Financials
Deal focus: Archipelago makes Philippines banking play
Archipelago Capital Partners takes a minority stake in One Network Bank to support its parent's plans to lead the country's rural banking sector
Deal focus: Clearing up Southeast Asia's currency chaos
Investors see opportunity in bringing a promising currency exchange-focused fintech model from Europe into Southeast Asia. Singapore-focused YouTrip is the region’s first mover in this niche
Archipelago completes investment in Philippines bank
Southeast Asia-focused GP Archipelago Capital Partners has completed its investment in One Network Bank (ONB), the rural subsidiary of Philippines-listed financial services provider BDO Unibank.
GA, Värde cancel planned investment in India's PNB
General Atlantic and Värde Partners have terminated a planned INR18.5 billion ($267 million) investment in PNB Housing Finance, the publicly listed mortgage subsidiary of India’s Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Hong Kong fintech player YouTrip gets $25.5m
Insignia Ventures Partners has joined a $25.5 million seed round for YouTrip, a Hong Kong-based financial technology company focused on travelers in Singapore.
Hong Kong fintech player raises $30m Series A
Hong Kong-based OneDegree, an insurance technology start-up, has raised over $30 million for its Series A led by financial technology-focused investment firm BitRock Capital.
Vietnam banking: Where credit is due
Vietnam’s economic future is tied to an attractive but immature and constrained banking sector. Investors are prodding the edges of a precarious opportunity set
India's Kinara raises $14m funding round
Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Kinara Capital has raised INR1 billion ($14.3 million) from a group of investors including Gaja Capital, Gawa Capital, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and US-based VC firm Patamar Capital (formerly Unitus...
Japan crowdfunding player raises $20m Series C
Campfire, a Japanese crowdfunding platform operator, has raised a JPY2.2 billion ($20 million) Series C round with support from Global Brain and KDDI Corporation.
LeapFrog raises $700m for third impact fund
LeapFrog Investments has raised $700 million for its third fund with a view to investing in healthcare and financial services companies in emerging Asia and Africa. It initially targeted a corpus of $600 million.
Asia fintech player GoBear raises $80m
GoBear, an online financial products marketplace focused on young Asian consumers, has raised $80 million from its Netherlands-based sponsors Walvis Participaties and Aegon.
Kyobo Life: The mother of all puts
Put options amount to threats seldom acted upon. By demanding that the chairman of Korea’s third-largest life insurer buy back their shares, a group of investors has taken Asian PE into uncharted territory
India NBFC raises $14m Series E round
Dvara KGFS, a non-banking finance company (NBFC) backed by Indian financial inclusion investor Dvara Trust, has raised INR970 million ($14 million) in Series E funding led by Stakeboat Capital.
FMO leads $86m round for India's InCred
Indian online lending platform and non-banking finance company (NBFC) InCred Financial Services has raised a INR6 billion ($85.9 million) Series A round led by Dutch development finance institution FMO.
Apis invests $110m in India's L&T IDF
Apis Partners has agreed to invest up to $110 million in L&T Infra Debt Fund (L&T IDF), a subsidiary of India’s L&T Finance Holdings focused on financing infrastructure projects in India.
China fintech in Indonesia: Uncertainty bites
Indonesia’s fintech space represents an attractive market for Chinese start-ups looking to go cross-border. However, their reputation has been soured by misbehaving P2P lending platforms
Deal focus: Airwallex plots Asia payments expansion
Airwallex recently became Australia's newest unicorn following a $100 million Series C round, but the company's growth is largely based on an understanding of Chinese demand. Regional expansion is now the priority
Singapore crypto platform hits $1b valuation with Series C
Liquid.com, a Singapore-based cryptocurrency trading platform, has passed the $1 billion valuation mark with the first close of a Series C round led by IDG Capital.
General Atlantic, Värde invest $267m in India's PNB
General Atlantic and Värde Partners have invested INR18.5 billion ($267 million) in PNB Housing Finance, the publicly listed mortgage subsidiary of India’s Punjab National Bank (PNB).
Deal focus: InstaRem bids for the big time
Vertex Ventures leads a $41 million investment in Singapore's InstaRem to grow its global digital payments infrastructure
Faering, Sequoia invest $15m in India's Finova
Finova Capital, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) targeting rural small businesses, has raised $15 million from Faering Capital and Sequoia Capital India.
Affirma, IIFL invest $132m in India's Northern Arc
IIFL Asset Management (IIFL AMC) and Affirma Capital, a spin-out of Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE), have invested INR9.1 billion ($131.9 million) in Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Northern Arc Capital.
China's Bitmain pulls plug on Hong Kong IPO
Bitmain, a private equity-backed Chinese business that manufactures chips for Bitcoin mining, has allowed its application for a Hong Kong IPO to lapse.
Australia's Airwallex achieves unicorn status
Australian financial technology company Airwallex has received a $100 million Series C round led by DST Global at a valuation of more than $1 billion.