Consumer
Sweef's Asia women-focused fund makes debut investment
Singapore’s Sweef Capital, a women-focused impact investor, has made its first investment, providing an undisclosed sum to Vietnamese children’s technical academy Teky Alpha.
Anchor, Aspex re-up in Korea’s Kurly
Kurly, a Korean grocery delivery platform that abandoned its planned domestic IPO earlier this year, has raised KRW 120bn (USD 91m) from existing investors Anchor Equity Partners and Aspex Management.
India EV player BluSmart raises $42m
India’s BluSmart, an integrated electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing and charging business, has raised USD 42m in a funding round featuring BP Ventures.
India's Ace Turtle raises $34m Series B
India’s Ace Turtle, an omnichannel platform used by lifestyle and fashion retailers such as Wrangler and Toys R Us, has raised USD 34m in Series B funding featuring Singapore’s Vertex Ventures.
Australia's PE-backed Best & Less receives take-private offer
Best & Less, an Australian baby and kids retailer that went public less than two years ago under the guidance of then-majority owner Allegro Funds, has received a take-private offer from an investment vehicle controlled by retail industry veteran Brett...
Japan e-scooter maker raises $33.7m
Japanese e-scooter maker and urban shared micro-mobility developer Luup has raised a JPY 4.5bn round led by local VC firm Spiral Capital.
BPEA EQT, Nord Anglia buy sports education brand
BPEA EQT and Nord Anglia Education, one of its portfolio companies, have agreed to acquire IMG Academy – originally known as Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy – for an enterprise valuation of USD 1.25bn.
TPG abandons bid for Australian funeral services provider
TPG Capital has withdrawn its AUD 1.8bn (USD 1.2bn) unsolicited takeover bid for Invocare, a listed Australian provider of funeral services and operator of memorial parks and crematoria.
Japan VCs back hair colouring chain
A group of Japanese VC investors including Global Brain have provided JPY 1.1bn (USD 8.4m) in Series A funding to Fast Beauty, operator of hair colouring shop chain Fufu.
L'Oreal commits to DSG's latest India, Southeast Asia fund
DSG Consumer Partners, an early-stage consumer sector investor in India and Southeast Asia, has signed up French cosmetics giant L’Oreal as an LP in its fourth fund.
Consumer specialist Tiantu closes $218m renminbi fund
Tiantu Capital, a China-based consumer-focused venture capital firm, has raised CNY1.5bn (USD 218m) for its latest renminbi-denominated fund.
Australia's Glow hits first close on debut PE fund
Australian private equity firm Glow Capital Partners has reached a first close of AUD 55m (USD 37m) on its debut fund. The target is AUD 300m.
Growtheum backs Vietnam's International Dairy Products
Growtheum Capital Partners, a private equity firm established by the former head of GIC’s direct private equity investment group in Southeast Asia, has made a growth capital investment in Vietnam-based International Dairy Products (IDP).
MDI leads Series A for Indonesia cloud kitchen
MDI Ventures, the corporate VC arm of state-controlled Telkom Indonesia, has led a USD 13.7m Series A round for local cloud kitchen start-up Legit Group.
China hotpot home dining player Guoquan pursues HK listing
Guoquan, a Chinese hotpot ingredients supplier that now positions itself as a one-stop home meal solutions brand, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Deal focus: Qiming bets on resilience in China’s coffee space
Qiming Venture Partners has doubled down on Chinese coffee brand Tasogare, identifying a consumer category endowed with rare advantages and poised to benefit from a broader domestic retail rebound
Deal focus: Hong Kong’s Gryfyn issues web3 passport
Gryfyn, the latest project from Hong Kong’s Animoca Brands, has attracted several VC investors, most of which are not existing backers of its parent. The mission is simple: expand the metaverse
VCs back Indonesia battery-swapping scooter maker
Ondine Capital, a Southeast Asia-focused VC firm set up by investors from China's CICC Capital and JD.com and Indonesia's MediaTek, has invested in Indonesian battery-swapping scooter maker Swap Energy.
Creador completes exit from Malaysia's Mr DIY
Creador has exited its remaining 4.9% equity interest in Malaysia-listed home improvement retailer Mr DIY, generating proceeds of MYR 664m (USD 150.5m).
Japan-inspired Chinese coffee brand gets Series C
Chinese coffee brand Tasogare has raised several hundred million renminbi in a Series C funding round led by Yijing Capital and state-controlled Jiande Group. Qiming Venture Partners and Bu’er Capital re-upped.
D Capital agrees Japan digital marketing carve-out
Japanese mid-market private equity firm D Capital has agreed to buy the local operations of Catalina, a US-headquartered digital marketing company undergoing its second restructuring in four years.
India fashion supply chain player Fashinza raises $30m
Indian fashion industry supply chain platform Fashinza has raised USD 30m from Liquidity Group, an Israel and US-based financial technology company and debt investor.
TPG completes exit from India's Campus Activewear
TPG Capital – acting through its growth equity strategy – has completed its exit from Campus Activewear, an Indian athleisure footwear brand it took public last April.
Indonesia’s Kredivo raises $270m Series D
Indonesian consumer credit company Kredivo, formerly known as FinAccel, has completed a USD 270m Series D round led by Mizuho Bank, which provided USD 125m.