Financials
CDC makes debut Nepal investment
UK government-backed development finance institution (DFI) CDC Group has made its first direct investment in Nepal via a $15 million commitment to NMB Bank.
EQT buys stake in Chinese payment services provider VBill
EQT has agreed to acquire a minority stake in VBill, a third-party payment services provider in China that focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) for RMB378 million ($55.8 million).
Blackstone buys India's Aadhar Housing Finance
The Blackstone Group has agreed to buy Indian affordable housing lender Aadhar Housing Finance for a reported INR27 billion ($378 million).
Indonesia's Go-Jek completes first phase of Series F
Google, JD.com and Tencent Holdings are among the returning investors in the first phase of the Series F round for Indonesia-based ride-hailing and delivery platform Go-Jek, which amounts to around $1 billion.
Deal focus: Singapore Life delivers insurance update
Singapore Life has accelerated plans to digitize the insurance and wealth management industry following a $33 million Series B from Aberdeen Standard Investments and Aflac
Japan's SBI invests $15m in Swiss blockchain player
SBI Crypto Investment, a unit of Japan’s SBI Holdings formed to back digital asset-focused start-ups, has invested $15 million in Tangem, a Switzerland-based producer of blockchain smart card wallets.
GPs commit $15m Series B to China's Ekuaibao
Ekuaibao, a Chinese corporate cost management software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider has raised $15 million in a Series B round of funding led by Mandra Capital, with participation from existing investors DCM Ventures and Future Capital.
Aberdeen Standard backs insurtech specialist Singapore Life
Aberdeen Standard Investments has committed $13 million to financial technology start-up Singapore Life, taking the company’s total capital raised to date to $97 million.
India NBFCs: Stemming the flow
India’s NBFC sector has pulled through its recent liquidity issues, but questions remain about the weaknesses that led to the crisis. Investors remain confident but must learn from the experience
GIC, Mizuho invest $265m in Vietcombank
GIC Private has invested in Vietcombank through a joint deal with Mizuho Bank worth VND6.2 trillion ($265 million), underlining the strong interest among private and strategic investors in Vietnam’s financial sector.
Q&A: Grab's Ming Maa
Ming Maa, president of Grab, explains how the transformation of a taxi-hailing start-up into a diversified technology heavyweight reflects ongoing confidence in Southeast Asia’s economic future
Aflac invests $20m in PE-backed Singapore Life
US insurance giant Aflac has invested $20 million in Singapore Life, a digitally-focused financial technology start-up backed by UK private equity investor IPGL.
Sequoia-backed Futu Securities files for US IPO
Futu Securities International, a Hong Kong-based online brokerage backed by Sequoia Capital China and Matrix Partners China, has filed to list in the US.
Hong Kong online insurance start-up gets $30m Series A
Hong Kong-based Bowtie Life Insurance has raised $30 million in Series A funding and become the first company in the territory to receive a “virtual” license to provide online-only services.
AVCJ Awards 2018: Deal of the Year - Late Stage Technology: Ant Financial
A string of private equity investors backed Ant Financial’s $14 billion Series C round, having recognized a company at the forefront of financial disruption in China
Multiples invests $35m in Indian NBFC
Indian private equity firm Multiples Alternative Asset Management has invested INR2.5 billion ($34.8 million) in non-banking finance company (NBFC) APAC Financial Services.
Korea's Viva Republica raises $80m at $1.2b valuation
Kleiner Perkins and Ribbit Capital have led an $80 million funding round for Viva Republica that values the Korean financial technology start-up at about $1.2 billion.
India fintech: Corporations act
Stakeholders foresee progress and problems as global strategic investors make their first bets in the Indian fintech space. There is little expectation of replicating the China story
MSPEA backs Indian NBFC Kogta Financial
Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) has led a INR1.54 billion ($22.1 million) investment in Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Kogta Financial.
Asia fintech player Oriente raises $105m in seed funding
Oriente, a Hong Kong financial technology company backed by local investor BlackPine Private Equity, has raised $105 million in seed funding from a group of family offices.
Chinese recruitment business gets $23m Series B
WorkTrans, a Chinese human resources services provider, has raised RMB160 million ($23 million) in the first tranche of a Series B round led by Qiming Venture Partners.
IFC invests $40m in Filipino fintech player
International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IFC Emerging Asia Fund have agreed to invest $40 million in Voyager Innovations, a financial technology unit of Filipino telecom giant PLDT.
Square Peg leads $18m round for Australian lender
Australian online mortgage marketplace Athena Home Loans has raised a A$25 million ($18 million) Series B round led by existing backer Square Peg Capital, with participation by new investors Hostplus and Airtree Ventures.
Singapore's InstaRem raises $20m
Singapore-based financial technology start-up InstaRem has raised $20 million in Series C funding led by Telkom Indonesia and Thailand’s Kasikornbank.