Sectors
CapitalG leads $27.5m Series E for Indian NBFC
CapitalG, Google’s corporate venture arm that focuses on growth equity investments, has led an INR2.1 billion ($27.5 million) funding round for Indian non-bank lender Aye Finance.
Bond Capital backs India education platform Byju's
Bond Capital, the technology investment firm established by Silicon Valley veteran Mary Meeker, has struck its debut deal in India with a commitment to online learning provider Byju’s.
CLSA acquires Japan household jobs marketplace
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has acquired Assist, a Japanese marketplace that facilitates sourcing helpers for daily household jobs.
China's Agora more than doubles in value after $350m US IPO
Agora.io, a real-time voice and video communication platform established by Tony Zhao, formerly CTO of Chinese social networking player YY.com, saw its stock gain 151% on its NASDAQ trading debut following a $350 million IPO.
Carlyle to buy 20% of Piramal's India pharma business
The Carlyle Group has agreed to invest approximately $490 million for a 20% stake in pharmaceutical division of India’s Piramal Enterprises, which has interests ranging from outsourced drug development to an ophthalmology joint venture with Allergan....
China LGBTQ investments: Pink power
There has been little VC investment in Chinese LGBTQ social platforms since 2017 due to regulatory concerns. Will gay dating site Blued’s US IPO reignite interest in the space?
Deal focus: Carlyle pursues largest India animal healthcare deal
The Carlyle Group is willing to invest as much as $210 million in SeQuent Scientific to get a head start in India's rapidly evolving animal healthcare industry
Tencent buys Malaysia streaming platform Iflix
Tencent Holdings has agreed to acquire the assets of Malaysia-headquartered streaming platform Iflix, which was previously backed by a number of private equity and strategic players.
General Atlantic invests $100m in Chinese drug maker
General Atlantic has invested $100 million in NASDAQ-listed Chinese cancer drug developer Hutchison China MediTech - also known as Chi-Med - a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings.
Japan Industrial Partners to buy Olympus' imaging division
Japan Industrial Partners (JIP) has agreed to acquire Olympus Corporation’s camera and lens business, which has posted losses in each of the last three years.
Australia cleantech start-up secures $7m
Horizons Ventures – a VC firm controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing – has joined a A$10 million ($7 million) round for an Australian start-up specializing in fungi-based carbon capture technology.
Ascent Capital backs Myanmar internet provider Frontiir
Ascent Capital, a Singapore-based private equity firm, has made its debut investment in Myanmar by leading a $26 million commitment to internet service provider (ISP) Frontiir.
Deal focus: Running the CFIUS gauntlet for Grindr
Grindr, America's most popular LGBTQ dating app, was only put up for sale because its Chinese owner violated foreign investment regulations. San Vicente's subsequent $560 million acquisition faced intense scrutiny
Deal focus: KKR's Vietnam macro proxy
KKR's investment in Vietnam property developer Vinhomes is supposed to tap into infrastructure development as well as the home-ownership ambitions of a burgeoning middle class
Profile: Kejora Ventures' Sebastian Togelang
Looking for new business opportunities, Sebastian Togelang returned to Indonesia from Germany to invest in technology start-ups. He counsels entrepreneurs that it pays to be part of a larger platform
China establishes $5b SME support fund
China has launched a government guidance fund intended to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with initial capital commitments of RMB35.75 billion ($5 billion).
Asia lending start-ups: Bump in the road
Digital lenders in emerging markets need to survive a tricky year under the shadow of potential defaults, but the survivors might become significant players in a renewed financial landscape
India's Milkbasket raises $5.5m Series B
Inflection Point Ventures has led an INR420 million ($5.5 million) Series B round for Indian grocery delivery startup Milkbasket.
Fund focus: Beenext targets a world beyond the mirrors
Beenext Capital Management has expanded its LP base while maintaining fund size discipline. This is born of a philosophy that capacity for cross-pollination is more important than capacity for deployment
Hillhouse invests $400m in China data center player
Hillhouse Capital has taken a 3.9% interest in US-listed Chinese data center developer GDS Holdings for $400 million.
VC-backed SinocellTech enjoys strong Star Market debut
Chinese drug developer SinocellTech nearly trebled in value on its first day of trading on China's Science and Technology Innovation Board (Star Market) following a RMB1.28 billion ($181 million) IPO.
Australia's Canva raises $60m at $6b valuation
Canva, an Australian graphic design platform, has raised $60 million in VC funding, almost doubling its valuation to $6 billion. It attributed the growth to a shift online amid COVID-19.
Southern Capital, HPEF agree exit from Singapore school
Southern Capital Group and HPEF Capital Partners – formerly Headland Capital Partners – have agreed to sell Singapore-based Canadian International School (CIS) to Hong Kong-listed China Maple Leaf Educational Systems for S$680 million ($488 million),...
Toshiba seeks exit from PE-controlled flash memory business
Toshiba is exploring ways to fully exit its 40.2% stake in Kioxia Holdings, two years after selling control of the Japanese flash memory division to a Bain Capital-led consortium for an enterprise valuation of JPY2 trillion ($18.7 billion).