Region
GGV, BII lead $60m round for Indian gold loan start-up
Rupeek, an India-based online gold loan marketplace, has received $60 million in a funding round led by GGV Capital and Bertelsmann India Investments.
Chinese AI-RPA start-up Laiye raises $42m Series C
Lightspeed China Partners and its global affiliate have co-led a $42 million Series C round for Laiye Technology, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that specializes in robotic process automation (RPA).
Partners Group targets $1.4b buyout of Australia's Healius
Partners Group has been granted a call option on Chinese conglomerate Jangho Group’s 15.9% stake in Australian healthcare services provider Healius, enabling the private equity firm to make a A$2.1 billion ($1.4 billion) bid for the entire business.
Japanese investors commit $856m to Grab
Singapore-based ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has raised $856 million from Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and TIS Intec Group.
Deal focus: Carlyle sells its golden goose
Having prioritized Asian expansion and high-end direct retail operations, Carlyle completed its exit from European sneaker brand Golden Goose with a more than 3x return
India's BharatPe raises $75m Series C
BharatPe, a digital payment services provider for offline businesses, has raised $75 million to help fund a non-banking financial company (NBFC) that will issue loans to small businesses.
Hillhouse establishes China VC unit
Hillhouse Capital has launched a China venture capital arm under the name GL Ventures. The first fund will reportedly be RMB10 billion ($1.4 billion) in size.
Blackstone buys Chinese Logistics business for $38m
The Blackstone Group has bought 80% interest in Guangdong-based Foshan Ruixin Logistics Management from Chinese conglomerate Dongbai Group for a tentative price of RMB269 million ($38 million).
CMC raises $950m for third China fund
CMC Capital Partners, a Chinese private equity firm set up by Ruigang Li (pictured), formerly president of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), has closed its third US dollar-denominated fund with more than $950 million in commitments.
Translink joins $94m round for Germany's Volocopter
Translink Capital, a US-based VC focused on facilitating cross-border connections with Asia, has joined a EUR87 million ($94 million) for German flying car developer Volocopter.
ADP sweeps in to claim GMR Airports
Groupe Aéroports de Paris (ADP), a French airport operator, will acquire a 49% stake in India’s GMR Airports (GAL) for INR107.8 billion ($1.49 billion), outbidding a PE-backed consortium.
IFC to invest $29m in India's Future Lifestyle Fashions
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed to invest INR2.1 billion ($29.6 million) in India-listed fashion retailer Future Lifestyle Fashions (FLF).
Malaysia's Socar gets $18m from Korean investors
Korea’s Eugene Private Equity and KH Energy have provided $18 million in Series A funding to the Malaysian arm of local car sharing company Socar.
Chinese cross-border e-commerce player raises $14m
Cathay Capital has committed RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series B funding to Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform OrderPlus.
Prosus leads $113m Series I for Swiggy
Swiggy, an Indian food and grocery delivery platform, has received $113 million in a Series I round led by Prosus Ventures, formerly known as Naspers Ventures and Food.
Sequoia leads Series C for Indian onboarding SaaS
Sequoia Capital India has led a $32 million Series C round for Whatfix, an Indian software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm that helps enterprises increase digital adoption rates.
StepStone promotes Australia-based Suzanne Tavill to partner
Suzanne Tavill, a Sydney-based managing director with StepStone Group, has been elevated to partner. It was one of four partner-level promotions made by the firm globally.
Globis backs two Japan marketing services companies
Japan’s Globis Capital Partners has invested in two marketing services providers in separate transactions, including web conferencing player BellFace and data-focused Flywheel.
GP profile: DSG Consumer Partners
A relentless curiosity about the Indian consumer’s journey has helped DSG Consumer Partners carve out a niche in the early stage investment space for companies with emerging local brands
China-focused online English teaching platform raises $14m
Whales English, a Chinese online language tuition business also known as Jingyu Peiyou, has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series B funding led by Sino Ocean Capital. Hike Capital and Fresh Capital also participated.
Deal focus: India's WayCool in fresh approach
A $32.9 million equity and debt investment is unusually large for an Indian agricultural technology start-up.
Deal focus: Circles.Life strives to be different
Circles.Life wants to think bigger, and broader, about its telecom offering than competing mobile virtual network operators in Asia. A $75 million investment from Warburg Pincus will fuel these ambitions
Coronavirus: PE impact assessment
Existing analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on PE and VC in Asia is largely based on anecdotes and incomplete datasets. A detailed prognosis must wait - and then the broader implications for consumption habits will take even longer to emerge
India's Unacademy secures $110m round
Indian educational learning platform Unacademy has closed a $110 million funding round, bringing Facebook and General Atlantic on to its investor roster.