Southeast Asia
Indonesia VC regulation: One step at a time
Indonesia’s government is serious about supporting VC investment, but regulatory inconsistency continues to slow development of the industry. Participants say engagement with major players is essential
Q&A: NDE Capital's John Lin
With a remit to target cross-border investments that incorporate China and Southeast Asia, NDE Capital is an active player in Indonesia. John Lin, the firm’s managing partner, explains why he is bullish about the market
The hothouse: Southeast Asia VC
Investors need to familiarize themselves with Southeast Asia's venture capital market so as not to miss out on a fast-developing opportunity
Healthcare specialist TVM boosts Southeast Asia coverage
TVM Capital Healthcare Partners, which focuses on healthcare investments in emerging markets, has deepened its coverage of Southeast Asia with the appointment of one operating partner and two senior advisors in Singapore.
Khazanah leads $170m Series D for Singapore's Garena - update
Khazanah Nasional, an investment fund controlled by the Malaysian government, has led a $170 million Series D round for Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform Garena at a post-deal valuation that AVCJ understands to be more than $3.75...
Dymon Asia submits offer for Singapore catering business
Dymon Asia Private Equity is leading a consortium to take a controlling stake in catering company Select Group for SGD40 million ($29.3 million).
InnoVen sees potential in maturing Southeast Asian entrepreneurs
InnoVen Capital, the venture debt firm backed by Temasek and UOB, sees considerable opportunities in Southeast Asia's entrepreneurial community, which the firm's CEO for Singapore and Southeast Asia Chin Chao sees as improving faster than expected.
65Daigou gets VC backing, rebrands as Ezbuy
China’s Vision Knight Capital has led a $20 million Series B round for Singapore-based online shopping platform 65daigou, which recently rebranded as Ezbuy.
Gobi, Mavcap launch $14.5m ASEAN seed fund
Gobi Partners and Malaysia Venture Capital Management (Mavcap) have launched a MYR60 million ($14.5 million) fund that will make seed-stage investments across Southeast Asia.
Thailand’s Medical Departures raises $2.5m
Singapore-based venture capital firm DMP has led a $2.5 million Series A round for clinical services marketplace Medical Departures.
Advent raises $13b for global fund
Advent International has closed its eighth global fund at the hard cap of $13 billion after approximately six months in the market.
Deal focus: SCPE backs MoMo’s online-offline payment offering
MoMo provides an online bridge to Vietnamese consumers whose needs are not met by the country's traditional financial services infrastructure. Standard Chartered Private Equity is sponsoring further growth
Deal focus: InstaRem leverages convenience in money transfers
By offering lower fees and faster turnarounds than Western Union and PayPal, InstaRem hopes to steal a march on its rivals and build a truly Asia-focused money transfer platform
SCPE, Goldman invest $28m in Vietnam's M_Service
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) and Goldman Sachs have invested a combined $28 million in M_Service, the operator behind Vietnamese mobile e-wallet platform MoMo.
Ekuinas agrees Malaysia education bolt-on
Malaysian PE firm Ekuinas is set to consolidate its control of the Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology (APIIT) after Sapura Resources agreed to sell its stake in the group, plus related education assets, for MYR247 million ($60.9 million).
VC-backed Gunosy commits $5m to Indonesia's Kurio
Gunosy, a listed Japanese news app backed by VC firms Jafco and B Dash Ventures, has committed IDR67 billion ($5 million) to Kurio, a similar company based in Indonesia.
Vertex leads $5m investment in Singapore's InstaRem
Singapore-based fintech start-up InstaRem has raised a $5 million Series A round led by Vertex Ventures, the VC arm of Temasek Holdings.
AID Partners to list HMV in Hong Kong via reverse merger
AID Partners is poised to list the HMV Asia business in Hong Kong through a reverse merger, a couple of weeks after making a partial exit from the music and movie retailer to Japan’s World Innovation Lab (WiL).
GIC, Temasek, Khazanah back Alibaba’s logistics affiliate
Singapore’s GIC Private and Temasek Holdings, Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional, and China’s Primavera Capital have joined the latest funding round in Cainiao Network Technology, a logistics platform launched by Alibaba Group.
Streaming media provider Iflix gets $45m for SE Asia rollout
Malaysia-based VC-backed internet television service Iflix has attracted $45 million of strategic investment from fellow Netflix rivals, including European broadcaster Sky, to expand the company’s business across Southeast Asia.
Lakeshore Capital invests in Thailand's ReadyPlanet
Thailand-focused GP Lakeshore Capital Partners has invested an undisclosed amount in digital marketing service provider ReadyPlanet.
500 Startups launches $10m Vietnam fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has launched its latest country-specific fund with a target of $10 million for investments in Vietnam.
Malaysia's VC-backed PurelyB buys Singapore yoga portal
Malaysian health and wellness company PurelyB has acquired Singaporean yoga lifestyle website Stretch City.
Philippines-based PDS secures funding
Philippines-based mobile fintech start-up Pitaca Digital Services has raised a funding round managed by Carillion Partners, a boutique investment services and financial advisory company affiliated with Hong Kong-based Angeon Advisors.