Region
Risa Partners exits drug store to Tsuruha Holdings for $99m
Risa Partners, a unit of NEC Capital, has exited its 56% stake in Japanese drug store operator Hearty Wants to strategic investor Tsuruha Holdings for JPY10.1 billion ($99 million).
Indonesian fashion site Berrybenka raises $5m Series B
Japan's Transcomos has led a $5 million Series B round of funding for Berrybenka, picking a more than 30% interest in the Indonesian fashion e-commerce start-up. Existing backer GREE Venture also participated.
Tencent an investor in Snapchat – report
Tencent reportedly made a minority investment in video messaging app Snapchat in June.
Indian T-shirt design crowd-sourcing platform gets VC funding
Mumbai-based online apparel retailer VoxPopClothing has raised $400,000 in funding from Blume Ventures and other unnamed investors.
Japanese pension funds must diversify - panel
Japan's public pension funds - which collectively manage more than JPY200 trillion ($2 trillion) in assets - should diversify into alternative assets, including private equity, and have greater independence to do so, according to an expert panel.
Virgin forms India JV with Cinema Capital Venture Fund
Richard Branson’s Virgin Produced media production company has entered into a partnership with Mumbai-based Cinema Capital Venture Fund and Tantrik Group, a media and entertainment asset management firm, to launch Virgin Produced India, which will develop,...
DCM, Bertelsmann commit $10m to China's Ucloud
Ucloud, a Chinese cloud computing service provider, has received more than $10 million in Series A funding from DCM and Bertelsmann Asia Investments.
China to modify IPO approvals system
The China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) will move towards a registration-based system for IPOs in place of the current approval-based system. This is intended to make it easier for companies, especially smaller ones, to raise capital.
Gaw Capital acquires London property for Korean investors
Gaw Capital Partners, a Hong Kong-based private equity real estate firm, has acquired Waterside House - an office building in London - on behalf of a pool of South Korean institutional investors.
Exhilway closes $200m mines and minerals fund, targets Indonesia
Exhilway Global, a US-based hedge fund and emerging markets private equity manager, has closed its maiden mines and minerals PE fund at $200 million. The vehicle will acquire and operate mines in alliance with local companies in Indonesia, as well as...
Everstone in Burger King India tie-up
The Everstone Group has entered into a joint venture with Burger King Worldwide to bring the world’s second-largest fast food hamburger chain to India.
Blackstone, Panchshil Realty to buy Mumbai office tower
The Blackstone Group and Xander Group-backed Indian developer Panchshil Realty are set to buy a majority stake in an office tower in Mumbai for close to INR9 billion ($144 million).
GIC to anchor Ascendas India realty platform
GIC Private will be the lead investor in an Indian real estate platform launched by Singapore-based Ascendas. The Ascendas India Growth Programme has a target size of S$600 million ($482 million) and will invest in real estate in India, focusing on business...
China's NSSF invests in US-listed mobile games developer
The National Council for Social Security Fund (NSSF), China's state pension fund, has invested $15 million in China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group (CMGE), a US-listed mobile games operator.
Australian Tax Office warns foreign investors on compliance
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has written to 130 private equity firms offering to “assist with their compliance” as it scrutinizes the pipeline of upcoming IPOs to ensure foreign investors don’t avoid paying local tax.
Alibaba buys VC-backed mobile app analytics operator
China e-commerce conglomerate Alibaba Group has purchased Umeng, a Beijing-based mobile app analytics service provider incubated by Innovation Works.
SMBC Venture, Adways invest in Japan e-commerce site
SMBC Venture Capital and strategic investor Adways have together backed Flask Park, a Japanese gift e-commerce company. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Australia's HighPoint Capital invests in Brand New Media
HighPoint Capital has acquired a significant minority shareholding in Brand New Media (BNM), a Sydney-headquartered business that runs digital channels for brands and broadcasters. Its partners include Seven West Media in Australia, New Zealand’s national...
Hong Kong PE regulation: The quest for certainty
Proposals have been released on extending Hong Kong’s offshore funds tax exemption to include PE and setting up open-ended investment companies. Market watchers are encouraged, but know they must be patient
CapAsia exits Thai toll road
The floods that devastated Thailand in the second half of 2011 were the country’s worst in 50 years, with the World Bank putting the economic damages at $45.7 billion. Bangkok came under threat in mid-October with outer areas most severely hit. The city’s...
Bitcoin boom
“It is in some ways easier to buy things in China using bitcoin than it is using traditional fiat currency,” says Dan Ciporin, partner at the VC firm Canaan Partners.
China due diligence: Playing it safe
The catalogue of deals gone bad in China is long and undistinguished. Private equity firms, and the third-party advisors that work with them, are rethinking their approach to due diligence
Hong Kong's FSDC makes proposals for PE tax exemption, OEICs
Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) has released proposals for extending the profits tax exemption for offshore funds to include private equity and introducing open-ended investment company (OEIC) structures through which managers...
Bitcoin exchange BTC China Raises $5m from Lightspeed
China’s largest bitcoin exchange by trading volume, BTC China, has raised $5 million in Series A funding from Lightspeed China Partners and Lightspeed Venture Partners.