Southeast Asia
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.
Hummingbird Bioscience gets $25m extended Series B
Hummingbird Bioscience, a Singapore and US-based drug developer with two cancer treatments on course to enter clinical trials, has received $25 million in an extended Series B round of funding led by the holding company of Korea’s SK Group.
Deal focus: Oriente’s plastic alternative
Well-capitalized though not immune to COVID-19 disruption, Indonesia and Philippines-focused online lender Oriente is waiting for the market to get back to normal
Everstone sells Asia payroll business to US strategic player
India and Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm Everstone Group has agreed to sell Singapore-headquartered human resources software provider Excelity Group to US peer Ceridian. The size of the deal has not been disclosed.
Cashlez gains on debut after Indonesia IPO
Indonesian mobile point-of-sale solution provider Cashlez - a portfolio company of Mandiri Venture Capital - traded up on debut following an IDR87.5 billion ($5.7 million) domestic IPO.
Singapore's RWDC Industries secures $133m Series B
RWDC Industries, a Singapore-based start-up that is developing fully biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics, has raised $133 million in Series B funding.
Indonesia's GudangAda gets $25m Series A
Indonesian B2B e-commerce platform GudangAda has raised $25.4 million in a Series A round led by Sequoia Capital India and Alpha JWC Ventures.
Singapore's Ninja Van raises $279m Series D
GeoPost, a logistics division of French postal services giant La Poste, has led a $279 million Series D round for Singapore last-mile delivery start-up Ninja Van.
Deal focus: Circulate makes early moves in a must-win battle
Specialist venture capital firm Circulate Capital is targeting overlooked start-ups with a view to stemming a global environmental crisis that puts Asia at center stage
Asia private debt: Inflection point?
With other pools of capital running dry for many companies, private debt has become a more appealing proposition. Institutional funds have a chance to impose themselves on a bank-driven market
Navegar backs Series B for Australia's Cloudstaff
Manila-based GP Navegar has joined a $20 million Series B round for Cloudstaff, an Australian staff outsourcing services player with core operations in the Philippines.
Go-Jek completes acquisition of VC-backed Moka
Indonesia’s Go-Jek has completed its acquisition of Moka, a local financial technology provider with several VC backers, in a deal estimated to be worth $130 million.
Archipelago targets $250m for second Southeast Asia fund
Archipelago Capital Partners is seeking $250 million for its second Southeast Asia fund and has received a proposed $25 million LP commitment from the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Coronavirus thwarts PE partial exit from Indonesia's BFI Finance
Italian lender Compass Banca has abandoned its purchase of a 19.9% stake in Indonesia’s BFI Finance from TPG Capital and Northstar Group, citing economic disruption created by the coronavirus outbreak.
Singapore’s Circulate Capital makes debut investments
Circulate Capital, a Singapore investor dedicated to ocean pollution management, has made its first investments in two plastic recycling start-ups in India and Indonesia.
Indonesian insurtech player Qoala raises $13.5m Series A
Qoala, an insurance technology start-up in Indonesia, has raised $13.5 million in a Series A round led by Centauri Fund, a vehicle jointly run by KB Investment and MDI Ventures.
Deal focus: SensorFlow’s coronavirus pivot
With hotel occupancy falling - and demand for its energy management solution taking a hit - SensorFlow moved quickly to make the revenue model sustainable. The company is now targeting vertical and geographic expansion
Portfolio: Navis Capital Partners and Hanoi French Hospital
Navis Capital Partners has taken a boutique private hospital to a new level of competence and professionalism just in time for the biggest healthcare emergency in living memory
Deal focus: Kargo serves Indonesia’s logistics needs
Kargo Technologies, Indonesia's only pure online marketplace for the trucking industry, has responded to the coronavirus outbreak by focusing on the transportation of consumer staples
Vietnam e-commerce enabler OnPoint raises $8m
OnPoint, a Vietnam-based start-up that provides corporate clients with e-commerce support services, has raised an $8 million Series A round backed by Korea’s Kiwoom Investment.