Consumer
KKR joins $170m round for China used car trading platform
KKR has teamed up with search giant Baidu and US-based hedge fund sponsor Coatue to invest $170 million in Uxin, a Chinese online used car auction company best known for B2B platform Youxinpai.
Indonesia middle market: Slow-burn story
Indonesia’s middle market is a proxy for the robust services sector, but it is difficult for investors to penetrate and deal flow has been slow in recent years. Are we are about to see more?
Q&A: Tokopedia's William Tanuwijaya
Despite initial local skepticism and competition from global rivals, Tokopedia has become Indonesia’s leading online marketplace, securing $100 million from SoftBank and Sequoia Capital last year. CEO William Tanuwijaya charts the journey
India Value Fund commits $50m to taxi firm Meru
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has injected a fresh $50 million in radio taxi service Meru Cab, and is understood to be in talks to invest an additional $100 million in the next two months.
Japanese ticketing platform gets $5m Series B round
Japanese online ticketing platform Peatix has raised $5 million in a Series B round of funding led by DG Incubation, with strategic investment from SPH Media Fund and Japanese media company Sunny Side Up.
Japanese restaurant app Retty raises $8.2m
Fidelity Growth Partners Japan has led a JPY1 billion ($8.24 million) Series C investment in Retty, a Japanese social restaurant guide. Existing investors also took part.
Indian game developer Moonfrog raises Series A round
Indian mobile gaming start-up Moonfrog has raised $15 million in a Series A round of funding led by Tiger Global and existing investor Sequoia Capital.
Rocket Internet leads $110m round for Foodpanda
Emerging markets-focused food delivery app Foodpanda has raised another $110 million in a funding round led by its Germany-based parent Rocket Internet. A number of existing and new backers also took part.
Alibaba, SAIC Motor launch $160m internet car fund
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group and SAIC Motor, the country's largest automaker, have launched a RMB1 billion ($160 million) fund to invest in the development of internet-enabled cars.
South Korea's Memebox raises $17.5m from VCs
Beauty-focused e-commerce start-up Memebox has raised a $17.5 million Series B round of funding from a consortium of VC backers.
Indonesia's IndoTrading receives $1.5m in Series A funding
Indonesian e-commerce portal IndoTrading has raised $1.5 million in a Series A round of funding led by OPT SEA, the Southeast Asian investment arm of Japanese e-marketing firm OPT.
CDH commits $22m to China’s Zhongding Dairy Farming
CDH Investments has led a RMB400 million ($64 million) Series A round of funding for Zhongding Dairy Farming. Its individual commitment is RMB140 million.
China car-washing app raises $20m from Ping An VC
Ping An Ventures, a venture capital arm under Ping An Insurance, has provided $20 million in Series A funding for Exc118.com, a Chinese car-washing service mobile app.
Ola and TaxiForSure share a ride
Car ownership in India is very low; according to the country’s 2011 census, passenger vehicle penetration is just 4.9% overall and a mere 9% for urban areas. For a country of 1.3 billion, suffering from poor public transport, it means the demand for...
KV driven by more than a sweet tooth
With incomes rising and tastes becoming more refined, Asia represents a growing market for luxury goods. Chocolate is no exception. While supply problems are partly responsible for a 30% increase in global cocoa prices over the last two years, the 60%...
The C2B segue: China used-car trading platforms
While private equity capital is pouring into China’s B2B online car-trading platforms, some investors claim to see more value in smaller scale but less-penetrated and higher-margin C2B space
Japanese consortium buys US PE-backed juice maker
A consortium of Japanese investors has acquired Country Pure Foods, a US-based food service juice manufacturer, from US private equity firm Mistral Equity Partners.
PEP to buy Kerry Group's Australian bakery unit
Australian GP Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has agreed to acquire Pinnacle, the Sydney-headquartered bakery unit of Irish food giant Kerry Group.
Alibaba leads $60 million Series C1 round for Quixey
Alibaba Group has led a Series C1 round of funding worth $60 million for US app search engine Quixey, as the Chinese e-commerce giant continues to ramp up its presence in the US tech sector.
Fosun buys $138 million stake in Thomas Cook
Chinese investor Fosun International has purchased a 5% stake in UK-based travel agent Thomas Cook Group for GBP91.8 million ($138 million).
Baird Capital backs China used car auction platform
Baird Capital has agreed to lead a Series A round of funding for Carsing, a Shanghai-based used car auction platform. FLAG Squadron Capital and Delta Capital are also contributing to the round.
VC-backed Chinese home furnishing site Jia.com raises $160m
Jia.com, a Chinese home furnishing and decoration B2C online platform backed by several VC firms, has completed a Series D round of funding worth $160 million.
Chinese parenting site Lamabang raises $100m
China online retailer Vipshop has led a $100 million Series C round of funding for Lamabang, an online social networking platform that focuses on mothers.
Japan's Recruit buys VC-backed restaurant booking site
Japanese employment and internet services company Recruit Holdings has acquired German VC-backed restaurant booking site Quandoo for EUR198.6 million (about $219 million).