Regions
Lever VC reaches $23m first close on food fund
Lever VC, a Hong Kong and US-based food tech specialist, has confirmed a $23 million first close for its debut fund, which will invest alternative protein start-ups globally with a strong focus on China.
Trio of Indian short video apps raises funding
Indian short video apps Chingari, Mitron and Trell have all received venture capital backing as they look to slowly fill a void left by the suspension of ByteDance-owned TikTok’s operations in the country.
Ant Capital targets $253m buyout of Japan's Softbrain
Ant Capital Partners has launched a tender offer for Softbrain, a Japanese sales and marketing software developer, that values the business at approximately JPY26.9 billion ($253.1 million).
Direct Capital, ACC back New Zealand logistics player
New Zealand PE firm Direct Capital and the government’s Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) have taken a combined 50% stake in local logistics operator Mondiale for an undisclosed sum.
Centurium buys Beijing children's hospital
Centurium Capital has acquired a controlling stake in Beijing Jingdu Children’s Hospital, which claims to be the largest privately-owned children’s hospital in China, for approximately $150 million.
China medical device player Hanyu Medical secures $72m
China-based medical devices manufacturer Hanyu Medical has raised a RMB500 million ($72 million) Series D co-led by HighLight Capital, CPE (formerly known as CITIC Private Equity), and Yingke Private Equity.
Airbus Ventures sets up Japan office
Airbus Ventures, the US-based VC unit of European aeronautics giant Airbus, has set up an office in Japan and received investment from a number of Japanese investors for its third fund.
Singapore's Anchanto raises $12m funding round
Anchanto, a Singapore-headquartered technology provider that helps with e-commerce enablement, raised S$16.6 million ($12 million) in a Series C round.
Japan's ACA exits aged care business
Tokyo-listed healthcare provider Solasto will acquire 100% of Japan Elderly Care Service for JPY2.3 billion ($22 million), providing an exit for local private equity firm ACA Investments.
China’s JD.com acquires VC-backed logistics player
Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com has agreed to pay RMB3 billion ($432 million) for a controlling stake in Kuayue Express, a local VC-backed logistics operator.
WestBridge invests $75m in India’s IndiGo
India-focused WestBridge Capital has invested INR5.5 billion ($75 million) in budget airline operator IndiGo.
China’s VC-backed CanSino raises $748m in Star Market IPO
Chinese vaccine developer CanSino Biologics, which counts Lily Asia Ventures (LAV) and Qiming Venture Partners among its investors, has raised RMB5.2 billion ($748 million) in an IPO on Shanghai’s Star Market.
China's Vision Medicals raises $28m
CDH Investment has led a RMB200 million ($28 million) Series B round for Guangzhou-based precision diagnosis and gene sequencing company Vision Medicals.
Yunfeng backs take-private of China-US biotech player
Yunfeng Capital, a private equity firm co-founded by Jack Ma, is backing the privatization of Cellular Biomedicine, a US and China-based biotech developer.
Duo of Indonesia fishery start-ups attracts funding
Northstar Group and Go-Ventures have led a Series B round of undisclosed size for Indonesia’s eFishery, while East Ventures has backed a $5.5 million Series A for fishing industry app Aruna.
Australia's Taronga Ventures launches in Singapore
Taronga Ventures, the venture arm of Australian real estate investment firm Taronga Group, has set up Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore.
India’s Prime Venture names Helion co-founder as partner
Ashish Gupta (pictured), a co-founder of Helion Ventures, has joined Indian VC firm Prime Venture Partners as a partner emeritus. He will remain based in the US.
Tencent plots merger of China live-streaming platforms
Tencent Holdings has proposed a merger of Douyu and Huya – China’s two largest game-centric live-streaming platforms. Both NASDAQ-listed companies have a number of VC investors.
Start-up profiles: Sustainability agendas
Early-stage innovators across the region are leveraging both enterprise and consumer-facing models to address sustainability challenges with one eye on rapid commercialization
Quadrant acquires Australia phone mount business
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity has acquired a controlling stake in Quad Lock, a local smart phone accessories maker focused on device mounts for bikes and cars.
Sequoia leads $20m Series A for Singapore's Incomlend
Sequoia Capital India has led a $20 million Series A round for Incomlend, a Singapore-based invoice trading platform that aims to democratize access to trade finance.
Rocketship targets Asia with second global VC fund
Rocketship, a US-based data science-focused venture capital firm that has backed a number of Indian start-ups, has closed its second global fund at $100 million with a strong focus on Asia.
ByteDance acquires Chinese medical platform for $72m
ByteDance, the PE-backed owner of TikTok and the Toutiao news aggregation service, has acquired VC-backed Chinese medical information platform Baikemy for RMB500 million ($72 million).
Q&A: Circulate Capital's Rob Kaplan
Rob Kaplan is CEO of Singapore’s Circulate Capital, which is dedicated to reducing oceanic plastic pollution. Its $150 million debut fund is backed by the likes of Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Unilever