Southeast Asia
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
Lightspeed establishes Southeast Asia VC team
Lightspeed Venture Partners has formalized its Southeast Asian practice with the nomination of Akshay Bhushan (pictured) as head of a new Singapore office and three additional hires.
Naver leads $80m round for Singapore's Carousell
Korean internet conglomerate Naver has led an $80 million round for Singapore’s Carousell, a mobile classifieds marketplace, at a valuation of $900 million.
TPG backs $2b carve-out of Aviva Singapore
TPG Capital has joined a consortium led by Singapore Life (Singlife) that has agreed to acquire the Singapore business of UK insurance giant Aviva for S$2.7 billion ($2 billion).
Bain's Asia data center platform seeks US listing
Chindata Group Holdings, which claims to be the largest player in emerging markets Asia’s carrier-neutral hyperscale data center industry in terms of capacity in service, has filed for an IPO.
Temasek sees portfolio shrink, ups investment pace
Temasek Holdings has deployed a record S$32 billion ($23.3 billion) in the past year – with technology and healthcare the main beneficiaries – even as the impact of COVID-19 saw its overall portfolio shrink in value for the first time since 2016.
EV Growth, Jungle lead round for Indonesia's Waresix
Indonesian logistics technology provider Waresix has secured about $75 million in Series B funding led by existing backers EV Growth and Jungle Ventures.
China apps going global: Empires on hold
China’s data-driven consumer apps are having a harder time keeping politics out of business as they become increasingly competitive in global markets. Lessons are plentiful; solutions are not
Africa-focused GP leads Series B for Singapore's Thunes
Africa-focused private equity firm Helios Investment Partners has led a $60 million Series B round for Singapore financial technology start-up Thunes.
Korea, Singapore investors back Vietnam's Do Ventures
Korea’s Naver and Woowa Brothers have joined Singapore’s Sea and Vertex Holdings as LPs in the debut fund from Vietnam-based Do Ventures.
Vision Fund leads $100m Series C for Singapore-founded Biofourmis
SoftBank Vision Fund has led a $100 million Series C round for Biofourmis, a Singapore founded and now US-based operator of a health analytics platform.
CVC to exit Softex Indonesia with 3.3x return - update
CVC Capital Partners will exit personal care products manufacturer Softex Indonesia after US multinational Kimberly-Clark agreed to acquire the business for approximately $1.2 billion.
Singapore's Livspace raises $90m Series D
Singapore-based home interiors renovation platform Livspace has raised a $90 million Series D round featuring TPG Growth and Goldman Sachs.
Xiaomi joins $54m Series B for Indonesia's PasarPolis
Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has joined a $54 million Series B round for Indonesian financial technology provider PasarPolis.
TPG, KKR invest $220m in Singapore’s PropertyGuru
Singapore-based real estate portal PropertyGuru has confirmed S$300 million ($220 million) in new commitments from existing backers TPG Capital and KKR.
Fund focus: MDI leads the way in Indonesia
MDI Ventures has seen a significant step-up in fund size because the success of Indonesia’s start-up ecosystem in recent years means investors need more firepower
Ekuinas exits Malaysia halal meats business
Malaysian government-backed private equity firm Ekuinas has sold Primabaguz, a local producer of premium halal meat-based products, to US-based Johnsonville International for MYR175 million ($42 million).
B Capital to support Yalochat's Asia expansion
B Capital has led a $15 million Series B round for Yalochat, a US-headquartered messaging-focused customer relations management platform, with plans to help it introduce its solutions to emerging markets in Asia.
OMERS names new Asia infrastructure head
Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) has appointed Prateek Maheshwari, an existing managing director at the firm, as its head of infrastructure in Asia.
Southern Capital secures Malaysia creamer carve-out
Southern Capital Group has completed the MYR1 billion ($240 million) acquisition of F&B Nutrition – a producer of sweetened creamer, an oil-based equivalent of condensed milk – from Malaysian food packaging player Can-One International.
Indonesia's MDI Ventures raises $500m fund
MDI Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of state-controlled Telkom Indonesia, has closed its latest fund at $500 million.
Sequoia backs Indonesia MSME app
Sequoia Capital India has joined a $9 million pre-Series A round for Indonesia’s BukuKas, a bookkeeping app for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Singapore's Anchanto raises $12m funding round
Anchanto, a Singapore-headquartered technology provider that helps with e-commerce enablement, raised S$16.6 million ($12 million) in a Series C round.
Duo of Indonesia fishery start-ups attracts funding
Northstar Group and Go-Ventures have led a Series B round of undisclosed size for Indonesia’s eFishery, while East Ventures has backed a $5.5 million Series A for fishing industry app Aruna.
