South Asia
Walmart, Flipkart re-up in India's Ninjacart
US retailer Walmart and Flipkart, its India-based e-commerce platform, have made an additional investment in local fresh produce delivery business Ninjacart.
India's Razorpay raises $100m Series D
Indian digital payments start-up Razorpay has achieved unicorn status following a $100 million Series D round led by GIC Private and Sequoia Capital India.
PAG-led consortium buys India drug maker
PAG Asia Capital has made its second substantial investment in India in the past two months, leading a consortium that has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Anjan Drug, a Chennai-based manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API).
SAIF launches fourth India VC fund
SAIF Partners India has launched its fourth VC fund with a target of $400 million.
ADIA joins Reliance Retail investor roster
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has become the latest investor to follow its commitment to Reliance Industries-owned Jio Platforms with an investment in Indian conglomerate’s retail unit.
India, US-based Chargebee raises $55m Series F
Chargebee, an India-founded and now US-headquartered financial technology provider, has raised $55 million in Series F funding led by Insight Partners.
Investcorp ramps up India ESG build-out
Investcorp will establish an environment, social and governance (ESG) pilot project in India as a stepping stone to implementing a global framework.
Warburg Pincus to invest $95m in India's Home First Finance
Warburg Pincus has agreed to invest INR7 billion ($95.7 million) in Home First Finance, an India-based provider of home loans to the low and middle-income segments.
GIC backs Reliance Retail's India digitization drive
Singapore’s GIC Private has committed INR55.1 billion ($754 million) to the retail unit of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries, joining a growing roster of blue-chip backers.
Lee Fixel's Addition backs India news aggregation app
Inshorts, an Indian news aggregation app, has raised $35 million in funding led by Addition, an investment firm launched by Lee Fixel, who was previously involved in Tiger Global Management’s India deals.
PE-owned Asia data center business trades up after $540m IPO
Bain Capital-controlled data center operator Chindata Group Holdings gained 20% on its NASDAQ trading debut following a $540 million IPO.
Prosus leads $12m Series B for Pakistan's Bykea
Prosus Ventures, formerly a VC arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers, has led a $12 million Series B round for Pakistan ride-hailing and courier app Bykea.
Investors commit $1.6b to India's Reliance Retail
General Atlantic, TPG and Mubadala Investment have doubled down on Reliance Industries’ plans to reinvent digital consumer services in India, following earlier commitments to Jio Platforms with investments in the conglomerate’s retail unit.
Southeast Asia VC: Knowledge transfers
When venture capital firms move into Southeast Asia, they often use existing operations in China or India as a launching pad. Different lessons can be learned from these two markets
India's ShareChat gets $40m pre-Series E round
ShareChat, a social networking platform that focuses on Indian vernacular languages, has raised $40 million in a pre-Series E funding round.
Iron Pillar leads Series C for Indian after-sales service player
Iron Pillar has led a $23 million Series C round of funding for Servify, an India-headquartered start-up that integrates parties involved in smart device retail with a view to improving customer service experience.
Deal focus: Airmeet rewires the conference circuit
As social distancing and travel restrictions play havoc with traditional conferences, Airmeet has seen a spike in demand for its virtual alternatives. A Series A round duly followed
KKR to invest $755m in India's Reliance Retail
KKR has followed up its investment in Jio Platforms, the holding company for a variety of digital assets owned by Reliance Industries, with a INR55.5 billion ($755 million) commitment to the Indian conglomerate’s retail unit.
India gaming platform secures $90m Series C
SIG Asia, RTP Global, MDI Ventures and Pegasus Tech Ventures have led a $90 million Series C round for Mobile Premier League (MPL), an India-based mobile gaming platform.
Blackstone makes $253m part-exit from India's Essel Propack
The Blackstone Group has made a partial exit from Indian packaging manufacturer Essel Propack (EPL) – which provides the tubes to 40% of the world’s toothpaste – generating proceeds of INR18.6 billion ($253.4 million).
Corporate VCs & climate change: Good citizens
Increased climate change awareness on a corporate level is leading to more investment – either direct or through funds – in start-ups that offer mitigation solutions. Asia is a key geography
India insurance tech provider raises $60m
Acko, an Indian financial technology start-up touted as the country’s only digital-native insurer, has secured a $60 million investment featuring Amazon and two global insurance providers.
LP interview: Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
For Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, COVID-19 has reinforced the key tenets of its Asia investment strategy, from being flexible on timeline to putting boots on the ground
Asia-focused events platform Airmeet raises $12m
Sequoia Capital India has led a $12 million Series A round for US-based and Asia-focused virtual events platform provider Airmeet.
