Consumer
CBC, Ocean Link lead $40m round for China’s Yitiao
China Broadband Capital (CBC) and Ocean Link – a travel and tourism-focused PE firm – have jointly led a $40 million Series C round for Yitiao, a Chinese online platform that offers lifestyle video content and retail services.
Singapore's AdAsia closes Series A at $14.5m
Singapore-based advertising technology company AdAsia Holdings has closed its Series A funding round at $14.5 million after receiving a $2.5 million investment from angel investor Hisanori Watanabe and Japanese news app provider Gunosy.
Deal focus: Advantage kneads 12x return
Advantage Partners has sold Japanese massage chain Riraku back to one of the company's co-founders at a valuation of $300 million, having successfully executed its expansion strategy
Ascendent-backed RYB Education gains 40% on US debut
Chinese kindergarten operator RYB Education closed up 40% on its first day of trading in New York following a $144.3 million IPO. Ascendent Capital Partners made a partial exit through the offering.
MBK to buy stake in Korean golf course business
MBK Partners, which completed its acquisition of Japanese golf course operator Accordia Golf earlier this year, has agreed to take a stake in the golf course management business of Korea-listed Golfzon.
Yao Capital leads $75m round for China sports school
Yao Capital has led a RMB500 million ($75 million) round of funding for Doing Now, a privately-held Chinese sports school for children.
Dymon invests $15m in Malaysia bottled water company
Singapore-based Dymon Asia Private Equity has agreed to acquire a 13% stake in Malaysia-based and Myanmar-listed bottled water producer Spritzer for about MYR63 million ($15 million).
Advantage exits Japan massage chain in $300m sale
Advantage Partners has sold its majority stake in Japanese massage chain operator Riraku at a valuation of approximately $300 million, securing a 12x money multiple.
Bain, Goldman agree $2.7b exit from Carver Korea
Bain Capital Private Equity and Goldman Sachs have agreed to sell their majority stake in Carver Korea, a specialist cosmetics supplier, to Unilever in a deal worth EUR2.27 billion ($2.7 billion).
Didi invests $200m in China's VC-backed Renrenche
Chinese ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing has invested $200 million in Renrenche, a local consumer-to-consumer used-car trading platform, which is backed by several VC investors.
Singapore’s Sea files for US IPO
Sea, the Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform formerly known as Garena, has filed to list on the New York Stock Exchange.
Bain's China education business set for NASDAQ IPO
Bain Capital Private Equity-owned Rise Education, a China-based company that provides after-school English teaching and tutoring services, has filed to list on NASDAQ.
Warburg Pincus-backed Lemon Tree files for India IPO
Indian hotel chain Lemon Tree Hotels has filed for an IPO that will provide a partial exit for Warburg Pincus.
India's Yatra raises $15m from InnoVen
Yatra Online, an Indian travel services provider listed on NASDAQ, has raised INR1 billion ($15.4 million) in debt funding from InnoVen Capital.
Deal focus: TNG targets Asia’s unbanked
Hong Kong financial technology company TNG has secured a $115 million Series A to push its electronic payment solution
CMC, AlphaX lead $84m round for China Gaosi Education
CMC Capital Partners and AlphaX Partners – a VC firm co-founded by Chuan Thor, formerly a managing director at Highland Capital China – have jointly led a RMB550 million ($84 million) round for Gaosi Education Group, a Chinese education and training...
Tiger Global, Genesis lead $230m round for China’s Miss Fresh
Tiger Global Management and Genesis Capital have led an extended Series C round worth $230 million for Miss Fresh, a Chinese online grocery retailer backed by Tencent Holdings. Jeneration Capital also participated.
PE and AI: The machinists
After decades of tantalizing but patchy progress, artificial intelligence is finally seen as ready for mass commercialization. Investors must now weigh an unmissable opportunity with a world of uncertainty
Banyan joins $152m round for China's QianbaoCard
QianbaoCard, a Shanghai-based start-up that provides financial services to local merchants and consumers, has raised a RMB1 billion ($152 million) Series B round of funding from Banyan Capital and other domestic investors.
Temasek in $300m round for Taiwan scooter maker
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings has joined a $300 million funding round for Taiwan-based electric scooter manufacturer Gogoro.
Australia's Next Capital sells Infinite Care to Moelis
Next Capital has agreed to sell its controlling stake in Australia-based aged care business Infinite Care to Moelis Australia. The GP first invested in the company in December 2014.
Provident, JD.com back Thailand e-commerce, fintech JVs
Southeast Asia-focused Provident Capital has partnered with Chinese online retailer JD.com, JD Finance, and Thai conglomerate Central Group on an investment of up to $500 million in e-commerce and financial technology services in Thailand.
Formation 8 backs Yello Mobile's O2O unit
Formation Group, a Silicon Valley and Asia-focused venture capital firm established by Formation 8 co-founder Brian Koo, has invested KRW112.5 million ($99 million) in the online-to-offline (O2O) services unit of Korean mobile internet platform Yello...
China's PE-backed Secoo seeks $115m in US IPO
Secoo, a private equity-backed Chinese e-commerce platform that focuses on luxury goods, is looking to raise up to $114.8 million through a US IPO.