South Asia
Naspers VC unit backs India's ElasticRun
Prosus Ventures, a VC unit of South African internet conglomerate Naspers, has led a $40 million investment in Indian logistics technology developer ElasticRun.
India motorcycle taxi platform Rapido gets $55m Series B
Chinese early-stage investor Shunwei Capital Partners has participated in a Series B funding round for Indian motorcycle taxi operator Rapido, drawing comparisons with the growth trajectory of Indonesia’s Go-Jek.
CDC backs Nepalese internet service provider
CDC Group has made its first equity investment in Nepal with a NPR1.35 billion ($12 million) commitment to WorldLink, the country’s largest private sector internet service provider.
PE-backed ESR relaunches Hong Kong IPO
Pan-Asian logistics and fund management platform ESR has relaunched a Hong Kong IPO that was pulled in June amidst unrest in Hong Kong and concerns about the valuation.
India's MyGate gets $56m Series B
Tencent Holdings, JS Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Prime Venture Partners have provided a $56 million Series B round to India’s MyGate, a security app for gated communities.
Deal focus: CDC gets comfortable in Bangladesh
Backing small business lender BRAC Bank and establishing an office in Dhaka is part of CDC Group's wider plan to more than double its exposure to Bangladesh over the next three years
Deal focus: Udaan signals India’s digital progress
B2B marketplace Udaan has achieved unicorn status faster than any of its illustrious Indian forbears. A readymade national broadband infrastructure certainly helped
India's Inventus closes third VC fund at $52m
India and US-focused Inventus Capital Partners has closed its third fund at INR3.6 billion ($52 million). It is the early-stage investor's first vehicle dedicated solely to India.
Creador leads Series C for India's Kogta Financial
Creador has led a INR3 billion ($42 million) Series C round for Kogta Financial, a non-banking finance company (NBFC) looking to deepen its penetration in India’s central and western states.
India’s Oyo raises $700m in ongoing Series F
Indian hotel platform Oyo has raised $700 million from RA Hospitality Holdings, an entity controlled by founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal, as part of a Series F round targeting $1.5 billion.
Deal focus: Avataar seeds India SaaS portfolio
Having won support from HarbourVest Partners to spin out a portfolio from his former employer, Norwest Venture Partners, Mohan Kumar is taking aim at India's underdeveloped enterprise software space
Deal focus: Darwinbox prioritizes Southeast Asia
Human resources software provider Darwinbox is among the Indian business services players leading the charge into Southeast Asia
India's Everstone hires ex-Temasek executive
Everstone Group has appointed Vibhor Kumar Talreja, who previously spent 12 years with Temasek Holdings in India, as a managing director in its private equity business.
India’s Udaan closes Series D at $585m
India’s Udaan has closed its Series D round at $585 million, with the latest contribution featuring Tencent Holdings and the VC arm of Citi. It values the B2B online marketplace at $2.5-3 billion.
CDC names Bangladeshi head, invests local bank
UK-based development finance institution CDC Group has cemented its presence in Bangladesh through an investment in local lender BRAC Bank and the naming of a country director.
New Mountain Capital buys US-India BPO player
US private equity firm New Mountain Capital has agreed to acquire Emids, a US-headquartered business process outsourcing (BPO) provider with extensive operations in India, for an undisclosed sum.
Japan Industrial Partners agrees manufacturing carve-outs
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) is poised to complete two carve-outs in the copper tube manufacturing space, having agreed to acquire a majority stake in a Kobe Steel-Mitsubishi Material joint venture and buy a division from Furukawa Electric.
Fund focus: Vertex pumps up in SE Asia, India
Having raised $305 million for its latest India and Southeast Asia fund, Vertex Ventures is looking to tap into themes of technological advancement common to both geographies
Sequoia leads $15m round for India's Darwinbox
Sequoia Capital India has led a $15 million Series B round for Indian human resources (HR) technology platform Darwinbox.
India SME platform OfBusiness raises $35m Series D
OfBusiness, an Indian smart financing services provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) has received an INR2.5 billion ($35 million) Series D round led by Norwest Venture Partners.
HarbourVest spins out part of Norwest's India portfolio
HarbourVest Partners has spun out part of the Norwest Venture Partners India portfolio into a new fund to be managed by Avataar Venture Partners.
Deal focus: LGT plugs Aspada into global impact platform
LGT Group aims to create new inroads for global investors looking to enter the impact space by acquiring Aspada, an Indian platform focused on digital inclusion and small business finance
Indian fintech player Groww raises $21m
Groww, an Indian financial technology provider focused on mutual fund investment services, has raised a $21.4 million Series B round led by US-based Ribbit Capital.
Vertex closes Southeast Asia, India fund at $305m
Vertex Ventures, a VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has closed its fourth Southeast Asia and India fund at $305 million, beating an initial target of $230 million.