Consumer
SoftBank Ventures backs Japanese sneaker marketplace
SoftBank Ventures Asia has led a JPY2.2 billion ($21.2 million) Series B round for Japan’s Soda, operator of the online sneaker marketplace Snrk Dunk.
Ascendent founder sponsors SPAC targeting global deals
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Liang Meng, founding managing partner of China’s Ascendent Capital Partners, has raised $300 million for global consumer technology investments.
Portfolio: MSPEA and Korres
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia helped ethical Greek cosmetics maker Korres beef up an underweight international presence with a plan that will see China become the main growth engine
Fund focus: Asian LPs amplify Mekong’s ambitions
Travel restrictions forced Mekong Capital to look closer to home when raising its latest fund, but the manager was already building out a more Asia-centric LP base
Chinese fitness app Keep raises $360m
Keep, a Chinese mobile app that provides fitness training programs, has raised $360 million in Series F funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
Goldman leads $50m round for China’s Perfect
Perfect Corp, a Chinese developer of online beauty apps, has raised a $50 million Series C round led by Goldman Sachs.
China's Primavera launches consumer-focused SPAC
Primavera Capital Group has joined the trickle of Asia-based private equity investors launching special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) in the US, targeting a $300 million capital raise for consumer deals.
VC-backed Chinese e-cigarette company targets US IPO
Relx Technology, a Chinese e-cigarette producer backed by Source Code Capital and Sequoia Capital China, has filed for an IPO in the US.
VC-backed Chinese online tutor Xueba close to bankruptcy
Xueba100.com, a China-based one-to-one online tuition platform, has halted operations and is looking for industry peers to assume responsibility for its students and teachers.
Vietnam’s Mekong closes Fund IV at $246m
Vietnamese private equity firm Mekong Capital has closed its fourth flagship middle-market fund at $246 million, more than twice the size of its predecessor vehicle.
China bubble tea chain Naixuecha raises Series C
Naixuecha, a China-based bubble tea chain that also goes by the name Nayuki, has raised a Series C funding round led by PAG.
Silver Lake joins $3.3b investment in China's TAL Education
Silver Lake has led a $2.3 billion investment in TAL Education Group, a US-listed Chinese after-school education provider, via a convertible notes issue.
Delivery Hero wins approval for Woowa deal in Korea
Private equity investors in Korean food delivery business Woowa Brothers look set for a liquidity event after regulators gave conditional approval for a $4 billion acquisition by Delivery Hero.
China's Zuoyebang gets $1.6b Series E extension
Zuoyebang, which claims to be China’s largest online education company, has secured $1.6 billion in an extended Series E funding round that features Alibaba Group as a new investor.
Google joins $145m round for India's Glance
Google has joined a $145 million round for Glance, an Indian smart phone services provider specializing in media content that launches on a locked home screen when a handset is illuminated.
OTPP backs Korean fried chicken chain at $1.6b valuation
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) has invested in Korean fried chicken restaurant franchisor BHC Group at an enterprise valuation of KRW1.8 trillion ($1.6 billion), facilitating a full exit for Elevation Equity Partners.
Partners Group invests $250m in India's Ecom Express
Partners Group has committed at least $250 million to Indian door-to-door delivery specialist Ecom Express, facilitating a partial exit for controlling shareholder Warburg Pincus.
Advantage, Tokyo Century agree Japan health foods deal
Advantage Partners has teamed up with Tokyo Century Corp. and Japanese strategic Euglena to acquire Q’Sai, a local health foods and cosmetics business, from Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Holdings.
ClearVue backs China-focused pet lifestyle brand
ClearVue Partners has led a $20 million Series B round for Vetreska, a US-headquartered and China-focused pet lifestyle brand.
China's Yonghui gets $153m for fresh produce spin-out
Tencent Holdings and CICC Capital have led a RMB1 billion ($153 million) round for Caishixian, a B2B supply chain platform incubated by Yonghui Superstores, a leading Chinese supermarket chain.
PE-backed Pop Mart posts strong gain after $674m HK IPO
Pop Mart International Group, China’s largest fashion toy retailer, gained 79% on its Hong Kong trading debut following a HK$5.22 billion ($674 million) IPO.
Government funds back Chinese online grocer Miss Fresh
Chinese online grocer Miss Fresh has raised RMB2 billion ($305 million) from three Qingdao government-related funds to support expansion in the city on China's eastern seaboard.
ZWC hits $400m first close on China fund
Chinese venture capital firm ZWC Partners has completed a first close of $400 million on its second US dollar-denominated fund. The full target is $450 million.
Japan’s JIC invests four local start-ups
Japan Investment Corporation (JIC) has backed four local start-ups via its new VC unit. This includes a JPY3 billion ($29 million) commitment to business digitization consultant Monstar Lab.
