Southeast Asia
Grab completes SPAC merger, sees volatile trading debut
Southeast Asia ride-hailing platform turned super app Grab experienced a tumultuous first day of trading on NASDAQ following the completion of its merger with a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at an enterprise valuation of $30.4 billion....
Indonesia's AC Ventures closes debut fund at $205 million
AC Ventures, an early-stage investor created through the merger of Indonesia’s Agaeti Ventures and Convergence Ventures, has closed its debut fund at $205 million. The target was $80 million.
Portfolio: Dymon Asia and AMES
For all the hubbub about digital businesses taking flight during the pandemic, few categories saw as much upside as traditional medical waste disposal. Dymon Asia Private Equity is enjoying the ride
CDC expands Asia footprint
UK development finance institution CDC Group, already an active investor in South Asia, has announced a strategic pivot toward the broader region with a special interest in Southeast Asia.
CVC exits Malaysia snacks business to Universal Robina
CVC Capital Partners has agreed to sell Malaysia-based snack foods producer Munchy Food Industries to Universal Robina Corporation (URC) – a branded consumer food and beverage business in the Philippines – for MYR1.93 billion ($454 million).
KKR backs Southeast Asia K-12 schools business
KKR has acquired a minority interest in the K-12 schools business of Taylor’s Education Group (TEG), one of the largest private education providers in Malaysia.
Singapore bio-plastics developer RWDC raises $95m
Singapore’s RWDC Industries, a developer of biodegradable plastics, has raised a $95.1 million round led by Temasek Holdings and Vickers Venture Partners.
Deal focus: Quiet confidence persists in hydrogen power
H3 Dynamics is bringing hydrogen-powered delivery drones to Asia’s crammed megacities as a steppingstone to a cleaner aviation sector. This is a sweet spot for Hong Kong’s Audacy Ventures
Singapore BNPL player Pace gets $40m Series A
Singapore’s Pace Enterprise, a one-year-old start-up in the fast-growing buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financial services niche, has raised a $40 million Series A round from a pan-Asian mix of VC firms.
Singapore's Leo Capital targets $125m for third VC fund
Singapore-based early-stage venture capital firm Leo Capital has launched its third fund focused on India and Southeast Asia with a target of $125 million.
Kejora, Sunway launch $25m Malaysia VC fund
Indonesia-based Kejora Capital and Malaysian conglomerate Sunway Group have established a $25 million VC fund focused on early-stage start-ups in Malaysia.
Indonesia's Ula extends Series B to $110m
Indonesian B2B e-commerce player Ula has extended its Series B round to $110 million with a $23.1 million investment from Tiger Global Management and Binny Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart.
GoTo gets $1.3b in first tranche of pre-IPO funding
Indonesia-based ride-hailing service turned super app GoTo has raised more than $1.3 billion in a first tranche of pre-IPO funding, which will be used to develop its digital ecosystem.
Indonesia's Alpha JWC closes Fund III at $433m
Indonesia’s Alpha JWC Ventures has closed its third fund at $433 million, beating a target of $250 million. It is said to be the largest early-stage VC fund targeting Southeast Asia.
East backs Singapore food surplus marketplace
East Ventures and Amasia have jointly led an $11 million Series A round for Singapore’s TreeDots, a company that describes itself as Asia’s first food surplus marketplace.
Southeast Asia IPOs: Opportunity knocks
A breakthrough offering in Indonesia and regulatory progress in Singapore highlight Southeast Asia’s growing viability as a tech IPO market. It’s unclear how well this is being communicated globally
Singapore audience data business sold to trade buyer
US data and analytics services provider Dun & Bradstreet has agreed to acquire Singapore audience data business Eyeota, setting up exits for several private equity investors.
VentureTech, SBI launch $18m Malaysia fund
Malaysian government investor VentureTech has teamed up with SBI Ventures Malaysia to launch a MYR75 million ($18 million) technology co-investment fund.
ShawKwei acquires CR Asia Group for $101m
ShawKwei & Partners has acquired CR Asia Group, a Bangkok-headquartered energy engineering company with a pan-regional presence, for $101 million.
Singapore's Quest Ventures launches maritime tech fund
Singapore’s Quest Ventures and ShipsFocus, a specialized start-up services studio, have achieved a first close of S$10 million ($7.5 million) on a maritime technology fund.
Singapore crypto exchange AscendEX raises $50m
Singapore crypto platform AscendEX has raised a $50 million Series B led by US-based sector specialists Polychain Capital and Hack VC.
Affinity invests $150m in Indonesia's Netflix rival
Affinity Equity Partners has invested $150 million in Vidio, an Indonesia-based over-the-top (OTT) streaming service described as a local equivalent to Netflix, as part of a $200-250 million funding round.
Philippines fintech player Mynt gets $300m at $2b valuation
Warburg Pincus, Insight Capital, and Bow Wave Capital have led a $300 million round for Mynt, the Filipino financial technology company behind the mobile wallet GCash, at a valuation of $2 billion.
Deal focus: KV Asia opts for beauty in Indonesia debut
KV Asia has paid $43 million for a 25% interest in Indonesian beauty and personal care brand Victoria Care, convinced by the company’s ability to stay ahead of the curve in a highly fragmented market