Southeast Asia
Warburg Pincus returns $2b from China portfolio in 2019
Warburg Pincus generated distributions of $2 billion from its China investments last year, a record annual total for its local operation.
Vietnam's Mekong appoints new partner
Vietnam-based Mekong Capital has named Nguyen Thi Minh Giang (pictured, third right) as a partner with responsibility for talent and culture. It brings the number of partners at the firm to four.
MassMutual establishes second VC fund for Southeast Asia
US-based Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has established a second venture capital fund for Southeast Asia with a corpus of $100 million.
LPs want to see how GPs learn from mistakes in Asia
GPs should be open and transparent with LPs about their previous difficulties in order to demonstrate an ability to learn from past mistakes, the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association’s (HKVCA) Asia Forum heard.
Indonesia's Waresix lifts Series A to $25.5m
Indonesia trucking and warehousing platform operator Waresix has closed an extended Series A round at $25.5 million following new contributions from EV Growth and Jungle Ventures.
Fajr Capital exits Brunei bank
Fajr Capital, a Dubai-based private equity firm that makes investments in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, has exited its position in Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD).
French GP exits Singapore's JustCo with 8x return
France-based GP Tikehau Capital has exited its stake in Singapore workspace provider JustCo, achieving a net profit of S$27.7 million ($20.5 million) and an 8x return multiple.
Openspace makes first Thailand investment
Southeast Asia-focused Openspace Ventures has made its first investment in Thailand, co-leading a $10 million Series B round for financial technology player Finnomena alongside China’s Gobi Ventures.
Australia's Five V agrees Philippines outsourcing carve-out
Australian GP Five V Capital has agreed a A$100 million ($69 million) carve-out of Philippines business offshoring specialist MicroSourcing as a bolt-on for an existing portfolio company.
EQT backs Southeast Asia hospital operator
EQT Partners has confirmed an investment of undisclosed size in Health Management International (HMI), a hospital operator with a presence in Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Riverside exits Malaysian chemicals business
The Riverside Company has exited one of its few remaining Asia Pacific investments outside of Australia with the sale of Malaysia-based specialty chemicals distributor DCM Asia.
Talking points: 2019 in quotes
What industry participants had to say at AVCJ events on co-investment, technology opportunities in Vietnam, what LPs want to hear from GPs, Indian buyouts, long-dated funds, and late-stage deals in China deployment during times of uncertainty, responding...
The crystal ball: Predictions for 2020
Industry experts weigh in as a range of macro factors promise to reshape markets across the region. Political, demographic, and scientific variables loom large
Indonesia’s Alpha JWC Ventures closes second fund at $123m
Indonesia-based early-stage investor Alpha JWC Ventures has closed its second fund oversubscribed at $123 million.
Denham, Nexif acquire Vietnam hydro player
Resources industry private equity firm Denham Capital and Singapore-based power management company Nexif have jointly acquired a 94% stake in Vietnam’s Song Giang Hydropower.
Singapore medical tech start-up raises $40 million
Awak Technologies, a Singaporean start-up that makes wearable dialysis treatment devices, has raised $40 million co-led by Vickers Venture Partners and an unnamed medical technology company.
Deal focus: 2C2P brings enterprise to SE Asia fintech
Cento Ventures picked 2C2P as the first investment under its late-stage strategy, having been one over by the company's B2B approach to digital payments
Fund focus: Azalea embraces equity with fund-of-funds offering
Temasek Holdings-owned Azalea Asset Management previously used debt structures to give high net worth investors PE exposure. Its $650 million fund-of-funds is the firm’s first direct equity offering
Malaysia's Carsome raises $50m Series C
Japan’s Daiwa Securities and Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group have joined a $50 million Series C round for Malaysian used car trading platform Carsome.
2019 in review: Falling short
Fundraising, investment and exits in Asia are unlikely to match last year as pan-regional funds take a back seat, large-cap buyouts remain in short supply, growth-stage tech loses its edge, and IPOs flounder
Singapore e-scooter start-up raises $18.5m
Neuron Mobility, a Singapore-based e-scooter company, has secured a $18.5 million Series A round led by Australia’s Square Peg Capital and US-based GSR Ventures.
Singapore's Vertex receives $180m for global fund-of-funds
Vertex Ventures, a VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has received commitments of $180 million from Japanese investors for a fund-of-funds that will support its global portfolio of VC vehicles.
Apis closes Fund II at revised hard cap of $563m
Apis Partners has closed its second emerging markets-focused financial services and technology fund at the revised hard cap of $563 million. The initial target was $400 million.
Indonesia e-commerce player Evermos gets $8m Series A
Evermos, an Indonesian social e-commerce company focused on halal and sharia-compliant products, has raised an $8.2 million Series A round from a group of VCs.