Sectors
Bukalapak gains 25% on debut after $1.5b Indonesia IPO
Indonesian e-commerce platform Bukalapak hit the upper limits of its trading range within minutes of debuting on the Jakarta Stock Exchange following an IDR21.9 trillion ($1.5 billion) IPO.
China cancer screening specialist raises $99m
China Merchants Capital has led a $99.5 million funding round for Berry Oncology Corporation, an early cancer screening spin-out from China-based genetic testing specialist Berry Genomics.
India's MindTickle closes $100m Series E
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has continued its recent streak of investing in unicorns out of India by leading a $100 million Series E round for sales enablement platform MindTickle at a valuation of $1.2 billion.
Primavera pursues China online education take-private
Primavera Capital Group has submitted a $33.3 million take-private bid for Liulishuo, a China-based operator of an English language learning app. The company's stock has struggled following a recent crackdown on online education platforms in China.
Affirma invests $77m in Korean steelmakers
Affirma Capital has acquired a majority stake in two steel manufacturing subsidiaries of Korea-based industrial conglomerate SeAH Group for $76.9 million.
India's BharatPe achieves $2.8b valuation on $370m Series E
Indian payments player BharatPe has raised $370 million in Series E funding led by Tiger Global Management. The $2.85 valuation means the company joins the country’s fast-growing collection of tech unicorns.
GLP, Sequoia commit $800m to China's Harvest Capital
Harvest Capital, a China-based private equity firm that focuses on the consumer sector, has received a strategic investment of nearly $800 million from GLP – a regional logistics platform and investment manager- and Sequoia Capital China.
Japan's iSpace raises $46m Series C
Japan’s Incubate Fund has led a JPY5.1 billion ($46.5 million) Series C round for iSpace, a local lunar exploration technology developer firming up an ambitious calendar of missions.
China AI drug developer BioMap raises $100m
GGV Capital has led a $100 million Series A round for BioMap, a China-based biological computing platform. It marks the first time the company has sought external funding.
PE-backed Policybazaar, Nykaa file for India IPOs
Insurance portal PolicyBazaar and online-offline cosmetics retailer Nykaa are the latest PE-backed businesses to file for India IPOs in a groundswell domestic public market support for tech start-ups.
Accel-KKR buys majority stake in New Zealand's Unimarket
Accel-KKR, a PE firm created by Accel Partners and KKR, has acquired a majority stake in New Zealand’s Unimarket, a diversified procurement marketplace, for an undisclosed sum.
ESR buys PE-backed real assets manager ARA for $5.2b
ARA Asset Management, an Asia-based real asset manager that was privatized by a PE consortium in 2016, has agreed to be acquired by Hong Kong-listed warehousing platform ESR for $5.2 billion.
Activist target Japan Asia Group agrees asset sale to Carlyle
Japan Asia Group (JAG) has revived plans to sell stakes in two key subsidiaries to The Carlyle Group, six months after a similar transaction was abandoned in the face of opposition from activist investors. The deal is worth JPY58.5 billion ($534 million).
China autonomous driving start-up Inceptio raises $270m
Inceptio, a Chinese autonomous driving technology provider focusing on line-haul trucking, has raised a $270 million Series B round led by JD Logistics, Meituan, and PAG.
Tiger Global leads $125m Series D for India's Infra.market
Tiger Global Management has led a $125 million Series D round for Indian construction marketplace Infra.market at a valuation of $2.5 billion. The same investor led a $100 million Series C in February at a valuation of $1 billion.
Openspace hits $120m first close on SE Asia growth fund
Southeast Asia-focused Openspace Ventures has reached a first close of $120 million on its debut growth fund, which will primarily participate in follow-on rounds for existing portfolio companies.
Southeast Asia's FinAccel agrees $2b SPAC merger
FinAccel, operator of Indonesia-focused consumer credit platform Kredivo, has agreed to merge with a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at an enterprise valuation of $2 billion.
Deal focus: ShareChat makes hay in TikTok’s absence
The Indian social networking platform has seen its valuation grow more than fourfold in the past year, helped in no small part by the rise of short video offering Moj as an alternative to TikTok
Deal focus: Chiratae sees 43x return on gaming start-up
India’s Chiratae Ventures has realized its largest-ever exit in terms of multiple with a zero-to-one leap of faith for local gaming studio PlaySimple
Deal focus: MyGlamm leverages brand awareness
The Indian direct-to-consumer beauty brand claims to stand out from the competition thanks to broad product coverage and a content-driven customer acquisition engine. Its Series C investors appear to agree
Profile: E15 VC’s Philip Liang
From social networking for dogs to surgical robotics, Philip Liang’s career as an entrepreneur and investor has been rich and varied. He welcomes the barrage of ideas filling his inbox at Hong Kong-based E15 VC
China's Vitalbridge reaches $200m first close on Fund II
Vitalbridge Capital, a China-based venture capital firm that spun out from Trustbridge Partners, has achieved a first close of $200 million on its second US dollar-denominated fund.
Asia digital assets platform Matrixport hits $1b valuation
Matrixport, a two-year-old crypto financial services platform based in Singapore, has closed a $100 million Series C round at a valuation of $1 billion.
GA, Dragoneer lead $250m Series B for Vietnam's VNLife
General Atlantic and Dragoneer Investment Group have led a $250 million Series B round for Vietnamese financial technology provider VNLife.