Sectors
Australia's NAB Ventures exits Wave Financial in $400m deal
NAB Ventures, a unit of National Australia Bank (NAB), is set for its debut exit via a deal that will see US tax services giant H&R Block acquire Canada’s Wave Financial for about $400 million.
CLSA backs Series B extension for Korea's PeopleFund
Lending Ark Asia, a private credit division of CLSA Capital Partners, has led a $35 million extension to a Series B round for South Korean lending marketplace PeopleFund.
Advantage buys Japanese niche education businesses
Advantage Partners has acquired two Japan-based education assets – vocational training provider Abitus and Tokyo Central Japanese Language School (TCJ).
PE-backed ESR postpones Hong Kong IPO
Pan-Asian logistics and fund management platform ESR has postponed its Hong Kong IPO, which was expected to raise up to HK$9.75 billion ($1.24 billion) and facilitate partial exits for several private equity investors.
HSBC launches $880m GBA tech fund
HSBC has launched an $880 million fund to provide debt financing for early-stage technology companies leveraging China’s Greater Bay Area (GBA) development initiative.
KKR to sell Korean battery components maker for $1b
KKR is set for the first exit from its third Asian fund, having agreed to sell Korean copper foils manufacturer KCF Technologies to an affiliate of SK Group for KRW1.2 trillion ($1 billion).
Korea's Crescendo invests $50m in Qxpress
Qxpress, the logistics subsidiary of Southeast Asian e-commerce platform Qoo10, has raised $50 million from Korean private equity firm Crescendo Equity Partners.
India grocery platform raises $13m
Indian online food and grocery wholesale platform Jumbotail has raised more than INR900 million ($13 million) in a Series B round led by Canadian venture capital firm Heron Rock Fund.
Boyu leads round for Chinese health insurance platform
Waterdrop, a Chinese online health insurance platform that runs mutual aid programs and provides brokerage services, has raised RMB1 billion ($145 million) in Series C funding led by Boyu Capital.
Deal focus: NoBroker eases India's property pain points
Beenext re-upped in NoBroker - supporting a Series C round led by General Atlantic - because it believes the company's deep industry knowledge is a differentiator in India's online property brokerage space
PE-backed Fang.com spins out China property analytics business
Private equity-backed online real estate portal Fang.com has spun-out its property analytics and benchmarking system in what its CEO Yu Huang described as the first direct public offering (DPO) by a Chinese company in the US.
GIC, Booking invest $180m in Korea's Yanolja
Singapore’s GIC Private and US-based Booking Holdings have invested $180 million in South Korean hotel operator and booking platform Yanolja, reportedly valuing the company at more than $1 billion.
Sovereign wealth: Getting creative on co-investment
Sovereign wealth funds are dialing up their direct exposure to technology and healthcare start-ups, but this trend is accompanied by a varied collection of co-investment models
Greater Bay Area: Promise keepers
The Greater Bay Area initiative plans to speed up regional integration in the Pearl River Delta, with Hong Kong set to be a major beneficiary. Questions remain about the government’s ability to follow through
Nan Fung, Pivotal China lead $80m round for Oncologie
Oncologie, a cancer drug developer with bases in Shanghai and Boston, has secured $80 million in Series B funding led by Nan Fung Life Sciences and Pivotal Bioventure Partners China.
Vivo raises $1.28b for China-US healthcare fund
US and China-focused healthcare investor Vivo Capital has raised $1.28 billion for its ninth private equity fund. The predecessor vehicle closed at $750 million in 2015.
Kedaara completes exit from India's Mahindra Logistics
Kedaara Capital has sold its remaining stake in Mahindra Logistics (MLL), the logistics and transport service of India’s Mahindra & Mahindra.
Sequoia, Coatue lead $70m round for China's Yunquna
Sequoia Capital China and Coatue Management have a led a $70 million Series C round of funding for Yunquna, an online logistics services platform for the shipping industry.
Qiming leads $15m round for Indian publishing platform
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series B round for Pratilipi, a publisher of Indian vernacular language content.
Gaorong-backed GSX Techedu loses ground after $208m US IPO
GSX Techedu, operator of Chinese online education platform Baijiahulian, raised $207.9 million in its US IPO, but a flat first day of trading was followed by a 4.6% decline on day two.
CMC backs Chinese play center operator
CMC Capital Partners has led a Series B round of more than RMB100 million ($15 million) for Neobio, a Chinese operator of children’s play centers.
Deal focus: TaniGroup plants a seed for Indonesia agtech
TaniGroup was established to address an information disparity that prevents Indonesian farmers from making more money. Several VC investors are now backing it to become a broader platform
Russia's sovereign fund signs tech deals with CIC, Alibaba
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has entered into two technology-related ventures, partnering with China Investment Corporation (CIC) on an innovation fund and teaming up with Alibaba Group among others to create a social commerce platform.
Hillhouse buys whisky producer Loch Lomond Group
Hillhouse Capital has acquired Scotland-based whisky producer Loch Lomond Group with a view to helping the company expand its presence in Asia.