Financials
Deal focus: Carlyle's SBI Cards bet pays out
The Carlyle Group achieved an 8x return through a partial exit via SBI Cards’ IPO. The private equity firm still holds a 16% stake and is a resolute believer in the growth potential of India’s credit card market
Deal focus: Vivriti aims to bring debt online
India's private debt markets lack coordination and standardization. Vivriti Capital hopes to fix this by bringing issuance online. LGT Lightstone Aspada has provided $50 million in support of this effort
Australia’s Carnegie exits Assetic in PE-backed bolt-on
Australian VC investor MH Carnegie has exited asset management software specialist Assetic to Dude Solutions, a similar private equity-owned company in the US.
Avaana Capital co-founder takes over reins at India's Coverfox
Sanjib Kumar Jha, co-founder of private equity firm Avaana Capital, has been appointed CEO of struggling Indian online insurance marketplace Coverfox.
Fund focus: Quona doubles down on financial inclusion
Financial technology player Quona's $203 million second fund is expected to feature more early-stage rounds, more 'adjacency' plays in previously inaccessible segments, and more start-ups outside of India and Indonesia
Norwest leads Series E for Indian NBFC Veritas Finance
Norwest Venture Partners has led a INR3.5 billion ($46 million) Series E round for Veritas Finance, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) that issues loans to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Lightstone leads $50m Series B for Indian debt marketplace
LGT Lightstone Aspada has led a $50 million Series B round for Vivriti Capital, which operates CredAvenue, an Indian platform that helps companies raise debt.
Chinese insurtech player Insgeek gets $25m Series C
SIG and China Renaissance New Economy Fund have co-led a $25 million Series C round for Insgeek, a Chinese insurance technology specialist.
Carlyle secures partial exit from India's SBI Cards
The Carlyle Group has generated proceeds of approximately INR70.3 billion ($951 million) through a partial exit from SBI Cards & Payments, the State Bank of India's (SBI) credit card issuing arm, through a recent IPO.
Indian payment network for teens raises $4.7m
A group of investors including Y Combinator, Sequoia Capital India and angel investors have contributed $4.7 million in funding to FamPay, a social network for Indian teenagers centered on a parent-supervised payment service.
Trade buyer comes in for VC-backed Australian fintech player
Greensill, a UK-based enterprise financier with a global operations base, has acquired Australian VC-backed financial technology company Earnd.
India proposes rescue package for Yes Bank
The State Bank of India (SBI) plans to acquire a 49% stake in troubled lender Yes Bank as part of a rescue package set to dilute the holdings of a number of private equity backers.
Australia fintech player InDebted raises $9m Series A
Carthona Capital and MassMutual Ventures have led a A$14 million ($9.2 million) Series A round for Australian financial technology provider InDebted.
Paragon leads $30m Series B for Indian fintech player
SMEcorner, an Indian online lender to small businesses, has closed a $30 million round comprising equity and debt led by Paragon Partners.
Chinese insurance tech player raises $14m Series A
Chinese health insurance platform Nuanwa Technology has raised a RMB100 million ($14 million) Series A round led by Longfor Capital, a unit of real estate developer Longfor Group.
MSPEA leads $23m Series D for India’s Ummeed
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has led a INR1.6 billion ($23 million) Series D round for Indian low-income home loans provider Ummeed Housing Finance.
VCs invest Philippines digital bank Tonik
Insignia Ventures Partners and Credence Partners are backing a Philippines rollout by Tonik Financial, which claims to be the first digital-only bank in Southeast Asia.
GGV, BII lead $60m round for Indian gold loan start-up
Rupeek, an India-based online gold loan marketplace, has received $60 million in a funding round led by GGV Capital and Bertelsmann India Investments.
Japanese investors commit $856m to Grab
Singapore-based ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has raised $856 million from Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) and TIS Intec Group.
India’s BharatPe raises $75m Series C
BharatPe, a digital payment services provider for offline businesses, has raised $75 million to help fund a non-banking financial company (NBFC) that will issue loans to small businesses.
Chinese GPs provide Series A for Mexican digital bank
Stori, a Mexican digital bank founded by a team with China backgrounds, has raised $10 million in an extended tranche of Series A led by Source Code Capital and Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI). Existing investor Vision Plus Capital also participated.
PE-backed SBI Cards wins approval for India IPO
SBI Cards and Payments, the State Bank of India's (SBI) credit card arm and a Carlyle Group portfolio company, is looking to raise INR60 billion ($840 million) through a domestic IPO.
Chinese online insurance player raises $55m in US IPO
Huize Holding, a Shanghai-based insurance platform backed by SAIF Partners, has raised about $55 million in a US IPO.
Deal focus: Brookfield lends a helping hand
Brookfield Asset Management chose IndoStar Capital Finance as its way into India’s private lending space, putting faith in the non-banking finance company’s ability to diversify its business streams