Consumer
PE-backed Jones the Grocer folds in Australia again
The Australian operation of Jones the Grocer, a gourmet food retailer backed by L Capital Asia, has entered voluntary administration for the second time in two years.
PEP agrees buyout of Australia's Patties
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has made a formal offer to buy Australian snack maker Patties Foods for A$230 million ($166 million).
GIC, Temasek buy $1b of Alibaba shares from SoftBank
Singapore’s GIC Private and Temasek Holdings have bought a combined $1 billion of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s shares, as part of an $8.9 billion share sale by Japan’s SoftBank Group.
Rabo invests $15m in India's Cremica
Rabo Equity Advisors has committed $15 million for a minority stake in Indian condiment and snack maker Cremica Food Industries.
Deal focus: Permira consolidates ingredients of JMO success story
Permira has acquired personal care brand John Masters Organics to grow its presence in Japan and the rest of the world
Longreach acquires Wendy's Japan
Longreach Group has acquired a majority stake in Wendy’s Japan as part of a growth strategy that will see the hamburger restaurant chain combined with fellow domestic operator, First Kitchen.
Beenext, Digital Garage lead Series B for India’s Droom
Droom, an Indian used automobiles trading marketplace, has raised about INR2 billion ($30 million) in a Series B round of funding led by Singapore-based early stage investor Beenext and Japanese incubator Digital Garage.
Japan’s Whill closes $17.5m Series B
Eight Roads Ventures has led a $17.5 million Series B round for Japanese wheelchair and personal mobility device developer Whill.
Chengwei backs China electronics recycling platform
China-focused Chengwei Capital has led a Series A round of funding worth about RMB100 million ($15 million) for Huishoubao, a Chinese electronic devices recycling platform.
Hong Kong's Lalamove raises $10m round led by MindWorks
MindWorks Ventures has led a $10 million funding round for Hong Kong-based van rental app developer Lalamove.
PEP launches $165m takeover bid for Australia's Patties
Australian GP Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has launched a bid to buy snack maker Patties Foods in a deal that values the company at A$203 million ($165 million).
China GPs underline merits of sector focus
China GPs must respond to the country’s economic slowdown by paying closer attention to picking sectors that can outperform – and in which they can help drive that performance – industry participants told the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private...
Morgan Stanley marks down India's Flipkart again
Morgan Stanley Institutional Fund Trust has marked down its investment in Flipkart for the second quarter in a row, reducing its estimate of the Indian online retail giant by 15.5%.
Korea's Althea raises $3.5m Series A
Althea, a South Korean cosmetics e-commerce site that markets primarily to Southeast Asia, has raised a $3.5 million Series A round from a group of investors including Mirae Asset Ventures, Cherubic Ventures and 500 Startups.
Tencent invests in Korea's PE-backed YG Entertainment
China’s Tencent Holdings and Beijing Weiying Times Technology – an online ticketing platform in which Tencent is an investor – have committed approximately $85 million to YG Entertainment, a Korean record label and talent manager backed by L Capital...
Japan's Creema raises $10m round
Globis Capital Partners has led a JPY1.1 billion ($10 million) round for Japan-based Creema, the operator of an online consumer-to-consumer (C2C) marketplace specializing in handmade items.
MBK-owned Komeda Coffee wins approval for Japan IPO
Komeda Coffee, a coffee shop chain owned by North Asia-focused MBK Partners, has won approval for a Tokyo IPO. The indicative price suggested the offering will be worth up to JPY60.2 billion ($547.4 million).
Autohome shareholders challenge sale to China's Ping An
Minority shareholders of Chinese auto services company Autohome have filed a petition against a recent move by Telstra to sell the majority of its controlling stake to Ping An Insurance Group for $1.6 billion.
China online grocer Benlai raises extended Series C round
Benlai.com, a Chinese B2C-focused online grocery supplier, has raised an extended Series C round of funding worth $17 million.
L Capital supports acquisition of global rights to Jones the Grocer
L Capital Asia has taken a significant minority stake in a company that has acquired the global rights to Jones the Grocer, a gourmet food retailer that originated in Australia.
Australian agriculture: Investor stampede
Australia’s politically charged beef industry has attracted a wave of new investment, much of it driven by overseas buyers. As this interest elevates valuations and emotions, PE firms must capture value with care
Fund focus: Mekong looks to crack Vietnam’s consumer code
Mekong Capital hopes to continue its success in Vietnam's consumer sector with the $112 million Mekong Enterprise Fund III, relying on a value creation model that is now tried and tested
Vision Knight leads $153m round for China’s Weidai
Vision Knight Capital has led a $1 billion ($153 million) Series C round of funding for Weidai, a Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform that specializes on providing auto loans.
IFC to invest $68m in India's Apollo Health
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has committed $68 million to Indian clinic chain Apollo Health and Lifestyle (AHL).