Consumer
Indonesia fishery app Aruna extends Series A to $65m
Indonesian fishing industry app Aruna has raised USD 30m led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India. It is described as an extension of a Series A round launched in mid-2020.
Square Peg leads $40m round for Singapore edtech player
Australia-based Square Peg Capital has led a USD 40m Series B round for Singapore-based education technology provider Cialfo.
Centurium takes control of China's Luckin Coffee
Centurium Capital is now the controlling shareholder in Luckin Coffee, having teamed up with IDG Capital and Ares SSG to take out interests formerly owned by executives of the scandal-hit Chinese coffee shop chain.
China raw egg brand Yellow Swan raises $95m - update
Yellow Swan, a China-based edible raw egg producer incubated by Proterra Investment Partners, has raised CNY 600m (USD 95m) across two tranches.
KKR commits $45m to Philippines B2B e-commerce player
KKR has invested USD 45m in GrowSari, a Philippines-based company that helps micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) take their retail operations online.
Portfolio: Affirma and Sunwoo Fresh
Affirma Capital is helping Korea’s Sunwoo Fresh discover new revenue streams overseas, online, and in adjacent links of the beef importing value chain. Aggressive M&A has accelerated the process
China medtech start-up SiBionics raises $79m
China-based medical technology start-up SiBionics has raised CNY 500m (USD 79m) in a third tranche of Series C funding co-led by CPE and China Life Investment.
Invesco leads $700m round for India's Swiggy
Invesco has led a USD 700m round for India-based on-demand delivery platform Swiggy at a reported valuation of USD 10.5bn.
Ex-CVC Asia head raises $200m SPAC
Generation Asia Acquisition, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Roy Kuan, formerly Asia managing partner at CVC Capital Partners, has raised USD 200m through a US offering.
Vision Fund leads $150m round for China e-commerce enabler
Shoplazza, a China-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specialising in cross-border e-commerce, has raised USD 150m in the first tranche of Series C led by SoftBank Vision Fund II.
NPX invests $43m in Korean digital content provider
The private equity arm of US and Korea-based NPX Capital has invested USD 43m in Korean digital cartoon studio Copin Communications.
China beauty retailer Harmay raises $200m
Harmay, a China-based omnichannel beauty products retailer, has raised USD 200m across Series C and D rounds.
Quadrant exits Australia experiential tourism business
Quadrant Private Equity has sold Journey Beyond, an Australia-based experiential tourism business, to US-based Hornblower Group, which is best known for offering cruise and sightseeing packages.
Deal focus: Starfield serves up Series B
The Chinese manufacturer of plant-based protein replacements has secured USD 100m in funding to advance a product portfolio that aspires to diversity and structural sophistication
Metaverse: Too concrete to ignore
As lives lived online find a virtual world to call home, investors, brands, governments, corporations, and accountants follow them in. Real estate, avatars, and new ideas are in demand. Goggles are not
Deal focus: ACA seeks Asia-Europe sporting synergies
Japan’s ACA Group has acquired a Belgium-based KMSK Deinze as part of a multi-club investment strategy that will – in part – bring Asian players into the middle tiers of European football
China GPs emphasize consumer sector opportunities
Policy volatility in China has prompted many investors to eschew consumer-facing business models in favour of B2B plays like deep-tech, but sector specialists still see opportunity, the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association’s (HKVCA)...
Bain exits Japan hot spring operator to Lone Star
Bain Capital has sold Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Resorts & Hotels, a Japan-based traditional inn and hot spring chain operator it acquired nearly seven years ago, to Lone Star for an undisclosed sum.
Quadria backs Vietnam mother-and-baby chain
Singapore-based healthcare specialist Quadria Capital has invested USD 90m in Con Cung, Vietnam’s largest mother-and-baby retailer.
MBK to buy control of Korea e-commerce solutions provider
MBK Partners has agreed to buy a controlling stake in KoreaCenter, a Korea-based e-commerce services provider, for KRW 491.7bn (USD 429.8m) across several equity and debt transactions.
WestBridge, GSV lead $100m Series E for India's Lead School
WestBridge Capital and GSV Ventures have led a USD 100m Series E round for Indian education technology platform Lead School at a valuation of USD 1.1bn.
China plant-based protein player Starfield raises $100m
Primavera Capital Group has led a USD 100m Series B for Starfield, a Chinese producer of plant-based meats.
Fund focus: Northstar navigates fundraising doldrums
Like many GPs, Northstar Group found fundraising difficult but deployment fruitful during the darkest days of pandemic uncertainty. Pausing the virtual roadshow for its latest vintage proved shrewd
Tiger Global leads Series B for India's Avataar
Tiger Global Management has led a USD 45m Series B round for India’s Avataar, a company that uses 3D augmented reality (AR) displays to help e-commerce customers browse large items online.