Sectors
India SME platform OfBusiness raises $35m Series D
OfBusiness, an Indian smart financing services provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) has received an INR2.5 billion ($35 million) Series D round led by Norwest Venture Partners.
Chinese community group buying player receives $14m
Chujia Xinxuan – a community group buying platform under Guangzhou-based Chang Zheng Group - has received RMB100 million ($14 million) from GF Xinde Investment, an investment arm of GF securities.
HarbourVest spins out part of Norwest's India portfolio
HarbourVest Partners has spun out part of the Norwest Venture Partners India portfolio into a new fund to be managed by Avataar Venture Partners.
New Zealand’s Fonterra exits pharma business to CVC
New Zealand dairy group Fonterra has agreed to sell its stake in DFE Pharma, a 50-50 joint venture with Royal FrieslandCampina of the Netherlands, to CVC Capital Partners for NZ$633 million ($398 million).
Singapore's Mooncake Capital launches $100m crypto VC fund
Mooncake Capital, a Singapore-based venture capital firm focused on crypto technologies has launched an Asia-focused fund targeting $100 million.
Chinese enterprise software provider gets $35m Series A
Deepexi, a Chinese digital enterprise services provider, has raised $35 million in a Series A round led by Morningside Venture Capital, Hillhouse Capital and IDG Capital.
Capricorn Capital acquires Hong Kong accounting firm A-Pass
Capricorn Capital, a UK-based family office, has paid an undisclosed sum for a 67% stake in Hong Kong accounting and corporate services firm A-Pass.
Skybound Capital acquires Australia’s Fair Go Finance
Hong Kong-based private equity investor Skybound Capital has acquired a 60% stake in Australian online loans provider Fair Go Finance for A$20 million ($13.6 million).
China autonomous driving start-up receives $50m pre-A
DeepRoute, a Shenzhen-based autonomous driving solutions provider, has received $50 million in a pre-A funding round led by Fosun RZ Capital.
Q&A: Vulcan Capital's Tommy Teo
Tommy Teo, a former executive director at Northstar Group, is setting up the Asian headquarters for Vulcan Capital, a philanthropic but returns-focused firm created by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
VC-backed Japanese e-commerce player files for IPO
Base, a Japanese e-commerce services platform that helps small-scale vendors establish online shops, has filed for an IPO in Tokyo. It will facilitate partial exits for multiple venture capital investors.
Green Pine raises $140m for RMB tech fund
Shenzhen Green Pine Capital Partners (GPCP) has raised RMB1 billion ($140 million) for a fund that will target artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and internet of things (IoT) investments in China.
Navis acquires Thailand's Srithai Food Group
Navis Capital Partners has paid an undisclosed sum for a controlling stake in Srithai Food Group, a Thailand-based restaurant supplier focused on the seasoning and condiments segment.
Hony invests $42m in Xinhua News Agency’s mobile platform
Hony Capital has agreed to pay RMB300 million ($42 million) for a 20% stake in Xinhua Xuanmen, a mobile platform launched by China's state-owned Xinhua News Agency.
Chinese auto parts supplier raises $28m in Series A extension
Mancando, an automotive parts supplier based in Guangdong province, has raised RMB200 million ($28 million) in an extended Series A round led by Legend Capital, with participation from Eastern Bell Venture Capital, Galaxy Capital, and Oriza FoF.
Singapore's Advance.AI gets $80m Series C
Advance.AI, a Singapore-based start-up focused on financial technology applications of big data, has raised an $80 million Series C round led by Gaorong Capital and Pavilion Capital.
Core-plus investment: Expectations game
Capital-flooded markets and rising pressures to deploy have precipitated more flexible investment strategies in private equity. GPs must be careful when crossing between asset classes
PE consortium makes $4.6b take-private bid for China Biologic
Centurium Capital, CITIC Capital and Hillhouse Capital are part of an investor group targeting a $4.6 billion take-private of China Biologic – just over a year after committing new equity to the US-listed company to protect it from other would-be acquirers.
Indian fintech player Groww raises $21m
Groww, an Indian financial technology provider focused on mutual fund investment services, has raised a $21.4 million Series B round led by US-based Ribbit Capital.
Korea fintech player Tera Funding gets $18m
Korean financial technology provider Tera Funding has secured an $18 million Series B round from a group including SBI Investment Korea and KB Investment.
Deal focus: China’s CRCI targets industrial upgrades
In teaming up with China-based Estun Automation to acquire a European industrial technology asset, China Renaissance Capital Investment is pursuing a different kind of growth capital deal
VCs invest $11m in Singapore talent agency
Gushcloud International, a digital talent agency based in Singapore, has received $11 million from a group of regional VCs and US hip-hop mogul Russel Simmons (pictured).
China healthcare AI: A learning process
Most healthcare-focused artificial intelligence start-ups in China focus on image-based diagnosis assistance, but deep learning-based drug discovery might be the key application
LPs and infrastructure: Custom connections
LPs are mixing up their approaches to infrastructure as shifts in supply-demand dynamics converge with increased specialization requirements in next-generation projects. Asia remains the unproven goldmine