Southeast Asia
M17 Entertainment gets $40m Series A round
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has raised a $40 million Series A funding round led by Japan’s Infinity Venture Partners.
Goldman, Tennenbaum acquire Singapore's Conergy
Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Tennenbaum Capital Partners have acquired Conergy Asia & ME, the Singapore-based Asia Pacific branch of global solar power developer Conergy.
Creador invests in Malaysian bakery chain
Creador has invested MYR57 million ($13.3 million) in Bake With Yen (BWY), a Malaysian baking and confectionery ingredients supplier.
CMIA, Malaysian asset manager acquire Muslim-focused app
CMIA Capital Partners and Malaysia-based Affin Hwang Asset Management have acquired Bitsmedia Holdings, best known for operating an app that provides Muslims with accurate prayer times.
Expedia invests $350m in Indonesia's VC-backed Traveloka
Expedia has paid $350 million for an unspecified minority stake in Traveloka, an Indonesian online travel services company backed by a number of venture capital firms.
Platinum to buy Singapore electronics industry supplier
US private equity firm Platinum Equity has agreed to acquire Fischer Tech, a Singapore-based components manufacturer for the electronics industry.
Korea's SK invests $334m in PE-backed e-Shang Redwood
Korean conglomerate SK Group has agreed to invest KRW372 billion ($334 million) in pan-Asian logistics player e-Shang Redwood (ESR), valuing the private equity-backed business at approximately $2.8 billion.
Mekong makes partial exit from Vietnam's Loc Troi
Mekong Capital has made a partial exit from Loc Troi Group – formerly known as An Giang Plant Protection – as the Vietnamese agribusiness player went public. The company is also backed by Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) and PENM Partners.
Singapore tech group launches $150m VC fund, incubator
Singapore-based industrial technology company ST Engineering has launched a $150 million venture capital unit and associated start-up incubator.
Southeast Asia cleantech: Joining the crowd
Despite growing investment opportunities, LPs are still skeptical about renewable energy in Southeast Asia. Development and operating platforms may be the way to break the stalemate
SoftBank, Didi Chuxing invest $2b in Southeast Asia's Grab
Southeast Asian ride-hailing app operator Grab has received $2 billion from SoftBank and Chinese peer Didi Chuxing as part of what is expected to be a $2.5 billion funding round.
Sequoia, Mission back Singapore’s One Championship
One Championship, a Singapore-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, has secured a new funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Mission Holdings – an investment vehicle owned by billionaire Saurabh Mittal.
Thailand's Zanroo receives $7.4m Series A
Zanroo, a Thailand-based company that uses big data analytics to offer clients real-time marketing services, has received a $7.4 million Series A funding round from domestic investor Shift Ventures.
Corporate VC offers unique benefits in Southeast Asia – AVCJ Forum
Corporate venture capital investment can fill an important niche in supporting Southeast Asia’s start-up ecosystem, industry participants told the AVCJ Singapore Forum.
Bank sell-downs drive Asia credit opportunities – AVCJ Forum
As banks look to reduce their exposure to Asian non-performing loans (NPLs), private lenders that can offer more flexibility on terms are seeing increased opportunities for investment, industry professionals told the AVCJ Singapore Forum.
Deal focus: Naked Hub scales up for WeWork challenge
Asian co-working space operators Naked Hub and JustCo have decided to join forces to fend off competition from WeWork, a US-based sector leader now encroaching on the regional market. As a joint expansion program rolls out, pricing control will be a key...
IoT in Asia: Things to come
A number of political factors have positioned Asia Pacific to be a global leader in internet-of-things development. Investors must now navigate an unwieldy field of technologies, markets and social drivers
Renewable energy still faces challenges to viability in Asia
Renewable energy has a way to go before it represents a consistent source of investment opportunities in Asia despite a strong push in recent years, investors told the Infrastructure Investors Forum.
Singapore's Spring Seeds to invest $73m in tech start-ups
Singapore-government backed Spring Seeds Capital has committed S$100 million ($73 million) to an investment program targeting domestic start-ups developing high-end technology.
Asian space debris start-up gets $25m Series C
Astroscale, a Singapore-based satellite technology company focused on removing hazardous debris from orbit, has raised a $25 million Series C round with participation from a number of Japanese venture firms.
Singapore's GLP accepts $11.5b Hopu, Hillhouse-backed buyout offer
Singapore-listed warehouse operator Global Logistic Properties (GLP) has accepted a buyout offer from a consortium including Hopu Investment and Hillhouse Capital that values the company at S$15.9 billion ($11.5 billion).
Financial institutions and fintech: Bouncing checks
Southeast Asia’s traditional banks have begun to take a strong interest in the financial technology environment, but their early-stage involvement in the ecosystem is still tentative
Singapore’s BeMyGuest raises $8.4m Series A round
Singapore’s Raffles Venture Partners has led a Series A funding round for domestic travel start-up BeMyGuest that brings the company’s total equity funding to S$11.5 million ($8.4 million).
PE in Southeast Asia: Buyout blues
Private equity interest in Southeast Asia has yet to translate into a significant number of buyout deals. The region's sturdy economic fundamentals may prolong the stagnation