Sectors
Indian brewer B9 Beverages raises $20m from Sofina, Sequoia
B9 Beverages, the owner of the Indian beer brand Bira 91, has raised INR1.5 billion ($20 million) in funding from Sequoia Capital India and Belgian investment firm Sofina.
Vietnam e-commerce enabler OnPoint raises $8m
OnPoint, a Vietnam-based start-up that provides corporate clients with e-commerce support services, has raised an $8 million Series A round backed by Korea’s Kiwoom Investment.
After COVID-19: Retail revolution?
Attempts to map out post-coronavirus outbreak developments in retail are complicated by uncertainty over the timing of the rebound and the extent of the role played by technology
Fund focus: Qiming's triumph of quick thinking
Having overcome coronavirus disruption to close its seventh fund at $1.1 billion, Qiming Venture Partners is ready to go bigger on China healthcare
Deal focus: Huilianyi's digitization drive
China Renaissance backed Huilianyi's $42 million extended Series C round with a view to capitalizing on widespread corporate adoption of electronic invoicing
Baring Asia restructures retailer Cath Kidston
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed a restructuring of Cath Kidston, a UK lifestyle retailer it has backed since 2014, under which the company has entered administration and will reemerge as a smaller business.
Coronavirus & Australia VC: In SaaS we trust
Enterprise services start-ups with recurring revenue are well positioned, but mid-cap players could become vulnerable
US, India pharma company Bugswork raises $7.5m
Bugworks Research, a pharmaceutical company with operations in India, has raised $7.5 million in a funding round led by existing investors University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC) and Global Brain.
Kuaishou backs Chinese online education platform Huohua Siwei
Huohua Siwei, a Chinese online education platform specializing in mathematics and science, has raised $30 million in an extended Series D round from local video-sharing giant Kuaishou.
Akeso Biopharma trades up after $333m Hong Kong IPO
Akeso Biopharma, a private equity-backed Chinese drug developer specializing in treatments that use the immune system to fight cancer, saw its stock jump 50% in early trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange following a HK$2.58 billion ($333 million) IPO....
Thailand's InVent invests in Singaporean insurtech Igloo
InVent, a corporate venture capital firm affiliated with a Thai telecom operator, has led a $16 million funding round for Singaporean insurtech Igloo, formerly known as Axinan.
Warburg Pincus re-ups in India's Apollo Tyres
Warburg Pincus has invested INR5.4 billion ($70.2 million) in Apollo Tyres to follow up on an earlier investment in the company. This continues a recent trend of PE players increasing their stakes in Indian public companies.
Chinese big data player DataCanvas raises $17m
Beijing ZetYun Tech, also known as DataCanvas, has raised RMB120 million ($17 million) in Series C funding across two tranches. Participants include Zhongguancun Frontier Fund, GF Qianhe, Delta Capital, and Shidake Investment.
GIC backs $1b Japan data center rollout
Singapore’s GIC Private and cloud services provider Equinix have agreed to jointly invest $1 billion in data centers in Japan.
Openspace, Gaw back Singapore's SensorFlow
Gaw Capital, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm with a real estate focus, and Openspace Ventures have co-led an $8.3 million funding round for SensorFlow, a Singaporean energy management solution provider.
Deal focus: Korean GPs seal semiconductor carve-out
Alchemist Capital Partners and Credian Partners' acquisition of MagnaChip Semiconductor’s foundry services group was the largest PE buyout in Korea during the first quarter. AVCJ and Mergermarket offer some insights
Coronavirus & Southeast Asia VC: Unpleasant surprises
Start-ups in Southeast Asia have few capital sources, so it helps that the region’s VCs are well-funded – assuming they are ready to invest
Coronavirus & North Asia VC: Diverging fortunes
Speed of response to COVID-19 has led to differing outcomes for VC investment in Korea and Japan. But structural issues are also a factor
Facebook takes 9.9% stake in Reliance's India app platform
Facebook has acquired a 9.9% stake in Jio Platforms, the holding company behind a number of apps and the parent of India's largest telecom operator.
Hong Kong's 8 Securities acquired by US player
8 Securities, a Hong Kong-headquartered app-based brokerage, has been acquired by SoFi, a financial technology company based in the US.
Coronavirus & India VC: Struggling to work
Investors don’t expect business activity in India to resume until the second half. Many start-ups will be desperate for capital before then
Coronavirus & China VC: Bifurcation point
China might be emerging from the grip of COVID-19, but many start-ups face a long battle. This is when VCs find out who the winners are
Northstar hits first close on fifth Southeast Asia fund
Northstar Group has reached a first close of approximately $260 million on its fifth Southeast Asia fund, which has an overall target of $800 million.
Korean digital food trading platform raises $11m
Tridge, a Korean international trading platform for agricultural products, has raised $11 million in a Series B round from SoftBank.