Consumer
Ocean Link, Sequoia seal China hotel operator take-private
Ocean Link and Sequoia Capital China have completed the $190 million privatization and subsequent delisting of Zhejiang New Century Hotel Management.
Advantage backs Japan coffeeshop chain
Advantage Partners has agreed to invest about JPY7 billion ($64.6 billion) in Tokyo-listed coffeeshop and bakery chain Saint Marc.
China-backed Oatly raises $1.4b in US IPO
Oatly, a Swedish oat-based, dairy-free beverage brand backed by a joint venture between China Resources Group and Verlinvest, raised $1.43 billion in its US IPO, facilitating partial exits for several investors.
Indonesia’s TaniHub secures $65.5m Series B
TaniHub, a platform that connects farmers with customers and other agriculture industry suppliers, has closed a $65.5 million Series B round led by MDI Ventures.
Korea's Centroid rallies local support for TaylorMade buyout
Korean GP Centroid Investment Partners is tapping local investors to participate in a KRW1 trillion ($886 million) equity pool in support of its $1.7 billion acquisition of US golf club manufacturer TaylorMade.
Alibaba, Baring Asia back Masan's Vietnam grocery push
A consortium led by Alibaba Group and Baring Private Equity Asia has invested $400 million in the combined consumer goods and grocery retail operations of Vietnam conglomerates Masan Group and Vingroup.
Vietnam SOEs: Diverted divestments
Murky accounting and politics have rapidly decelerated the privatization of Vietnam’s government-owned companies in recent years. Private equity is biding its time and testing creative inroads
Indonesia's Gojek, Tokopedia merge as GoTo
Gojek and Tokopedia, two of Indonesia’s best-funded technology start-ups, have completed a merger, forming what they claim is the largest mobile on-demand services and payments platform in Southeast Asia.
KKR invests $95m in India's Lenskart
KKR has invested $95 million in Indian eyewear retail leader Lenskart via a secondary transaction that facilitated partial exits of undisclosed size for TPG Growth and TR Capital.
China snack maker Weilong raises $549m, pursues HK IPO
China’s leading spicy snack food company Weilong has raised a $549 million pre-IPO round at a valuation of $9.4 billion and filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Hong Kong NFT player raises $89m at $1b valuation
Hong Kong’s Animoca Brands, a blockchain-based games developer diversifying into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), has raised $88.9 million from a group of VCs at a valuation of $1 billion.
Korea's VIG buys The Skin Factory
Korean mid-market private equity firm VIG Partners has acquired 100% of The Skin Factory, operator of domestic home and personal care products brand Kundal.
Vision Fund leads $330m investment in China grocery platform
Dingdong Macai, a China-based online fresh produce delivery business, has raised $330 million in an extended Series D round led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
EQT backs Indonesia flavors, fragrances player
Product innovation and geographic expansion are on the agenda for Indonesia-based flavors and fragrances (F&F) provider Indesso Group following EQT’s acquisition of a minority stake in the business.
Deal focus: L Catterton backs Social Bella to emulate Perfect Diary
Social Bella has risen to prominence in Indonesia as an omnichannel distributor for other beauty brands, but the start-ups is now developing some of its own. L Catterton is backing this diversification drive
Deal focus: The e-commerce agglomeration effect
Inspired by Thrasio buying up e-commerce brands in the US and using its resources to drive growth, Una Brands wants to do the same in Asia. The start-up has secured $40 million to kick-start this effort
India retail: Bazaar bedrock
Traditional micro-retailers continue to dominate India’s consumer economy, thriving amid COVID-19, encroaching supermarkets, and the rise of e-commerce. So, why is investing in them so hard?
Source Code leads Series C for China online insurance broker
Yuanbao, a Chinese online insurance broker, has raised nearly RMB1 billion ($156 million) in Series C funding led by Source Code Capital. Other investors include Cathay Capital, Hike Capital, Northern Light Venture Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, and...
Nordstar, Insignia back Asia Amazon marketplace consolidator
Southeast Asia has seen its second e-commerce aggregator investment in a matter of days, with Rainforest securing $36 million in seed funding from Nordstar and Insignia Venture Partners.
Blackstone sweetens offer for Australia's Crown Resorts
The Blackstone Group has improved its take-private offer for Crown Resorts, valuing the Australian casino operator at about A$8.3 billion ($6.5 billion).
Asia brand aggregator raises $40m
Una Brands, an aggregator of e-commerce brands with a presence across Asia, has launched with A$50 million ($40 million) in seed funding from 500 Startups, Kingsway Capital, 468 Capital, Presight Capital, and Global Founders Capital.
India's Teachmint raises $16.5m Series A
Indian education technology provider Teachmint has raised a $16.5 million Series A round led by US-based specialist investor Learn Capital.
Asia Partners leads round for SE Asia e-commerce enabler
Asia Partners has led an approximately S$50 million ($37.4 million) round for Southeast Asia-focused cross-border e-commerce enabler SCI Ecommerce.
L Catterton backs Indonesia's Social Bella
L Catterton has made its first investment in Indonesia, leading a $56 million round for Social Bella, operator of the beauty industry platform Sociolla.