Southeast Asia
PE & QSR: Ambition on a bun
Many private equity investors think they can make a fast buck from fast dining, but rolling out a Western-style brand in Asia requires discipline on valuation and competence in execution
India's ShopClues to merge with Singapore-based Qoo10
Indian e-commerce company ShopClues has agreed a merger with Singaporean counterpart Qoo10 at a valuation reportedly 99% lower than its peak level of $1.1 billion.
Jungle closes Southeast Asia VC fund at $240m
Singapore-based Jungle Ventures has closed its third early-stage Southeast Asia VC fund at $240 million, more than doubling the previous vintage.
Singapore marketing tech player Mobikon raises $12.5m
Mobikon, a Singapore-based marketing technology provider for the restaurant industry, has received a $12.5 million Series B round led by Binny Bansal, co-founder of Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart.
ARQ Capital backs Philippines dialysis business
ARQ Capital, a Philippines-based GP focused on the local small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, has invested an undisclosed sum in dialysis clinic operator Medline.
PropertyGuru abandons Australia IPO
Private equity-backed Southeast Asian online real estate portal PropertyGuru has decided not to proceed with its A$380 million ($256 million) IPO in Australia, citing market uncertainty.
Go-Jek founder accepts Indonesian government role
Nadiem Makarim, co-founder and CEO of Indonesia’s Go-Jek, has stepped down from his duties at the ride-hailing and online services platform to assume a high-level government position.
Deal focus: Navis pursues durian farm modernization
Nearly $100 million has been earmarked for the development of upstream farming and downstream processing so that Chinese buyers can have faith in Malaysia's durian suppliers
Kejora, InterVest lead $30m Series B for Malaysia's Aerodyne
Indonesia’s Kejora Ventures and Korea’s InterVest have jointly led a $30 million Series B investment in Malaysian drone technology supplier Aerodyne.
Indonesia’s Alodokter gets $33m Series C
Indonesian insurer Sequis Life has led a $33 million Series C round of funding for Alodokter, a local super app operator that connects patients with doctors and healthcare information.
Indonesia advertising tech supplier gets $5.5m
East Ventures and Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV) have co-led a $5.5 million Series A round for StickEarn, an Indonesian advertising technology supplier.
Philippines PE: Power dynamics
A virtually impenetrable middle market under the control of incumbent conglomerates is the least governable of the systemic obstacles facing private equity hopefuls in the Philippines
GGV backs Singapore dental 3D printing company
GGV Capital has joined a group of investors in a venture round of undisclosed size for Structo, a Singapore-based 3D printing company focused on the dental industry.
KKR, GIC to invest $680m in Philippines hospital operator
A KKR-led consortium has agreed to invest PHP35.3 billion ($680 million) in Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings (MPHH), prompting the Philippines-based hospital operator to abandon immediate plans for an IPO.
Lakeshore secures 2.75x return on Bangkok steakhouse deal
Thailand-based Lakeshore Capital has exited Bangkok area steakhouse chain Santa Fe to Singha Corporation for $50 million, generating a 2.75x return.
VinaCapital invests Vietnam industrial supplier
A VinaCapital-led consortium will invest $21.4 million in Ngoc Nghia, a Vietnam-based plastics supplier that claims to be the largest local packaging materials producer of its kind.
No easy answers in Philippines’ sluggish VC market – AVCJ Forum
Industry participants at the AVCJ Philippines Forum were hard-pressed to explain a disappointing lag in local venture capital ecosystem development.
Singapore's Golden Equator strengthens VC team
Golden Equator Capital, which is currently deploying a Southeast Asia technology fund alongside Korea Investment Partners, has appointed Pooja Gurbani (pictured) as a partner in its venture investments team.
Navis buys Malaysian durian producer
Navis Capital Partners has acquired Malaysian durian products exporter Hernan Corporation with a view to leveraging strong demand for the fruit in China and in Chinese communities globally.
Deal focus: Darwinbox prioritizes Southeast Asia
Human resources software provider Darwinbox is among the Indian business services players leading the charge into Southeast Asia
PropertyGuru seeks as much as $256m in Australia IPO
PropertyGuru, a Southeast Asia-focused online real estate portal that counts TPG Capital and KKR among its investors, is looking to raise up to A$380.2 million ($256 million) through an IPO in Australia.
Southeast Asia's internet economy to be worth $100b in 2019
The gross merchandise value (GMV) of Southeast Asia’s internet economy will surpass $100 billion this year and hit $300 billion by 2025, according to a report by Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Company.
Fund focus: Vertex pumps up in SE Asia, India
Having raised $305 million for its latest India and Southeast Asia fund, Vertex Ventures is looking to tap into themes of technological advancement common to both geographies
Deal focus: Russell Simmons backs Singapore's Gushcloud
Singapore-based Gushcloud International has teamed up with the founder of Def Jam Recordings to create a digital talent agency that realizes value for social media influencers in Asia and America