Sectors
Ofbusiness becomes India's 18th unicorn of 2021
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led $160 million Series E funding round for OfBusiness, an India-based B2B platform focused on industrial supply chain and procurement services, at a valuation of $1.5 billion.
India education platform Unacademy raises $440m
India-based education platform Unacademy has closed a $440 million funding round – at a valuation of $3.44 billion – led by Temasek Holdings.
EQT pursues $2.2b Australia software take-private
Iress, an Australia-listed software developer that serves the financial services sector, has invited EQT to conduct further due diligence following receipt of a take-private offer worth up to A$3 billion ($2.2 billion).
CMC invests $93m in China liquor brand
Forty-Nine Union, a Chinese liquor brand, has raised a Series B round of RMB600 million ($93 million) from CMC Capital Group. There were no other participants in the round.
India crypto platform raises $25m Series A
Indian cryptocurrency borrowing and lending platform Vauld has raised a $25 million Series A round led by Valar Ventures, a firm co-founded by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel.
Sequoia China leads $100m Series B for Bota Biosciences
Sequoia Capital China had led a $100 million Series B round for Bota Biosciences, a China-based biotech company that has developed a next-generation platform for manufacturing high-performing industrial compounds.
TDM, Sequoia lead Series F for Australia's Culture Amp
Culture Amp, an Australia-headquartered enterprise technology provider specializing in human resources (HR), has $100 million in Series F funding at a valuation of $1.5 billion.
Japan sneaker marketplace raises $56m
SoftBank Ventures Asia has led a JPY6.2 billion ($56.4 million) Series C round for Japanese sneaker marketplace and e-commerce start-up Soda.
India's Droom secures pre-IPO funding at $1.2b valuation
India-based automobile marketplace Droom has raised $200 million in the first tranche of a pre-IPO funding round that values the company at $1.2 billion.
Airwallex founders launch VC fund
The founders of Hong Kong-headquartered financial technology provider Airwallex, which has received $500 million in VC funding, have launched their own venture capital fund.
GIC invests $240m in Arctic Green Energy
Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC has committed $240 million to Arctic Green Energy (AGE), an Iceland-based geothermal energy developer that has already received substantial Chinese backing.
Everstone backs $1b India data center JV
Everstone Group has teamed up with data center operator Yondr Group to invest $1 billion in facilities across India, leveraging the country’s push for greater data localization.
NewQuest buys secondary position in India hospital chain
Direct secondaries specialist NewQuest Capital Partners has acquired a minority stake in Cloudnine, an India-based hospital chain, by committing primary capital and taking out several existing investors.
China automotive chip maker Semidrive raises $154m
Semidrive Technology, a specialist semiconductor manufacturer for the automotive industry, has raised RMB1 billion ($154 million) in Series B funding led by Pro Capital and V Fund.
India B2C messaging start-up Gupshup raises $240m
Gupshup, an India-based messaging services provider, has received $240 million from Fidelity, Think Investments, Malabar Investments, Harbor Spring Capital, Neuberger Berman, and White Oak.
Indonesia grocery platform HappyFresh closes $65m Series D
Indonesia-based grocery platform HappyFresh has closed a $65 million Series D round led by Korean internet giant Naver and Netherlands-based investor Gafina.
India's ShareChat raises additional $145m
Temasek Holdings, Moore Strategic Ventures, and Mirae Asset Global Investments have led a $145 million Series F round for Indian social media platform ShareChat at a valuation of $3 billion.
Accel leads Series C top-up for India's MyGlamm
Accel has led a Series C top-up for MyGlamm, an India-based direct-to-consumer (DTC) beauty products marketplace, taking the overall round to INR5.3 billion ($71.1 million).
China's Genesis targets $1.2b for Fund III
Genesis Capital, a China growth-stage technology investor established by Richard Peng, who previously led the investment program at Tencent Holdings, is seeking $1.2 billion for its third US dollar-denominated fund.
Riverwood leads $200m Series D for SE Asia payments player Nium
Riverwood Capital has led a $200 million Series D round for Singapore-based cross-border payments technology provider Nium at an approximately $1 billion valuation.
Deal focus: Go1 adds layers to booming HR services niche
Australia’s Go1 gains traction with a B2B approach to a rapidly expanding human resources and workforce management software industry. SoftBank Vision Fund 2 is among the believers
Deal focus: IMM sees structural change in home decor
Having agreed to provide a succession solution to the founder of Korean furniture retailer and interior designer Hanssem, IMM Private Equity wants to harness growth through demographics and differentiation
India IPOs: A pleasant surprise
The lack of a reliable IPO channel is a longstanding exit obstacle for venture capital investors in India. Domestic listings may, unexpectedly, prove to be the answer
Q&A: IPV Capital’s Alex Banh
Semiconductors are a popular investment target in China on the back of US decoupling and a push for self-sufficiency. Alex Banh, a managing partner of sector specialist IPV Capital, shares his views