Regions
Actis to buy India lighting business from Halonix
Actis is set to buy the loss-making general lighting division of its portfolio company Halonix, a manufacturer of compact fluorescent lamps for general lighting and halogen lamps for automotives.
Arisaig invests $30m for stake in India McDonald’s franchisee
Arisaig Partners has bought a 3.47% stake in Mumbai-listed Westlife Development for INR1.8 billion ($30 million). Westlife controls McDonald’s restaurants in west and south India through its direct subsidiary, Hardcastle Restaurants. It is one of two...
Legend Capital joins funding round for heart valve implant maker
Legend Capital has participated in a $62.5 million Series C round of funding for Munich-based JenaValve Technology, a manufacturer of valve systems used to treat heart conditions. The company intends to apply to market products in China.
East Ventures backs Japanese flea market app Mercari
East Ventures has invested JPY50 million ($500,000) in Mercari, a Japanese flea market app launched by former Zynga Japan General Manager Shintaro Yamada.
Kartrocket gets seed funding from 5ideas Startup Superfuel, 500 Startups
Indian e-commerce platform Kartrocket has raised a seed round of funding from 5ideas Startup Superfuel and 500 Startups.
Strategics buy Singapore start-ups Techsailor, YFind
Two Singapore-based start-ups – Techsailor and YFind – have been snapped up by strategic investors. This follows last week’s acquisition of VC-backed travel website TravelMob by NASDAQ-listed vacation rental portal HomeAway.
Bright Stone targets $4.8b for China tourism fund
China Bright Stone Investment has partnered with the Guizhou provincial government to launch the country's first tourism-focused fund, targeting up to RMB30 billion ($4.8 billion). The vehicle – Wuling Mountains travel industry investment fund - will...
Affinity pays $239m for majority stake in Korean music platform
Affinity Equity Partners will pay KRW265.9 billion ($239 million) for a 52.6% stake in Loen Entertainment, a South Korean record label and digital music platform. The holding is being divested by SK Planet, a subsidiary of SK Telecom, the country's largest...
China’s SAIF invests in COFCO-run food retail site
SAIF Partners has invested in Womai.com, a food and grocery B2C online platform set up by Chinese food conglomerate COFCO. Financial terms were not disclosed but the investment is said to be more than $10 million.
Jungle Ventures secures TravelMob exit
Four years ago, Asia Pacific became the world’s largest aviation market, with 647 million travelers taking flights within the region compared to 638 million in North America. This growth shows no sign of slowing down – in the first four months of...
L Capital targets Chinese beauty
As growth slows in China's consumer sector, L Capital Asia has identified cosmetics as a segment with the qualities to withstand the broader trend. Put simply, as a woman’s disposable incomes rise, so does her consumption of premium cosmetics, particularly...
Caffeinated returns: Private equity's coffee shop craving
Private equity is already leveraging the growing popularity of coffee shops across Asia. But where is the next frontier – and is it all about the coffee?
A new alternative: SME liquidity in India
India has opened up a channel for domestic start-ups to sell shares without going through a full IPO. The platform offers new fundraising and exit options, but regulators could help by removing more red tape
Rich man’s game: The cost of fundraising in Asia
Asian GPs and fund lawyers are struggling with a demand-supply imbalance. LPs are negotiating more and conceding less - but for all that managers say fundraising costs are going up, lawyers say fees are going down
The problem with Southeast Asian VC
Ahead of last week's AVCJ Singapore Forum, this column was dedicated to the less-loved investment stories in Southeast Asia. VC made the list because, despite offering a similar fundamentals to China and India – rising disposable incomes and mobile...
Singapore’s Temasek appoints new chairman
Temasek Holdings has appointed Lim Boon Heng as its fourth chairman, succeeding Suppiah Dhanabalan who is retiring after leading the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund for 17 years.
Everstone to invest $33m in Indian NBFC
Everstone Capital is to invest INR2 billion ($33.5 million) for a 15-20% stake in Hinduja Leyland Finance (HLF) a non-banking financial company (NBFC) owned by the Hinduja Group.
Providence ups stake in India's Hathway Cable & Datacom
Providence Equity Partners has increased its stake in Indian cable and broadband operator Hathway Cable & Datacom by injecting INR1.5 billion ($25.1 million) alongside the promoter.
Artesian Ventures, University of Queensland to launch start-up fund
Artesian Capital Management, an alternative investment arm spun out of ANZ Banking Group, has partnered with University of Queensland to create a A$1.5 million ($1.4 million) Accelerate Investment Fund. The vehicle will invest in graduates from the university’s...
Google buys stake in VC-backed Taiwan glass supplier
Google has taken a 6.3% stake in Himax Display, a subsidiary of Taiwanese company Himax Technologies, which manufactures liquid crystal silicon (LCOS) chips used in Google Glass and other products. The company also counts KPCB Holdings, Khosla Ventures...
Standard Chartered, IL&FS-backed Ramky Enviro in Australian acquisition
Ramky Enviro Engineers (REEL), an Indian waste management company backed by Standard Chartered and IL&FS Investment Managers, has agreed to acquire Australian environmental engineering and petrochemical services provider Enviropacific Services .
IndiaVenture eyes $25m first close on healthcare fund
IndiaVenture Advisors (IVA), the PE arm of Indian healthcare company Piramal Enterprises, expects to reach a first close at around INR1.5 billion ($25 million) next month on IndiaVenture Trust Fund II, which has a full target of INR10 billion.
Baring ups stake in India’s Manappuram Finance
Baring Private Equity Partners India has upped its stake in Manappuram Finance, a listed non-bank financial company (NBFC) specializing in gold loans, to 11.56% from an earlier 9.48% via open market purchases.
MBK considers IPO for Taiwan’s CNS – report
MBK Partners is reportedly considering an IPO for China Network Systems (CNS), Taiwan’s largest cable TV and broadband provider, in place of a longstanding trade sale agreement that has yet to materialize amid regulatory concerns.