aavishkaar Capital and Circulate Capital have invested a combined $18 million in Indian waste recovery and recycling business Nepra.
India food delivery player Zomato raises $195m
India-based food delivery business Zomato has raised $195 million from a group of investors including US-based Kora Management and Luxor Capital, and Korea’s Mirae Asset Capital.
China open source software player raises $43m Series B
Zilliz, a Chinese open-source software developer specializing in unstructured data processing and analysis, has raised a $43 million Series B round led by Hillhouse Capital affiliate GL Ventures.
MBK makes $1.1b take-private offer for China Auto Rental
MBK Partners has followed up its purchase of a significant minority stake in car rental business China Auto Rental (CAR) with a take-private offer that values the company at HK$8.56 billion ($1.1 billion).
Virtual AGMs & IR: Up in the air
Private equity firms are still finding their feet with annual meetings that no longer take place on the ground. Like it or not, virtual engagement is set to become a larger part of investor relations from now on
China cloud communication start-up secures $60m Series D
XYLink, a Chinese cloud communication service platform, has raised a RMB400 million ($60 million) Series D round led by Qi An Xin, a cybersecurity spinout from Qihoo 360.
J-Star exits Japan TV shopping business via trade sale
J-Star has sold Itty, a Japanese TV shopping business that specializes in healthy living products, to local broadcaster TV Asahi Corporation for an undisclosed sum.
ADIA, OTTP invest $1.2b in renewables-focused Equis
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTTP) have confirmed a $1.2 billion investment in Asia-focused renewable energy owner-operator Equis Development.
Asia consumer & brands: Mark tank
Local consumer brands in developing Asian markets are beginning to displace established global players. Investors are supporting the uprising and contemplating global breakouts of their own
Asia consumer & technology: Multifarious merchants
Technology is changing the way consumers interact with retailers both concrete and virtual. Ramping up the sociability factor has become a priority amid increasingly pervasive mechanization