Sectors
Hong Kong fintech player YouTrip gets $25.5m
Insignia Ventures Partners has joined a $25.5 million seed round for YouTrip, a Hong Kong-based financial technology company focused on travelers in Singapore.
IDG re-ups in Chinese co-working space provider
Kr Space, a China-based co-working space operator, has received RMB1 billion ($145 million) in a new round led by existing investor IDG Capital and new backers Gopher Asset Management and Yixing Capital.
Matrix exits India eye care chain
Matrix Partners India has made a full exit from Centre for Sight, operator of a chain of eye clinics in India, to Mahindra Partners after a holding period of nearly 10 years.
Vietnam outbound expansion: Brands apart
A booming domestic market and lack of success stories will likely keep outbound expansion a low priority for Vietnam’s investors and entrepreneurs until a suitable market niche can be found
L Catterton's Asia team to spin-out, raise growth fund
The bulk of the L Capital Asia team that merged with Catterton in 2016 to form L Catterton, a global consumer-focused private equity firm, is spinning out to raise a $750 million Asia growth fund.
Temasek, Horizon lead $300m round for Impossible Foods
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and Horizon Ventures have led a $300 million round for Impossible Foods, a US vegetarian food technology company expanding into Asia.
Hong Kong fintech player raises $30m Series A
Hong Kong-based OneDegree, an insurance technology start-up, has raised over $30 million for its Series A led by financial technology-focused investment firm BitRock Capital.
Q&A: MassMutual Ventures' Ryan Collins
Ryan Collins, a managing director with MassMutual Ventures, discusses being a financial rather than a strategic investor, the rise of VC in Southeast Asia, and giving entrepreneurs straight answers
Vietnam banking: Where credit is due
Vietnam’s economic future is tied to an attractive but immature and constrained banking sector. Investors are prodding the edges of a precarious opportunity set
CITIC Capital invests in Singapore marketing firm
CITIC Capital has invested an undisclosed sum in Cityneon, an entertainment media-focused marketing firm based in Singapore.
Kejora closes growth fund at over $100m
Indonesian venture capital firm Kejora Ventures has closed its latest fund, a growth vehicle that will invest in technology businesses in Southeast Asia, with more than $100 million in commitments.
ION to buy majority stake in Acuris
Financial software and data platform developer ION Investment Group has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Acuris, the parent company of AVCJ, for an undisclosed amount. The deal will provide a full exit for Singapore’s GIC Private, while current...
PE investors commit $1b to JD.com's healthcare unit
A group including CITIC Private Equity, CICC Capital and Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to invest $1 billion in the healthcare unit of Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com, acquiring a combined stake of 14.5%.
Deal focus: CDIB finds media consumption proxy
CDIB Capital is backing VHQ China to leverage the growing demand for visual effects in China's domestic movie and TV production industry
Chinese gene tech equipment maker raises $200m
MGI Tech, a Chinese manufacturer of equipment used in gene sequencing, has raised $200 million in funding led by Goldstone Investment, the PE arm under CITIC Securities, Green Pine Capital Partners and Orient Securities Capital Investment.
Mekong invests in Vietnam pizza chain
Mekong Capital has invested an undisclosed amount in Pizza 4P’s, a Vietnamese farm-to-table pizza restaurant chain.
India's Kinara raises $14m funding round
Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Kinara Capital has raised INR1 billion ($14.3 million) from a group of investors including Gaja Capital, Gawa Capital, the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, and US-based VC firm Patamar Capital (formerly Unitus...
China social e-commerce player Beidian gets $126m
Beidian, a Chinese membership-only social e-commerce website, has raised RMB860 million ($126 million) from a group including Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia China Capital.
Japan crowdfunding player raises $20m Series C
Campfire, a Japanese crowdfunding platform operator, has raised a JPY2.2 billion ($20 million) Series C round with support from Global Brain and KDDI Corporation.
LeapFrog raises $700m for third impact fund
LeapFrog Investments has raised $700 million for its third fund with a view to investing in healthcare and financial services companies in emerging Asia and Africa. It initially targeted a corpus of $600 million.
Chinese online education player Baijiahulian files for US IPO
Baijiahulian, a Chinese online education platform that provides after-school tutoring services for primary and secondary school students, has filed for a US IPO. The company’s backers include Gaorong Capital.
Deal focus: BlackBuck in it for the long haul
India's Blackbuck has gained traction with a digital platform that connects truckers with shippers. Achieving greater scale means convincing veteran fleet owners that the model can work for them
Chinese AR start-up raises $17m Series B
Hiscene, a China-based manufacturer of augmented reality (AR) glasses and communication systems that also goes by the name Liangfengtai, has raised RMB120 million ($17 million) in an extended Series B round of funding.
Asia fintech player GoBear raises $80m
GoBear, an online financial products marketplace focused on young Asian consumers, has raised $80 million from its Netherlands-based sponsors Walvis Participaties and Aegon.