Southeast Asia
Wilmar Ventures backs Alzheimer's specialist Accera
Wilmar Ventures, an investment arm of Asian agribusiness conglomerate Wilmar International, has led a $50 million funding round for Accera, a developer of treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
KKR, Tencent lead $175m investment in PLDT fintech unit
KKR and Tencent Holdings have led a $175 million investment in a financial technology unit of Philippines telecom giant PLDT. It is said to be the largest ever investment in a local technology company.
Mitsui leads $40m Series B for Singapore's Campana
Mitsui & Co has led a $40 million Series B round for Campana Group as the data network infrastructure company advances the installation of an undersea fiber cable system between Singapore and Myanmar.
Venturra leads $26m round for Philippines' First Circle
Venturra Capital has led a $26 million Series A round for First Circle, a Philippines-based lending platform operator focused on small to medium-sized enterprises (SME).
Emerging markets ESG: Alliances of convenience
Portfolio companies in Asia’s emerging markets are increasingly enthusiastic about implementing environment, social and governance (ESG) policies, but only when they see clear benefits for their business
Deal focus: Growth capital secondaries
NewQuest Capital Partners and Committed Advisors have invested $175 million in a fund intended to institutionalize the Basil Partners platform and help its portfolio companies achieve greater scale
Blockchain VCs invest $20m in Singapore's AI Grid
A group of VCs specializing in blockchain-related investments has backed a $20 million round for The AI Grid Foundation, a Singapore-based company that promotes decentralized renewable energy usage.
Equis hires Macquarie's Secen as partner
Asia-focused infrastructure investor Equis Group has appointed Damian Secen, a former senior managing director at Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), as a partner in its Singapore office.
Caldera seeks $200m for Southeast Asia fund
Caldera Pacific, a Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm that has spent the past four years working on a deal-by-deal basis, is looking to raise $200 million for its debut fund.
NewQuest, Committed Advisors back $175m restructuring
NewQuest Capital Partners and Committed Advisors have bankrolled the formation of a $175 million fund that will acquire the existing portfolio of Singapore-based Basil Partners and provide additional capital for follow-on investments.
Portfolio: Quadria Capital & Indonesia's Soho Global Health
Quadria Capital has brought the clarity and energy that venerable Indonesian pharmaceutical firm Soho Global Health needs as it addresses pent-up demand in Southeast Asia’s healthcare market
Asia leveraged finance: Institutional aspirations
PE firms can obtain financing for leveraged buyouts in Asia on increasingly favorable terms, but this doesn’t necessarily point to institutionalization – or at least, not yet. For now, banks still lead the way
Archipelago backs Indonesian chemicals producer
Archipelago Capital Partners, a Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm established by three partners who previously worked together at McKinsey & Company, has made its first investment in Indonesia with the acquisition of Timuraya Tunggal.
Q&A: Emerald Media's Paul Aiello
KKR-backed Emerald Media was formed to invest in Asia’s media landscape, but it has found a growing number of opportunities in technology. Managing Director Paul Aiello discusses how the sectors have grown together
OPIC commits $150m to Quadria healthcare fund
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a development finance arm of the US government, has committed $150 million to Quadria Capital II, the latest fund of healthcare-focused PE firm Quadria Capital.
Golden Gate closes SE Asia VC fund at $100m
Golden Gate Ventures has closed its third Southeast Asia-focused fund at $100 million. Like its predecessors, the oversubscribed fund will invest in start-ups using technology to disrupt traditional business models in the consumer sector.
Indonesia fintech platform raises $24m Series B
Sequoia Capital India has led a $24 million Series B round for Moka, a developer of cloud-based point-of-sale (POS) systems based in Jakarta.
Deal focus: Fave scales fast as Southeast Asia goes O2O
Malaysia-based Fave raises $20 million to connect Southeast Asia's conservative small businesses with the region's emerging cashless economy
Southeast Asia VC: Partner propositions
Strategic investors, particularly from China, are playing a growing role in Southeast Asia’s technology scene. Venture capital investors in the region hope their portfolio companies can benefit from the rising tide
Finch secures 2.7x return on Indonesia's Cermati
Early-stage technology investor Finch Capital has sold its minority stake in Indonesian financial technology developer Cermati to local conglomerate The Djarum Group, realizing a 2.7x return on capital in its first exit in Indonesia.
Sequoia joins $20m Series B for Malaysia's Fave
Sequoia Capital India has joined a $20 million Series B funding round for Fave, a Malaysia-based online-to-offline (O2O) platform operator that covers a range of consumer categories across Southeast Asia.
TPG Growth names India, Southeast Asia head
Shailesh Rao (pictured), a former executive at Twitter and Google, has been named head of India and Southeast Asia for TPG Growth, the middle market investment platform of TPG Capital.
Venture debt: The loan rangers
Venture debt providers are confident that the asset class is set for growth in Asia, though momentum is slow in most markets. Lenders must adapt their strategies to meet local needs if they are to be successful
VinaCapital launches VC arm, agrees three deals
Vietnam’s VinaCapital has launched a $100 million VC unit and confirmed its first two domestic investments. Separately, the private equity firm has committed $25 million to a local hospital operator.