Media
VC-backed Chinese AR start-up raises $26m in US IPO
WiMi Hologram Cloud, a PE-backed Chinese augmented reality (AR) technology developer, traded flat on its opening day on NASDAQ following a $26.1 million IPO.
China's Wanda exits Ironman to strategic, PE buyers
Wanda Sports Group, the sports, media and marketing subsidiary of Chinese real estate conglomerate Wanda Group, has sold the Ironman brand to two US-based investors for an enterprise valuation of $730 million.
Village Roadshow suitors continue work despite coronavirus disruption
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) and BGH Capital are continuing their due diligence on Australian cinema and theme park operator Village Roadshow despite the company experiencing difficulties due to coronavirus outbreak.
Deal focus: 51CTO’s prescient training pivot
Chinese IT platform 51CTO switched from online media to online training five years ago and hasn't looked back. With $20 million in Series C funding, the company wants to sustain its rise
Anchor invests in entertainment unit of Korea's Kakao
Anchor Equity Partners is paying KRW209.8 billion ($163 million) for an approximately 13% stake in the music and entertainment division of Korean internet giant Kakao.
ByteDance invests $26m in Chinese talent manager
Chinese celebrity management agency Mountain Top has closed a RMB180 million ($26 million) Serie B funding round provided by ByteDance Technology, operator of the Toutiao news aggregation and TikTok short video platforms.
Fund focus: CMC widens its sweet spot
Having grown its assets under management to $2.5 billion following the close of Fund III, China's CMC Captial Group wants to be seen as more than just a media sector specialist
Japan Post Capital joins $26m round for Singapore’s AnyMind
Japan Post Capital and Sparx Group have provided $26.4 million in funding to AnyMind, a Singapore-based marketing technology start-up focused on entertainment.
CMC raises $950m for third China fund
CMC Capital Partners, a Chinese private equity firm set up by Ruigang Li (pictured), formerly president of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), has closed its third US dollar-denominated fund with more than $950 million in commitments.
Deal focus: Booktopia prepares for build-out
What was just a side business has become a successful one.
BGH offers $536m for Australia media group
Australian private equity firm BGH Capital has offered to acquire 100% of Village Roadshow in a deal that values the Sydney-listed media group at around A$783 million ($536 million).
FountainVest backs China online ticketing player Maoyan
FountainVest Partners has acquired a significant minority stake in Maoyan Entertainment, a Chinese online ticketing business that completed an IPO in Hong Kong last February.
PEP bids $517m for Australia's Village Roadshow
Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) has submitted a A$761.2 million ($517 million) bid for Village Roadshow, an Australian media company that operates cinemas and theme parks and has interests in film production and distribution.
Deal focus: One Store brings service to videogaming
A freshly spun-out private equity arm of SK Securities is helping Korea’s One Store break up a local monopoly in mobile videogame marketing.
CVC set to exit Indonesia's Link Net
CVC Capital Partners is poised to complete its exit from Indonesia broadband and cable TV provider Link Net – in which it has been an investor since 2011 – through a trade sale to MNC Vision Network.
Taiwan's Appier gets $80m Series D
Appier, a Taiwan-headquartered start-up that develops artificial intelligence-enabled platforms intended to help corporates optimize advertising campaigns, has raised $80 million in Series D funding.
Japan's SmartNews secures $92m Series E
Japan-based news app SmartNews has closed its Series E round at $92 million with contributions from Japan Post Capital and Globis Capital Partners.
MBK, Mirae buy stake in Asia assets of Korea's CJ CGV
MBK Partners and Mirae Asset Daewoo Private Equity have agreed to pay KRW333.6 billion ($286 million) for a minority position in the China and Southeast Asia assets of Korean cinema chain operator CJ CGV.
Korean mobile app market One Store gets $86m
One Store, a Korean mobile app market controlled by SK Telecom, has raised a KRW100 billion ($86 million) round led by local VC firm Kiwoom Investment.
Vietnam media platform Pops gets $30m
Korean investors Mirae Asset Capital, EastBridge Partners, and Naver have provided $30 million in growth capital to Vietnamese online entertainment broadcaster Pops.
TDM Growth leads $48m Series C for Australia's Rokt
TDM Growth Partners, an Australian GP that invests across public and private companies, has led a $48 million Series C round for local marketing technology supplier Rokt.
Quadrant wins board approval for buyout of Australia's QMS Media
Quadrant Private Equity has agreed to buy Australian outdoor advertising business QMS Media Group for an enterprise valuation of A$571.6 million ($392 million) through a scheme of arrangement.
Japan's J-Star forms media platform with three acquisitions
Japanese private equity firm J-Star has acquired three local internet media companies with a view to bundling them into an acquisition platform for the sector.
Australia’s Canva raises $85m at $3.2b valuation
Australia’s Canva has raised an $85 million growth round led by Bond Capital, the new vehicle of Silicon Valley veteran Mary Meeker. It values the graphic design start-up at $3.2 billion.
