Consumer
Bain makes $613m bid for Australian skincare business
Bain Capital Private Equity has made a A$810 million ($613 million) buyout offer for BWX, an Australian manufacturer of branded skin and hair care products.
Kedaara, Partners Group to buy India's Vishal Mega Mart
Kedaara Capital and Partners Group have agreed to acquire Indian retailer Vishal Mega Mart for an undisclosed sum from TPG Capital.
Digital Garage, Toyota lead $30m round for India's Droom
Digital Garage and Toyota Tsusho, a division of Japanese automotive giant Toyota Group, have co-led a $30 million Series D round for Indian used-car trading marketplace Droom.
L Catterton to invest in India's FLF - update
L Catterton Asia will purchase an approximately 10% stake in India-listed integrated fashion retailer Future Lifestyle Fashion (FLF) through newly issued shares and secondary purchases.
Vietnam consumer: Trading up
Vietnam’s consumer economy is attracting a wider range of investors as deal sizes inflate and new openings emerge in a winding value chain. Private equity is positioned to exploit several vantage points
Japanese unicorn Mercari targets $1b IPO, VCs set for exits
Mercari, a venture capital-backed Japanese consumer-to-consumer marketplace that became the country’s first unicorn in 2016, plans to raise up to JPY110 billion ($1 billion) through a domestic IPO.
Singapore's M17 Entertainment files for US IPO
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has filed to list on the New York Stock Exchange.
Rakuten, EDBI lead $85m round for classifieds player Carousell
Rakuten Ventures and EDBI have led an $85 million Series C funding round for Singapore’s Carousell, an online flea market shopping app operator.
Singapore's Carro gets $60m Series B
Singapore-based automotive marketplace operator Carro has received a $60 million Series B funding round led by Softbank Ventures Korea, Insignia Ventures Partners and B Capital Group.
VC-backed Huya gains on US trading debut after $180m IPO
Huya, a Chinese game broadcasting business that spun out from social networking platform YY, gained 33.8% on its New York Stock Exchange trading debut following a $180 million IPO.
Chinese restaurant services app receives $63m
Mwee.cn, a Chinese restaurant booking app, has raised RMB400 million ($63 million) in the first tranche of a Series D funding round led by Koubei, Alibaba Group’s local services platform, and travel services business Ctrip.
Pencarrow invests New Zealand yogurt maker
New Zealand-based Pencarrow Private Equity has paid an undisclosed sum for a 39% stake in domestic yogurt maker The Collective.
Alibaba buys Rocket-backed South Asia e-commerce business
Alibaba Group has acquired Daraz, an e-commerce platform incubated by Rocket Internet that is the market leader in Pakistan and has a presence in several other South Asian countries.
Walmart to pay $16b for majority stake in India's Flipkart
Walmart has agreed to pay $16 billion for a 77% stake in Flipkart, an Indian e-commerce business that has received substantial private funding. The deal will facilitate full exits for several investors, including SoftBank’s Vision Fund.
KPCB leads $20m round for China cross-border retail player
KPCB has led a $20 million Series B funding round for BorderX Lab, a US-based e-commerce services company that helps global retailers connect with Chinese consumers.
South Asia: Indian satellites
India’s economic dominance of South Asia has not translated into a firm leadership role for the region. Private equity strategies therefore vary widely across the country’s immediate geographic orbit
Indian brewer B9 Beverages gets $50m
B9 Beverages, an Indian brewer that markets craft beer under the brand Bira 91, has received $50 million in Series B funding led by Belgium’s Sofina.
China online-to-offline: Retail reorientation
As technology brings the buyer closer to the seller, some investors are put off by the uncertainty while others see opportunities in finding ways to digitize – or further disrupt – traditional retailers
Affinity-backed Tegel gets $310m buyout offer
Tegel Group, a poultry producer in which Affinity Equity Partners is the largest shareholder, has received a privatization offer from Philippines-based Bounty Fresh Foods that values the business at approximately NZ$438 million ($310 million).
Japan’s D4V closes debut venture fund at $46m
D4V, a firm set up by Japanese seed-stage investor Genuine Startups and US-based design consultancy Ideo, has closed its debut venture capital fund with more than JPY5 billion ($46 million) in commitments.
Q&A: PropertyGuru's Steve Melhuish
In 11 years, PropertyGuru has evolved from a Singapore start-up into the leading online real estate listings platform in five Southeast Asian markets. Co-founder Steve Melhuish reviews the ups and downs
CRE Alliance invests $40m in Chinese tutoring business
CRE Alliance, a private equity joint venture between China Resources Enterprise (CRE) and Great Wall Asset Management, has made its first investment, backing a Chinese tutoring business.
China e-commerce back office support platform raises $120m
CDH Investment and Huaxing Growth Capital, a PE arm of financial advisor China Renaissance, have led a $120 million Series B round of funding for Yunji, a Chinese company that helps online retailers establish and maintain their platforms.
Paragon leads $20m round for India's Chai Point
Paragon Partners has led a $20 million Series C funding round for India-based Chai Point, a chai tea store operator that claims to be the country’s largest brand in its category.
