Region
Saratoga's Uno steps back from business, eyes politics
Sandiaga Uno, one of the founding partners at Indonesia-focused GP Saratoga Capital, is scaling back his formal corporate roles with a view to launching a career in politics.
Alibaba Pictures raises $1.6b to fund media acquisitions
Alibaba Pictures, a Hong Kong-listed film and entertainment unit owned by Alibaba Group, plans to raise about HK$12.1 billion ($1.56 billion) through a share placement to help finance potential acquisitions in the media industry.
Chinese premier backs local listings for start-ups
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the government would promote start-ups with “special ownership structures” to list onshore, as part of efforts to encourage the development of the venture capital industry.
L Capital-owned Ku De Ta to re-brand as Ce La Vi
Ku Dé Ta Group, the Singapore luxury restaurant and club chain controlled by L Capital Asia, has has re-branded as Ce La Vi after losing a legal battle over naming rights.
India home appliances marketplace raises $20m
Indian hyper-local online marketplace Zopper has raised $20 million from existing investors Tiger Global and Nirvana Venture Advisors.
Korean groups launch $180m North America infrastructure mandate
A group of Korean institutional investors led by a unit of KB Financial Group has awarded a North American infrastructure mandate worth $180 million to Fengate Capital Management.
Fidelity leads round for India healthcare start-up Medwell
Fidelity Growth Partners India (FGPI) and affiliated US fund Fidelity Biosciences have invested $10 million in Medwell Ventures, operator of Nightingales specialty home healthcare services.
Tembusu backs Singapore energy efficiency business
Singapore-based GP Tembusu Partners has invested in local energy efficiency services start-up Barghest Building Performance (BBP), providing a "seven-figure" mezzanine commitment.
Morningside backs China mathematics teaching start-up
Early-stage investor Morningside Technologies has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for Leleketang, a China-based online teaching platform that specializes in mathematics and Chinese.
Buyout target Cocoaland gets offer First Pacific consortium
Malaysian confectionary manufacturer Cocoaland Holdings, which has been targeted by Navis Capital Partners and EQT Partners, has received a buyout offer from a consortium including Hong Kong investment company First Pacific.
Wavemaker provides seed funding for Singapore 3D pen developer
CreoPop, a Singapore start-up which has developed a pen that enables objects to be drawn in 3D, has received seed funding from Wavemaker Partners and the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF).
Warburg Pincus invests $120m in India's Ecom Express
Ecom Express, an Indian e-commerce logistics startup, has raised INR8.5 billion ($120 million) from Warburg Pincus.
Nexus leads $15m round for India data solutions firm
Nexus Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series B round for Indian data center software developer Arkin, along with other investors.
J-Star backs Japan medical insurer
Japanese mid-market GP J-Star has invested an undisclosed sum in Nihon Hoken Service (NHS), a Tokyo-based insurance agency and insurance solicitation business.
Taiwan launches $120m Silicon Valley VC fund
Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) have agreed to form $120 million VC fund that will invest in Silicon Valley tech start-ups.
SoftBank commits $1b to Korea e-commerce player Coupang
Japan’s SoftBank Corp. has added another Asian e-commerce brand to its portfolio with a $1 billion commitment to South Korea-based Coupang.
China's VC-backed Taomee receives take-private proposal
An investment arm of Chinese brokerage Orient Securities has teamed up with the CEO and president of children's entertainment group Taomee Holdings, and submitted a take-private offer for the US-listed company.
CBC leads $15m round for China public transport app
China Broadband Capital (CBC) has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Chelaile, a Chinese public bus tracking app.
Deal focus: Tata sees logistics angle in India tax reforms
Third-party logistics (3PL) companies have traditionally struggled in India. For example, the country’s fragmented tax system meant that companies moving goods cross-country had to pay multiple tariffs and stop for traffic examination each time they crossed...
Deal focus: Quadrant makes another premium pet play
Quadrant Private Equity's last foray into pet services was relatively short-lived. It bought City Farmers for A$93 million ($84 million) in September 2013 and within 10 months had agreed to sell the business to Greencross for A$205 million in cash and...
Chinese insurers: GP or LP?
China’s insurance companies are allowed to have more exposure to private equity than ever before. This includes the right to set up their own GPs, but not all market players will plot such a course immediately
LP interview: ROC Partners
Having created the largest Asia-focused fund-of-funds as a division of Macquarie, Michael Lukin and his team spun out two years ago to form ROC Partners. Secondaries and co-investments are the areas of focus
Corporate VC: Pleasing the parent
Companies want to keep tabs on technological innovation in order to stay relevant in their industries by nurturing Asia’s tech start-ups. However, there is no uniform approach to corporate venture capital
China cross-border: A helping hand
When Hony Capital bought Pizza Express for about GBP880 million ($1.5 billion) last year, the plan was to turn the UK-based restaurant chain’s nascent China presence into a commanding one. The private equity firm then built a dedicated platform for other...