Region
Ascendent-backed RYB Education gains 40% on US debut
Chinese kindergarten operator RYB Education closed up 40% on its first day of trading in New York following a $144.3 million IPO. Ascendent Capital Partners made a partial exit through the offering.
MBK to buy stake in Korean golf course business
MBK Partners, which completed its acquisition of Japanese golf course operator Accordia Golf earlier this year, has agreed to take a stake in the golf course management business of Korea-listed Golfzon.
Hony backs $1b COFCO Capital mixed ownership reform deal
Hony Capital has committed RMB1.8 billion ($271 million) to COFCO Capital Investment, a subsidiary of Chinese state-backed COFCO Group. It is the largest participant in a RMB6.9 billion mixed ownership reform deal.
Yao Capital leads $75m round for China sports school
Yao Capital has led a RMB500 million ($75 million) round of funding for Doing Now, a privately-held Chinese sports school for children.
China flexible display developer gets $800m in equity, debt funding
Royole Corporation, a China-based flexible display technology developer, has completed its Series D funding round with $240 million in commitments from a group of local investors and also raised $560 million in debt financing.
OrbiMed invests $42.5m in India's Vivimed Labs
Healthcare specialist investor OrbiMed has committed $42.5 million in Uquifa, the active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) unit of India-listed pharmaceuticals business Vivimed Labs.
Dymon invests $15m in Malaysia bottled water company
Singapore-based Dymon Asia Private Equity has agreed to acquire a 13% stake in Malaysia-based and Myanmar-listed bottled water producer Spritzer for about MYR63 million ($15 million).
Deal focus: XW wins backing for better drugs
XW Laboratories identifies approved drugs with deficiencies and produces new versions that work better. The Chinese company has received $17.5 million in Series B funding to build out its pipeline
Qiming leads $52m round for China's JingChi
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $54 million pre-Series A round for JingChi, a Chinese self-driving technology company, with participation from US-based strategic investor Nvidia GPU Ventures.
VCs invest $3.4m in Japan's Oneteam
Oneteam, a Japanese workplace chat app provider, has received a JPY380 million ($3.4 million) funding round from a group of venture investors, including existing backer Nissay Capital.
PE investors abandon Australia childcare merger
Outside school care providers Camp Australia and Junior Adventures Group (JAG), which are owned by Bain Capital Private Equity and Advent Partners, respectively, have abandoned plans to merge.
Due diligence: Go your own way
While GPs in Western markets increasingly rely on outside consultants for portfolio management services, Asian investors are skeptical about its usefulness. Will horror stories eventually elicit change?
Australia agtech: Tending the seedlings
Agricultural technology investment in Australia is growing rapidly from a low base. Sustaining this momentum requires international capital channels and attention to local differentiators
Oaktree plans Asia growth with caution
Oaktree Capital Management CEO Jay Wintrob has singled out China and India as prospective jurisdictions for increased investment activity due to local regulatory progress, even as a number of converging macro themes inspire a more cautious overall approach....
MBK hires Deutsche executive to co-lead credit strategy
North Asia-focused buyout player MBK Partners has hired Stephen Le, formerly of Deutsche Bank, to co-head a newly-launched fund that will make credit and special situations investments.
Advantage exits Japan massage chain in $300m sale
Advantage Partners has sold its majority stake in Japanese massage chain operator Riraku at a valuation of approximately $300 million, securing a 12x money multiple.
China Renaissance recruits ex-GA executive for PE unit
China Renaissance Group has appointed Ke Wei, formerly a managing director at General Atlantic (GA), as a partner in its private equity investment platform, known as the New Economy Fund.
Bain, Goldman agree $2.7b exit from Carver Korea
Bain Capital Private Equity and Goldman Sachs have agreed to sell their majority stake in Carver Korea, a specialist cosmetics supplier, to Unilever in a deal worth EUR2.27 billion ($2.7 billion).
Didi invests $200m in China's VC-backed Renrenche
Chinese ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing has invested $200 million in Renrenche, a local consumer-to-consumer used-car trading platform, which is backed by several VC investors.
Singapore's Sea files for US IPO
Sea, the Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform formerly known as Garena, has filed to list on the New York Stock Exchange.
Hony backs Hong Kong VC fund
China-focused PE firm Hony Capital has agreed to back the debut fund being raised by newly-established Hong Kong VC firm Beyond Ventures. The vehicle has a target of HK$1.2 billion ($154 million).
Ex-TPG Asia head Ben Gray launches debut fund
BGH Capital, the Australia and New Zealand-focused private equity firm set up by Ben Gray (pictured), formerly co-head of TPG Capital in Asia, has launched its debut fund with a target of A$2 billion ($1.6 billion).
China-backed Canyon Bridge agrees UK semiconductor deal
Canyon Bridge Capital Partners – a private equity firm backed by Chinese LPs that was recently blocked from buying US-based Lattice Semiconductor – has agreed to acquire Imagination Technologies, a chipmaker headquartered in the UK.
Bain's China education business set for NASDAQ IPO
Bain Capital Private Equity-owned Rise Education, a China-based company that provides after-school English teaching and tutoring services, has filed to list on NASDAQ.