South Asia
India's Avataar raises $100m top-up fund
Avataar Ventures, an India-based enterprise software investor that spun out from Norwest Venture Partners in 2019, has raised a $100 million opportunities fund that will do follow-on rounds for existing portfolio companies and make some new investments.
Bharti Airtel to buy back stake in DTH business from Warburg Pincus
Warburg Pincus has agreed to exit its stake in Bharti Telemedia, the direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television services arm of Indian telecom services provider Bharti Airtel, through a share buyback worth INR31.3 billion ($429.5 million) in cash and shares.
PE-backed Arohan Financial Services files for India IPO
Arohan Financial Services, an Indian microfinance institution (MFI) that was acquired by Aavishkaar Group in 2012 and went on to receive funding from several other PE investors, has filed for a domestic IPO.
Vintage update: India 2011-2013
A selection of India-based assets that remain in the portfolios of Accel Partners, Aditya Birla Private Equity, BanyanTree Finance Private, Faering Capital, and Helion Venture Partners
BRICS bank commits $100m to India state-backed fund-of-funds
NIIF Fund of Funds, a rupee-denominated fund-of-funds vehicle anchored by the Indian government, has reached the $800 million mark following a $100 million commitment from the country’s New Development Bank (NDB).
India's KreditBee secures $75m Series C
Premji Invest, Mirae Asset Capital, Alpine Capital and Arkam Ventures have contributed $75 million in Series C funding for Indian financial technology start-up KreditBee.
India Quotient seeks $80m for Fund IV
India Quotient, a venture capital firm known for making seed-stage investments in the likes of ShareChat, Sugar, and Lendingkart, is targeting $80 million for its fourth fund.
Iron Pillar co-founder launches India venture growth firm
Sameer Nath, co-founder and a managing partner at Indian VC firm Iron Pillar, has spun out to form TrueScale Capital, which will follow a similar venture growth remit.
India SaaS: Global first
India’s enterprise software start-ups have traditionally ceded the spotlight to their consumer-facing peers, primarily because of their outlook – and their VC backers – are US-oriented. That is now changing
Indian news app Dailyhunt raises $100m
Indian news app Dailyhunt has raised $100 million led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Glade Brook Capital Partners. It extends a $102 million Series H round last year featuring Google.
Advent buys majority stake in India's ZCL, MSPEA exits
Advent International has agreed to acquire Indian pharmaceuticals supplier ZCL Chemicals, setting up a minority exit for Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA).
L Catterton recruits SE Asia, India leadership
Consumer-focused private equity firm L Catterton has recruited Yock Siong “Song” Tee and Anjana Sasidharan to leadership positions in Southeast Asia and India, respectively.
India gaming platform MPL gets $95m Series D
Mobile Premier League (MPL), an Indian mobile gaming platform that matches users for competitive play, has raised a $95 million Series D round at a post-money valuation of $945 million.
Carlyle, Brighton Park invest $200m in India's Indegene
The Carlyle Group and US GP Brighton Park Capital have committed a combined $200 million to Indegene, an Indian technology provider for the healthcare and life sciences industries.
India's Moonfrog Labs acquired by Swedish gaming studio
Swedish free-to-play gaming studio Stillfront has agreed to acquire 100% of Indian mobile games developer Moonfrog Labs, setting up exits for Tiger Global Management and Sequoia Capital India.
India’s Zetwerk secures $120m Series D
India’s Zetwerk, a marketplace for the outsourcing of small manufacturing jobs, has raised a $120 million Series D round led by US-based Greenoaks Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
CDC expands VC program with South Asia focus
UK development finance institution CDC Group has engaged two venture capital industry veterans as part of a VC program expansion in Africa and South Asia.
AVCJ Awards 2020: Exit of the Year - IPO: SBI Card
The Carlyle Group helps SBI Card win its place in the ongoing rise of digital India before realizing a landmark domestic IPO. Coordination with State Bank of India has been crucial
AVCJ Awards 2020: Deal of the Year - Large Cap: Jio Platforms
Jio Platforms has attracted an array of global investors as its digital ecosystem designs come into focus. L Catterton Asia adds consumer clout to the infrastructural proceedings
Profile: Sarmayacar's Rabeel Warraich
Rabeel Warraich swapped the stability of GIC for the untested waters of early-stage investment in Pakistan. With Sarmayacar about to close the country’s first VC fund, the gamble appears to be paying off
Deal focus: Olympus credit team spins out, gets OMERS backing
Olympus Capital Credit has rebranded as Orion Capital Asia, with OMERS replacing Olympus as the firm’s equity partner. The strategy is unchanged, with COVID-19 helping to drive deal flow
PE-owned Aadhar Housing Finance files for India IPO
Aadhar Housing Finance, an Indian affordable housing lender acquired by The Blackstone Group in 2019, is looking to raise up to INR73 billion ($1 billion) through a domestic IPO.
Morgan Stanley backs India logistics provider
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Fund has invested INR1.8 billion ($25 million) in Leap India, a supply chain services provider focused on cost reduction through pallet pooling.
4Q analysis: Growth spurt
Technology-enabled businesses in China and India are the beneficiaries of a resurgence in growth capital deal flow; Japan is the sole stand-out in fundraising; IPOs continue to shine as overall exits struggle