Media
China's PE-backed AsiaInfo files for HK IPO
AsiaInfo Technologies, a Chinese telecommunications software provider backed by a number of private equity firms, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Chinese karaoke equipment supplier gets $29m Series B
Thunder Stone Technology, a Chinese karaoke equipment producer, has received nearly RMB200 million ($29 million) in Series B funding led by China Minsheng Investment Group.
IDG backs Chinese sports video streaming service
IDG Capital and government-backed Huiying Borun Investment have committed RMB500 million ($73 million) to iQiyi Sports, a newly established division of the Chinese video streaming platform that listed in the US earlier this year.
Legend Capital invests in talent agency CAA's China unit
Legend Capital has taken an equity interest in the China unit of Hollywood talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA), having facilitated a merger with Momentum Sports, a sports marketing and consulting business in which it is an investor.
Singapore VC-backed hotel chain gains $15m strategic investment
Zen Rooms, a budget hotel operator and online booking platform based in Singapore, has raised a $15 million from Korean online-to-offline (O2O) local services platform Yanolja.
China tech: Speedy returns
The emergence of a younger generation of Chinese consumers willing to pay for online content and services has shortened the path to profitability - and perhaps to IPO as well - for some start-ups
Goldman, Alibaba lead $600m round for China's Suning Sports
Goldman Sachs and Alibaba Group have led a $600 million Series A round of funding for the sports unit of Chinese electronics retailer Suning, which holds the domestic media rights to a range of sporting competitions. The deal values the business at more...
TPG leads $100m Series D for India’s Bigtree
TPG Capital has led a $100 million Series D funding round for Bigtree Entertainment, an India-based ticketing services company best known for its aggregator service BookMyShow.
Tencent prepares for IPO of PE-backed music business
Tencent Holdings has taken the first step towards a US listing for its music streaming business, in which PAG Asia Capital is a minority investor.
Alibaba, Tencent, Vanke join $1.5b round for CMC unit
CMC Inc, a company set up by Chinese media-focused private equity firm CMC Capital Partners to hold assets beyond a 10-year horizon, has raised RMB10 billion ($1.5 billion) in Series A funding.
China's Ono gets $16m Series A round
A group of VCs including China Growth Capital have agreed to invest $16 million in Ono, a China-based company that claims to be the creator of the first decentralized social network.
Singapore's M17 abandons US IPO
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has abandoned plans for a $60.1 million IPO in the US citing unspecified difficulties with some investors.
China early-stage investment round-up
Venture capital deals involving IDG Capital, Orchid Asia, Fosun Group, Matrix Partners, ZhenFund, Sky9 Capital, CDH Investments, Meridian Capital, Eastern Bell Venture Capital, SIG, and Qianhai FoF
Longreach to exit Japanese mobile content platform
The Longreach Group has agreed to sell Japanese mobile content provider Cybird to Aeria, a listed online gaming platform, for JPY7 billion ($64 million).
Next 10 secures $50m for user-generated content fund
Next 10 Ventures, a US and Singapore-based GP headed by former YouTube and Warner Bros executives, has raised $50 million for a fund focused on user-generated media content businesses.
PE-backed STX Entertainment files for Hong Kong IPO
STX Entertainment, a film and TV studio that claims to bridge the US and Chinese markets, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong. The company’s investors include Hony Capital and TPG Capital’s growth arm.
SIG leads $13.5m round for US, China-based Castbox
SIG China has led a $13.5 million Series B funding round for Castbox, a US and China-based podcasting platform with content in multiple languages.
Japan’s D4V closes debut venture fund at $46m
D4V, a firm set up by Japanese seed-stage investor Genuine Startups and US-based design consultancy Ideo, has closed its debut venture capital fund with more than JPY5 billion ($46 million) in commitments.
China's Bilibili completes $483m US IPO
Bilibili, a VC-backed Chinese animation streaming platform, ended its first day of trading on NASDAQ slightly below its IPO price following a $483 million offering.
Australia's Five V agrees marketing carve-out
Five V Capital, an Australian GP established by Adrian MacKenzie, formerly a managing partner at CVC Capital Partners, has agreed to buy the contact center business of market services company Salmat for A$53 million ($41 million).
KKR media platform invests $80m in Singapore's GSC
Emerald Media, a pan-Asian media and entertainment platform backed by KKR, has invested $80 million in Global Sports Commerce (GSC), a Singapore-based sports technology and management business that has worked with groups such as the English Premier League...
KKR creates China digital marketing platform
KKR has completed a platform investment in China’s digital marketing space, bringing together four local companies to provide a one-stop service covering everything from advertising to analytics.
Deal focus: Qutoutiao finds its own news angle
With a market focus and a user acquisition mechanism that differentiate it from other Chinese news and video apps, Qutoutiao impressed Tencent Holdings enough to secure a $200 million Series B round
Tencent leads $200m round for China’s Qutoutiao
Tencent Holdings has led a Series B round worth more than $200 million for Qutoutiao, a Chinese mobile news reading app. The round gives the company a post-money valuation of $1.6 billion.