Consumer
Baring, CITIC Capital to buy Wall Street English from Pearson
Baring Private Equity Asia and CITIC Capital have agreed to acquire English language training provider Wall Street English (WSE) in a deal that will deliver cash proceeds of around $300 million to existing owner Pearson.
Newly listed Chinese education business hit by abuse claims
RYB Education, a private equity-backed Chinese kindergarten operator that listed in New York two months ago, has seen its stock price collapse in response to child abuse claims.
Japan-China e-commerce business gets $68m Series C
Inagora, a VC-backed e-commerce platform that supplies Japanese products to Chinese consumers, has received $68 million in Series C funding from Itochu Corp, KDDI Corporation, and SBI Holdings.
India's VC-backed HomeLane buys Capricoast
Indian interior design company HomeLane, which is backed by Aarin Capital and Sequoia Capital, has bought Accel Partners-backed online furniture marketplace Capricoast.
Bain to complete exit from Japan's Skylark
Bain Capital Private Equity will divest its remaining 15% stake in Japanese restaurant operator Skylark, completing a gradual sale of the business it acquired in 2011 and took public three years later.
Deal focus: Tapping complexity in e-commerce
Southeast Asia-focused retailing services provider aCommerce has received $65 million in Series B funding to support not only geographical expansion but also a move into B2B to complement existing B2C capabilities
Portfolio: CITIC Capital and Oriental Cambridge Education Group
Oriental Cambridge Education Group was already a leader in China’s early childcare market when CITIC Capital acquired it in 2014. The GP has strengthened the company to tackle new challenges
SSG buys stake in Cox & Kings subsidiary
Hong Kong-based special situations investor SSG Capital Management has paid an undisclosed sum for a 34.4% stake in a UK subsidiary of Indian travel company Cox & Kings (C&K) known as Prometheon Holdings.
Tencent leads $40m round for China’s Ubtech Robotics
Tencent Holdings has led a $40 million Series C round of funding for Shenzhen-based Ubtech Robotics, a humanoid robot maker backed by CDH Investments and Goldstone Investment.
KKR media platform leads $65m round for Southeast Asia's aCommerce
Emerald Media, an Asian investment platform created by KKR, has led a $65 million Series B funding round for Thailand-based online retailing services company aCommerce.
Quadrant's family entertainment platform makes debut acquisition
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity has purchased amusement arcade operator Timezone Group as the first part of a buy-and-build strategy in the family and children’s entertainment market.
APG commits $175m to India retail JV
Dutch pension fund manager APG Asset Management has committed $175 million to Virtuous Retail South Asia (VRSA), its India-focused retail joint venture with London-based emerging markets investment firm Xander Group.
Accel invests $15m in Indian fashion retailer
Accel Partners has invested about INR1 billion ($15.3 million) in Universal Sportsbiz (USPL), an Indian fashion retailer that focuses on sports apparel under the name Collectabillia.
China's Primavera supports buyout of US study abroad business
China-focused GP Primavera Capital and Paris-listed investment firm Eurazeo have together invested in WorldStrides, a US-based provider of study-abroad programs for high school and university students, with a view to supporting expansion in Asia and Europe.
Goldman, CIC form $5b Sino-US industrial fund
Goldman Sachs and China Investment Corporation (CIC) have launched a private equity fund that is seeking to raise $5 billion to invest in US companies. The initiative is part of efforts to strengthen trade relations between the two countries.
PE-backed Vincom Retail ups size of IPO to raise $740m
Private equity-backed Vincom Retail, the leading shopping mall operator in Vietnam, has completed the country’s largest-ever IPO, after increasing the size and pricing of its offering to raise VND16.8 trillion ($740 million).
Pencarrow exits New Zealand's Icebreaker to US trade buyer
New Zealand’s Pencarrow Private Equity has agreed to sell its entire stake in Icebreaker, a domestic clothing brand that specializes in outdoor winter apparel, to US-listed competitor VF Corporation.
Sector funds: Special forces
The proliferation of fund managers targeting relatively focused investment segments signals a new maturity in Asian private equity. The trend will evolve in step with regional markets
VCs join $25m round for Singapore's ShopBack
Singapore-based e-commerce aggregator ShopBack has raised a $25 million funding round from investors including East Ventures, SoftBank, and 33 Capital.
Everstone to buy India's Kenstar
The Everstone Group has agreed to buy Indian home appliance maker Kenstar from the Videocon Group.
China's Phoenix Travel gets $105m Series C
Phoenix Travel Group, a China-based travel services provider, has raised a RMB700 million ($105 million) Series C round led by CITIC Capital, Haier Capital, Legend Holdings and Legend Capital.
Lakeshore buys Thailand skincare business
Lakeshore Capital has led the acquisition of a controlling stake in Aisance, a Thailand-based skincare company that specializes in distributing products from Korea, for $15.9 million.
CITIC Capital nears buyout of packaging player Axilone
China-focused GP CITIC Capital has entered into advanced negotiations with Oaktree Capital Management to buy Axilone, a Europe-headquartered packaging supplier to the cosmetics industry.
China's Ctrip buys VC-backed Trip.com
Ctrip, China’s largest travel services provider, has made another outbound acquisition with the purchase of US-based Trip.com, which has previously received several rounds of venture capital funding.