Financials
China online finance site Licaifan completes $51m round
Licaifan, a Chinese online finance platform, has raised a RMB330 million ($51 million) Series C round of funding from domestic investor Yingda Investment.
Aquiline, Genstar exit AssetMark to China's Huatai for $780m
China’s Huatai Securities has agreed to purchase financial consultancy group AssetMark for $780 million from US-based PE firms Aquiline Capital Partners and Genstar Capital.
Deal focus: Ticket Monster targets seamless service
Korea's NHN Entertainment seeks payment synergies with PE-backed e-commerce marketplace Ticket Monster
China Growth Capital leads round for auto-focused lending platform
China Growth Capital has led an extended RMB217 million ($34 million) Series A round for Chedai.com, a Chinese automobile financial lending platform.
Ex-Capstone executive joins PE-backed CompareAsiaGroup
CompareAsiaGroup, an online financial comparison platform that last year received a $40 million round led by Goldman Sachs, has appointed former KKR executive Sam Allen as its CEO.
JD Finance invests in VC-backed Meili Jinrong
JD Finance, the financial subsidiary of Chinese online retailer JD.com, has invested an undisclosed sum in Meili Jinrong, a peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending platform with a focus on consumer finance. Both companies are backed by several VC investors....
Everstone set for part-exit in Hinduja Leyland Finance IPO
Everstone Capital is expected to sell up to 26.6 million shares in Hinduja Leyland Finance as part of the commercial vehicle financing company’s Indian IPO.
KKR wins approval to back India bad debt manager
India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has approved KKR's request to buy a stake in distressed asset manager International Asset Reconstruction Company (IARC).
Deal focus: SCPE backs MoMo's online-offline payment offering
MoMo provides an online bridge to Vietnamese consumers whose needs are not met by the country's traditional financial services infrastructure. Standard Chartered Private Equity is sponsoring further growth
Deal focus: InstaRem leverages convenience in money transfers
By offering lower fees and faster turnarounds than Western Union and PayPal, InstaRem hopes to steal a march on its rivals and build a truly Asia-focused money transfer platform
SCPE, Goldman invest $28m in Vietnam's M_Service
Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) and Goldman Sachs have invested a combined $28 million in M_Service, the operator behind Vietnamese mobile e-wallet platform MoMo.
India's Alliance Insurance Brokers raises $8.2m
Access Asset Managers has invested INR550 million ($8.2 million) in Alliance Insurance Brokers, a business-to-business (B2B) focused insurance and risk assessment services provider.
Vertex leads $5m investment in Singapore's InstaRem
Singapore-based fintech start-up InstaRem has raised a $5 million Series A round led by Vertex Ventures, the VC arm of Temasek Holdings.
China fintech: Transition time
Capital continues to flow into China’s internet finance industry, but competition and regulation are changing the dynamics. VC investors can do well, provided they stay ahead of the game
CPPIB, Kotak form $525m India distressed asset vehicle
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) will partner with Kotak Mahindra Group to invest up to $525 million in distressed assets in India.
Philippines-based PDS secures funding
Philippines-based mobile fintech start-up Pitaca Digital Services has raised a funding round managed by Carillion Partners, a boutique investment services and financial advisory company affiliated with Hong Kong-based Angeon Advisors.
Philippines online pawn store secures VC funding
Manila-based online pawnshop PawnHero has raised an undisclosed amount of pre-Series A funding from a group of venture backers.
CHAMP PE backs Australian forex broker
CHAMP Private Equity has invested in Pepperstone, an Australian foreign exchange broker that facilitates more than $100 billion in transactions every month.
AION supports buyout of GE's India commercial lending business
GE Capital will sell its India commercial lending and leasing businesses to a consortium led by AION Capital Partners.
Investec backs Australia fintech investor H2 Ventures
Investec has acquired a stake in Australia-based financial technology investor H2 Ventures. It is part of a broader collaboration that will see Investec contribute to H2’s accelerator and early-stage investment program.
CPPIB ups stake in India's Kotak Mahindra Bank
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has invested INR11.5 billion ($170 million) in India's Kotak Mahindra Bank, picking up a stake held by Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
CalPERS sells $127m stake in India's Axis Bank
California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) has sold a stake in India’s Axis Bank worth about INR8.7 billion ($127 million) to Genesis Indian Investment Company.
Accel leads $5.8m round for India's Juspay
Accel Partners has led a INR400 million ($5.8 million) Series A round for Indian mobile payments start-up Juspay.
KKR invests in India's Max Financial Services
KKR has bought a 10% stake in Max Financial Services, a spin-off of India's Max Group that controls life insurance player Max Life.