Financials
PineBridge, Peter Thiel launch Southeast Asia-focused SPAC
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund, has teamed up with PineBridge Investments and Pacific Century Group on a special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) that will target new economy assets in Southeast Asia.
India insurance tech provider raises $60m
Acko, an Indian financial technology start-up touted as the country’s only digital-native insurer, has secured a $60 million investment featuring Amazon and two global insurance providers.
Deal focus: Affinity, Baring leverage market dislocation
Seeing Korean banks trading at discounted valuations and believing in the long-term health of the industry, some private equity investors have taken the opportunity to buy in the public markets
TPG backs $2b carve-out of Aviva Singapore
TPG Capital has joined a consortium led by Singapore Life (Singlife) that has agreed to acquire the Singapore business of UK insurance giant Aviva for S$2.7 billion ($2 billion).
Sequoia joins $30m Series C for India's Groww
Groww, a financial technology start-up considered the largest retail brokerage in India, has closed a $30 million Series C round with support from Sequoia Capital India.
Africa-focused GP leads Series B for Singapore's Thunes
Africa-focused private equity firm Helios Investment Partners has led a $60 million Series B round for Singapore financial technology start-up Thunes.
Baring-owned Vistra acquires Japan accounting firm
Vistra, a Hong Kong-based corporate services provider and fund administrator owned by Baring Private Equity Asia, has acquired Japanese accounting specialist Routes for an undisclosed sum.
Xiaomi joins $54m Series B for Indonesia's PasarPolis
Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi has joined a $54 million Series B round for Indonesian financial technology provider PasarPolis.
Korea's Viva Republica raises $173m
Viva Republica, the operator of Korean money transfer app Toss, has raised $173 million from a group of investors featuring Sequoia Capital China and Kleiner Perkins.
PAG buys majority stake in Indian wealth manager
PAG has invested approximately $300 million for a 51% stake in the wealth management business of Indian financial services players Edelweiss Group. The goal is to demerge and list the unit within 18 months.
PE-backed Ant Group files for Hong Kong, Shanghai IPO
Ant Group, the financial technology affiliate of China’s Alibaba Group, which has raised more than $20 billion in external private funding, has filed for a dual listing in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Baring Asia leads $209m round for India’s RBL Bank
A consortium of investors led by Baring Private Equity Asia will invest INR15.6 billion ($209 million) for a 19.55% stake in listed Indian lender RBL Bank.
China insurance tech platform Waterdrop receives $230m
Shuidi, a China-based insurance technology platform also known as Waterdrop, has raised $230 million in Series D funding jointly led by Tencent Holdings and Swiss Re Group. Existing investors IDG Capital and Wisdom Choice Global Fund re-upped.
Sequoia leads $20m Series A for Singapore's Incomlend
Sequoia Capital India has led a $20 million Series A round for Incomlend, a Singapore-based invoice trading platform that aims to democratize access to trade finance.
BRI invests Indonesia fintech player Ayoconnect
BRI Ventures, the newly launched VC unit of Bank Rakyat Indonesia, has joined a $5 million pre-Series B round for local financial technology provider Ayoconnect.
EDBI backs US cybersecurity player's Asia push
EDBI, the investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, has invested in Vesta, a US-based fraud and payment technology start-up with ambitions to expand into Asia.
WI Harper backs Hong Kong financial services player
WI Harper Group has led a $20 million Series B round for Hong Kong financial services provider EMQ.
Eurazeo backs UK, Singapore-based Thought Machine
Eurazeo Growth, a joint venture between French GPs Eurazeo and Idinvest Partners, has joined a $125 million Series B round for UK and Singapore financial technology player Thought Machine.
Australia's Square Peg backs Singapore wealth manager
Australian VC firm Square Peg Capital has led a $16 million Series C round for StashAway, a Singapore-based digital financial services provider focused on retail wealth management.
India payments player Pine Labs invests Malaysia’s Fave
Pine Labs, an Indian payments start-up backed by MasterCard, PayPal, and Sequoia Capital India, has invested Fave, a Malaysian e-commerce platform also supported by Sequoia.
TA Associates invests in Indian stock exchange
TA Associates has invested an undisclosed sum in the National Stock Exchange of India (NSE).
CapitalG leads $27.5m Series E for Indian NBFC
CapitalG, Google’s corporate venture arm that focuses on growth equity investments, has led an INR2.1 billion ($27.5 million) funding round for Indian non-bank lender Aye Finance.
Asia lending start-ups: Bump in the road
Digital lenders in emerging markets need to survive a tricky year under the shadow of potential defaults, but the survivors might become significant players in a renewed financial landscape
SCB 10X, Sparx lead $80m round for Thai fintech player
Thailand-based financial technology provider Synqa, formerly known as Omise, has raised an $80 million Series C round led by local VC firm SCB 10X and Japan’s Sparx Group.