Regions
Prosus leads $25m Series B for India's Vegrow
Prosus Ventures, a technology investment business controlled by Naspers, has led a USD 25m Series B round for Vegrow, an India-based marketplace that helps farmers sell their fruit crops into organised distribution channels.
Brett Sutton to leave role as CVC's Australia chair
Brett Sutton, a former partner at Affinity Equity Partners who was recruited by CVC Capital Partners last August to oversee the reestablishment of its Australia presence, will leave the firm at the end of the year.
China medical big data player Aden secures $30m
Aden Technology, a China-based medical big data company specialising in insurance, has raised an extended Series B round of CNY 200m (USD 30m) led by Haier Capital with participation from Xingtuo Capital.
Qiming raises $3.2b across dollar, renminbi funds
China-focused VC firm Qiming Venture Partners has closed its eighth US dollar-denominated fund at the hard cap of USD 2.5bn – more than twice the size of the previous vintage – and raised CNY 4.7bn (USD 701m) for its latest renminbi vehicle.
Singapore blockchain gaming start-up gets $20m
Singapore’s Oasys, a blockchain technology developer focused on web3 gaming, has raised USD 20m from several specialist crypto investors.
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui commits $1.5bn to Apollo
Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings has signed up to an alternatives co-investment program run by Apollo Global Management, taking the total capital raised from Asia-based LPs to more than USD 5bn.
Korean GP backs $1.5b buyout of US-listed Meridian Bioscience
SJL Partners, a Korea-based private equity firm that specialises in cross-border transactions, has teamed up with domestic in vitro diagnostics business SD Biosensor to acquire US-listed peer Meridian Bioscience for USD 1.53bn.
India fintech player Cred closes $140m Series F
Cred, an India-based credit card rewards provider, has closed a USD 140m Series F round that includes a secondary component intended to facilitate exits for existing investors.
Korea's Kakao considers partial divestment of mobility spin-out
South Korean internet giant Kakao has indicated it may sell around 10% of Kakao Mobility, its transportation division, which has several private equity backers.
Quadrant exits Australia underwear brand to Swedish strategic
Quadrant Private Equity has exited Australian hygiene apparel brand Modibodi to Swedish strategic Essity for AUD 140m (USD 96m).
Accel-KKR targets Australia-listed SaaS player Damstra
Damstra Technology, a listed Australian software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specialising in worker safety and risk management, has received an unsolicited buyout proposal from Accel-KKR.
Navis exits Hong Kong's Texon to global strategic
Navis Capital Partners has exited its entire controlling position in Hong Kong footwear components supplier Texon to UK-listed Coats Group for an enterprise value of USD 237m.
Government funds support China's Dark Matter AI
Dmai, a Chinese cognitive artificial intelligence (AI) platform also known as Dark Matter AI, has raised RMB 500m (USD 75m) in the first tranche of a Series B round from five state-backed investors.
Blackstone backs Australia, US clean commodities platform
The Blackstone Group has led a USD 400m investment in Xpansiv, an Australia and US-based marketplace for trading clean commodities such as carbon offsets, renewable energy credits (RECs), and low-carbon fuels.
Australian start-up wins backing for spider venom drug
Infensa Bioscience, a newly established Brisbane-based drug developer, has raised AUD 23m (USD 15.6m) in funding to support the licensing of a nascent treatment that uses spider venom to mitigate heart attacks and strokes.
Profile: MSA Capital’s Jenny Zeng
Having participated in Chinese private equity as GP, LP, advisor, and industry association executive, Jenny Zeng has clear ideas as to what makes a good founder. These are being put into practice at MSA Capital
Deal focus: Carlyle targets consumerism in ceramics
The Carlyle Group, like many investors, sees premiumisation as a natural outcome of the expansion of India’s middle class. It could be the first to test this thesis in the local building materials industry
Deal focus: India’s Shubham sees opening to accelerate
Shubham believes its long-curated datasets and institutional memory differentiate it from a growing pack of low-income housing lenders. Global impact investors appear convinced
Deal focus: CDH plays Asia wellness card
CDH Investments turned The Better Health Company from a New Zealand-only player into a brand with regional recognition. COVID-19 proved a minor obstacle to an ultimately successful trade sale
Australia tech: Valuation conundrum
Valuation adjustments and down rounds are expected to proliferate in Australia’s technology sector in the next 12 months. Investors are busy scrutinising business models for signs of vulnerability
Deal focus: Novel angle on mobile adoption gains traction
Cashify is leveraging and propelling India’s mobile penetration narrative at the most fundamental level. Adding tech to the secondhand smart phone space has allowed it to create a first-of-its-kind brand
Legend leads $150m Series E for China CRO ClinChoice
US and China-based clinical contract research organization (CRO) company ClinChoice has raised a USD 150m Series E round led by Legend Capital.
Singapore blockchain player Rubix raises $100m
Singapore-based crypto transaction infrastructure provider Rubix has raised USD 100m from US-based LDA Capital to transition into a more web3-oriented and “green blockchain” model.