Cleantech
Asia renewables: Building out
A surge in renewable energy development is expected in the wake of most Asian jurisdictions making net-zero commitments. Investors are bullish on the macro picture but cautious on the detail
Data centres: Seeking sustainability
With data driving increasing amounts of business activity, companies are paying more attention to energy sourcing and consumption at the facilities tasked with processing this information
Energy start-ups: Disencumbering incumbents
Digital start-ups play a crucial role in energy transition and therefore represent a significant investment opportunity. The best approaches consider human nature and social themes as well as widgets
Q&A: Brookfield Asset Management’s Daniel Cheng
Brookfield Asset Management recently raised USD 15bn for a fund dedicated to global energy transition. Daniel Cheng, a managing director with the firm in Shanghai, maps out likely deployment
Australia hydrogen player gets $29m Series A
Australia’s Virescent Ventures, a VC firm spun out earlier this year from Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), has led a AUD 40m (USD 29m) Series A round for local hydrogen energy start-up Hysata.
Skip Capital, Stonepeak pursue Australia's Genex Power
Australia-listed renewable energy producer Genex Power has rejected an initial AUD 320m (USD 225m) buyout offer from Skip Capital and Stonepeak Partners, but it is open to further advances.
Third close brings Circulate's cleantech fund to $53m
Circulate Capital, a Singapore-based environmental technology impact investor, has reached a third close on its second fund with USD 53m in commitments to date.
Australian compostable cling film business gets $17m Series A
Great Wrap, an Australia-based start-up that manufacturers compostable cling film from food waste, has raised AUD 24m (USD 17m) in Series A funding.
Japanese autonomous driving player Tier IV raises $300m
Japanese autonomous driving technology developer Tier IV has raised a USD 87m Series B round from strategic investors and received a USD 183m government grant.
Deal focus: Dayone champions lithium-ion alternative
In throwing its support behind Enpower Greentech, Dayone Capital hopes the Chinese company can turn solid-state batteries into a commercially viable reality for electric vehicles
Deal focus: GPs go big on China biosynthesis
Advances in synthetic biology and China’s carbon-neutral ambitions have prompted investors to re-examine bio-manufacturing plays. Mojia Biotech is among the beneficiaries
Blackstone backs Australia, US clean commodities platform
The Blackstone Group has led a USD 400m investment in Xpansiv, an Australia and US-based marketplace for trading clean commodities such as carbon offsets, renewable energy credits (RECs), and low-carbon fuels.
PAG launches Asia renewables platform
PAG plans to commit more than USD 1bn to renewables over the next several years with the launch of a platform dedicated to the development, construction, and operation of projects in Asia.
Sequoia, Dayone back China solid state battery developer
China-based Enpower Greentech, which claims to be a pioneer in next-generation all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), has raised more than USD 20m in an extended Series A round led by Sequoia Capital China and Dayone Capital.
China bio-manufacturing start-up Mojia raises $80m
Temasek Holdings has led a USD 80m Series B round for Shanghai-based bio-manufacturing start-up Mojia Biotech.
Deal focus: TH Capital identifies key niche in energy storage
Zhongchu Guoneng Technology is leading China’s push into compressed air energy storage as a means of harnessing fast-rising yet unstable wind and solar capacity. Tsinghua Holdings Capital is among the backers
Hillhouse reaches first close on China carbon neutrality fund
Hillhouse Capital has reached the first close on its debut renminbi-denominated carbon neutrality fund, which has an overall target of around CNY 4bn (USD 597m).
Sequoia China leads $210m Series A for Envision Digital
Sequoia Capital China has led a USD 210m Series A round for Envision Digital, a Singapore-based technology developer focused on helping organisations achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Temasek launches decarbonisation investment platform
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings has committed an initial SGD 5bn to a newly launched platform designed to make investments that accelerate decarbonisation globally.
China energy storage start-up gets $48m pre-Series A
Zhongchu Guoneng Technology (ZGT), a China-based energy storage company, has raised CNY 320m (USD 48m) in pre-Series A funding led by Tsinghua Holdings Capital.
India EV ride-hailing start-up raises $50m
BluSmart, which claims to be India’s first integrated electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing and charging business, has closed a USD 50m Series A round led by BP Ventures and local cleantech investor Green Frontier Fund.
Skip leads Series B for Australia utilities SaaS platform
Skip Capital, a private investment firm established by Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar, has led a USD 14m Series B round for Neara, an Australian software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that serves utilities.
China’s Primavera seeks $1.5b for carbon neutrality fund
China-focused Primavera Capital Group is looking to raise approximately CNY 10bn (USD 1.5bn) for a carbon neutrality fund, emphasising the increased popularity of sustainability strategies among local private equity investors.
Australian crop monitoring start-up gets $38m Series B
Regrow, an Australian-based sustainable agriculture start-up, has raised USD 38m in Series B funding led by Galvanize Climate Solutions, Rethink Impact, and Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff’s Time Ventures.
