Media
Tencent forms alliance with Thailand's VC-backed Ookbee
Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings has teamed up with Thailand-based Ookbee, a VC-backed digital magazine platform, to pursue growth opportunities in Southeast Asia’s online media space.
AVCJ Awards 2016: Exit of the Year - IPO: Focus Media
Moving from a privatization in the US to a re-listing in Shenzhen through a reverse merger – in the space of 30 months – Focus Media blazed a trail that others have sought to follow
Taiwan’s Next Entertainment gets $25m Series A round
Taiwan-based live broadcasting platform New Entertainment has raised $25 million in Series A funding led by Chinese video streaming app Inke.
China’s Bona Film receives $360m after PE-backed privatization
Chinese film distributor Bona Film Group, which was taken private eight months ago by a consortium of PE investors and company management, has raised a RMB2.5 billion ($360 million) round led by existing shareholders Alibaba Pictures and Tencent Holdings.
KKR's Emerald Media joins $35m round for India-based Amagi
Emerald Media, an Asia media and entertainment investment platform founded by KKR, has participated in a $35 million Series D round of funding for India-headquartered Amagi Media Labs, a provider of cloud-based managed broadcast services and advertising...
INCJ, Khazanah invest $600m in Malaysian telecom player
Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and Malaysian state-controlled fund Khazanah Nasional have agreed to invest a combined $600 million in Kuala Lumpur-based telecom infrastructure company Edotco.
Anchor-led group invests $107m in Korean mobile content platform
A consortium led by Anchor Equity Partners has committed KRW125 billion ($107 million) to Podotree, the mobile content platform of Korean internet giant Kakao.
GIC to invest $261m in Indonesian cinema operator
GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, has committed to invest up to IDR3.5 trillion ($261 million) in Indonesian cinema operator Nusantara Sejahtera Raya (NSR).
China online dancing content app Tangdou raises $20m
Tangdou.com, a Chinese online platform through which users can share their dancing experiences and join recreational dance groups, has completed a $20 million Series B round of funding across two tranches.
Lightspeed leads $4m round for India's ShareChat
Lightspeed Venture Partners has led a $4 million Series A round for Indian social networking platform ShareChat.
China video app developer Yixia raises $500m round
Chinese social media platform Weibo Corporation has led a $500 million Series E round of funding for Yixia Technology, a Beijing-based video app developer.
China's CMC, Enlight back IMAX's VR fund
Two Chinese media players – sector specialist PE firm CMC Capital Partners and entertainment content provider Enlight Media – are among the first group of LPs in a virtual reality (VR) fund raised by IMAX Corporation and its Hong Kong-listed Chinese...
China Film, Pegasus Media launch $100m movie fund
China Film, the country's largest movie distributor, and Pegasus Media Group have joined Hong Kong’s Co-High Investment Management to launch a $100 million film fund focused on US-China co-productions.
Alibaba plans $1.5b entertainment investment fund
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group plans to step up its investments in digital media and entertainment businesses with the launch of RMB10 billion ($1.48 billion) investment fund.
Partners For Growth commits $15m to Yello Mobile's marketing unit
Yello Digital Marketing (YDM), the digital marketing unit of South Korean mobile internet company Yello Mobile, has received $15 million in funding from Partners For Growth (PFG), the PE arm of SVB Financial Group.
Deal focus: AID returns to the MCN space
Multi-channel networks that raise online content creators' views are expected to thrive as profit-sharing spreads among video platforms. AID hopes to take advantage with its investment in Freedom! Network
CDIB leads round for Taiwan image-recognition start-up
Viscovery, a Taiwanese cloud-based image-recognition technology start-up, has raised $10 million in an extended Series A round led by China Development Industrial Bank (CDIB), a subsidiary of China Development Financial Holding.
Carlyle finds new buyer for Taiwan’s EBC
Taiwan Optical Platform, a local telecommunication services provider, plans to acquire a majority stake in Eastern Broadcasting (EBC), a leading TV station in Taiwan controlled by The Carlyle Group, for NT$11.12 billion ($351 million).
Indian news app Dailyhunt raises $25m
Indian online news aggregator Dailyhunt has raised a $25 million Series D round led by ByteDance, a Chinese VC-backed online content provider.
Hong Kong's AID Partners acquires YouTube partner network
Hong Kong-based private equity firm AID Partners has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Freedom! Network, a multi-channel network on YouTube, for HK$468.1 million ($60 million).
China K12 education platform Xuele raises $200m Series C
Xueleyun, a Chinese education platform, has raised a $200 million Series C round led by China-based PE firm New Horizon Capital. Existing investors GSR Ventures and Huaxin Shiji Investment also participated in the round.
KKR platform Emerald Media commits $50m to Indian streaming site
Emerald Media, a pan-Asian media and entertainment investment platform founded by KKR, has committed $50 million to India and US-based video-streaming provider YuppTV.
China sports M&A: They shoot, they score?
China wants to develop its sports industry, with football a priority, prompting numerous investors to look for overseas assets in the name of government policy. Their rationale is often divorced from reality
MBK, TPG to buy Wharf’s telecom business for $1.2b
MBK Partners and TPG Capital have agreed to acquire Hong Kong telecom services provider Wharf T&T from its parent company The Wharf Holdings for HK$9.5 billion ($1.2 billion).