Consumer
IFC plans re-up for A91's second India fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has proposed a commitment of up to $25 million in the sophomore fund of India’s A91 Partners, which has a target of $500-550 million.
STIC leads $100m round for Carousell at $1.1b valuation
Korea’s STIC Investments has led a $100 million round for Carousell, a Singapore-based mobile classifieds marketplace for secondhand goods, at a valuation of $1.1 billion.
Profile: Vision Knight Capital's David Wei
Drawing on his experiences as a top executive at Alibaba Group, David Wei fashioned Vision Knight Capital into a China-focused private equity firm that aims to be both consultant and capital provider
Hong Kong's Lever VC closes food fund at $80m
Hong Kong-based food tech investor Lever VC has reached a final close of $80 million on its debut fund, which launched in August last year with a target of $50 million.
Australia's SiteMinder secures $73m pre-IPO round
Australia-based hotel booking platform SiteMinder has raised a A$100 million ($73 million) pre-IPO round led by BlackRock and AustralianSuper.
India home interiors player raises $50m Series E
IIFL Asset Management has led a $50 million Series E round for Indian interior design start-up HomeLane.
India's Leap Finance raises $55m Series C
US education technology specialist Owl Ventures has led a $55 million Series C round for Leap Finance, an Indian start-up that helps students pay for overseas studies.
PayPal to acquire Japan's Paidy for $2.7b
PayPal has agreed to buy Japan’s Paidy, a specialist in deferred e-commerce payments backed by several private equity investors, for about JPY300 billion ($2.7 billion).
Baring Asia invests $150m in Singapore game developer
Baring Private Equity Asia has invested $150 million in Singapore-based game developer Virtuos, becoming the largest external shareholder.
DST leads Series B for China cross-border brand Cider
Guangzhou-based cross-border fashion brand Cider has raised a $130 million Series B round led by DST Global with support from Greenoaks Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.
Deal focus: Affinity capitalizes on enforced divestment
Delivery Hero was instructed to offload Yogiyo as a condition of buying Woowa Brothers. Affinity, Permira, and GS Retail made the most of a $685 million opportunity to enter Korea’s food delivery space
Q&A: C Ventures' Ben Cheng
Ben Cheng, a managing partner of C Ventures, mixes lifestyle trends and corporate VC as he helps Adrian Cheng, scion of Hong Kong’s New World Development, usher the family empire into a digital future
Deal focus: India's AppsForBharat inspires VC devotees
AppsForBharat aims to be the first mobile player to create a product that sticks in the hard-to-monetize spirituality services space. Sequoia Capital India and Matrix Partners India are among the faithful
Kakao, KDB join $30m round for Japan's H2O Hospitality
Kakao Investment and Korea Development Bank (KDB) have joined a $30 million Series C round for H2O Hospitality, a Japan-based tourism operator expanding in Korea and Southeast Asia.
China car wash business achieves unicorn status
1km, China’s largest car wash company, has achieved a valuation of more than $1 billion on closing a Series D funding round across two tranches. It did not specify the size of the round.
China-focused NFT marketplace Cybertino raises $10m
A group of Chinese investors including Sky9 Capital, Ince Capital, and Draper Dragon have joined a $10 million round for non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace Cybertino Lab.
Malaysia's Carsome raises $200m at $1.3b valuation
Malaysia-headquartered used car trading platform Carsome has achieved a valuation of $1.3 billion with the close of an extended Series D funding round worth $170 million.
Japan's Shiseido sells US makeup brands to Advent
Japan’s Shiseido has extended a program of non-core divestments with the sale of three of its US makeup brands to Advent International for $700 million.
Advent sells Chinese mattress maker to Hillhouse
Advent International has sold its controlling stake in AI Dream – operator of the Serta and King Koil mattress brands in China – to Hillhouse Capital.
China comic platform Kuaikan raises $240m
Kuaikan, China’s largest publishing platform for comics, has raised $240 million from CCB International, Korean mobile app marketplace One Store, Tencent Holdings, Coatue Management, and Tiantu Capital.
China's Dayone Capital closes debut fund at $630m
Dayone Capital, a Chinese consumer-focused PE firm established by Allen Chen, founder of eyewear brand Mujosh and co-founder of BA Capital, has closed its debut fund at $630 million.
Pakistan's Airlift raises $85m Series B
Airlift, a Pakistani last-mile delivery app, has raised an $85 million Series B round in what is being called the largest-ever start-up investment in Pakistan and the Middle East and North Africa region.
Korea's Danggeun Market raises $162m at $2.7b valuation
DST Global has led a $162 million Series D round for Danggeun Market, operator of Korean flea market app Karrot, at a valuation of $2.7 billion.
Quadrant buys Australia sleepwear brand
Quadrant Private Equity has acquired Australian women’s sleepwear brand Papinelle for an undisclosed sum with plans for international expansion.