Southeast Asia
Singapore fintech launches SME exchange in Cambodia
PLMP Venture Capital (PLMP VC), an investor affiliated with a Singaporean financial technology firm, has launched a local exchange for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Cambodia.
Deal focus: GoBear builds financial menu for Southeast Asia
GoBear, a Singapore-headquartered financial services platform, believes it can create financial products suitable for consumers and institutional partners alike
Coronavirus & due diligence: Split screen
Finding the right balance between offline and online communication for completing due diligence processes is a tricky endeavor for PE and VC investment professionals in Asia
Sequoia, Hana lead Series A for micromobility start-up
Beam, a Singapore-headquartered ride-sharing platform for e-scooters, has raised $26 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Hana Ventures.
Deal focus: Wiz moves fast in Southeast Asia
Wiz.Ai has leveraged the accuracy of its talkbot to secure business from corporate customers in Southeast Asia with specific use-case needs. The company's $6 million Series A round will support further expansion
Lakeshore seeks $125m for second Thailand fund
Lakeshore Capital Asia is looking to raise $125 million for its second Thailand-focused fund and has won backing from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
KKR targets stake in Philippine power developer
KKR has offered to acquire up to 9% of First Gen Corporation, a power plant operator in the Philippines, for PHP7.29 billion ($144 million).
Exacta leads acquisition of Anytime Fitness Asia
Exacta Capital Partners, a Singapore-based private equity firm affiliated with Mizuho Bank, has led an acquisition of gym operator Anytime Fitness Asia for an undisclosed sum.
Deal focus: Bobobox rethinks budget hotels
Bobobox's flexible solution to accommodation for frontline healthcare workers in Indonesia led to support from the Li Ka Shing Foundation and helped secure a Series A from Li's Horizons Ventures
Singapore’s GoBear raises $17m
Singapore-headquartered GoBear, a financial services platform focused on Asian consumers, has raised $17 million from Netherlands-based Walvis Participaties and Aegon
Warburg Pincus raises stake in Asia real assets fund manager
Warburg Pincus has agreed to increase its ownership of ARA Asset Management – an Asia Pacific real assets fund manager that was privatized in 2016 – as China’s AVIC Trust exited the business.
Southeast Asia talkbot secures $6m pre-A round
Singapore-based talkbot provider Wiz.Ai has raised $6 million in pre-A funding led by GGV Capital. ZWC Partners, Insignia Venture Partners, Wavemaker Partners, and Orion Fund also participated.
Unigestion loses Asia Pacific private equity head
Eric Marchand, who leads Asia Pacific private equity activity at Europe-headquartered asset manager Unigestion, will be leaving the firm in July after approximately eight years of service.
Convergence co-founder joins MDI Ventures as CEO
Donald Wihardja, co-founder of Indonesia-focused Convergence Ventures, has become CEO of MDI Ventures, the corporate VC arm of state-controlled telecommunications giant Telkom Indonesia.
Indonesia capsule hotel Bobobox raises $11.5m
Bobobox, an Indonesian start-up that operates capsule hotels, has raised an $11.5 million Series A round led by Horizons Ventures and Alpha JWC Ventures.
B Capital forms partnership with Singapore incubator Antler
B Capital Group, a global growth-stage investor active in Southeast Asia, has formed a partnership with Singapore-based start-up incubator Antler.
ADQ launches $300m India, Southeast Asia VC fund
ADQ, a state-owned holding company in the United Arab Emirates, has launched an AED1.1 billion fund ($300 million) that will invest in Indian and Southeast Asian start-ups with expansion plans in the Middle East.
Optum, Health Catalyst back Singapore's Holmusk
US investors Optum Ventures and Health Catalyst Capital have co-led a $21.5 million Series A round for Singapore-based healthcare technology developer Holmusk.
UAE’s EMPG acquires Rocket-backed Lamudi Global
EMPG, a real estate classifieds marketplace group headquartered in the United Arab Emirates, has acquired Lamudi Global, which runs property market portals in the Philippines and Indonesia.
Deal focus: GudangAda fills FMCG distribution void
Keeping every small store in Indonesia well-stocked is a monumentally complex challenge that GudangAda tackles by bringing buyers and sellers together online.
Coronavirus & Vietnam: Hobbled winner
A successful COVID-19 containment plan has underlined Vietnam’s status as a leading investment destination in Southeast Asia. GPs are impressed but still hamstrung
Deal focus: RWDC's plastics replacement mission
RWDC Industries believes it has a biodegradable substitute for plastic that can be produced at scale. The Singapore and US-based company now has $133 million in VC funding to help make its case
Sequoia leads $109m round for Indonesia coffee chain
Sequoia Capital India has led a $109 million Series B round for Kopi Kenangan, an app-driven grab-and-go coffee chain based in Indonesia.
Singapore SME financing platform gets $20m
Validus, a Singapore-headquartered financing platform for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, has raised $20 million in a Series B+ round co-led by Vertex Growth and Orion Fund.
