Sectors
Australian courier services player Sendle gets Series B
Federation Asset Management – a group headed by the former head of Macquarie Capital’s principal investment division in Australia and New Zealand – has led a A$20 million ($14.5 million) Series B for Australian courier services player Sendle.
Chinese satellite developer receives $37m angel round
Chang Guang Satellite Technology, a China-based commercial satellite developer, has raised RMB250 million ($37 million) in angel funding, underlining growing investor interest in space-related technology.
Internal affairs: China VCs and relationship management
Recent troubles in China’s autonomous driving space highlight the challenges venture capital investors face in picking the right founders to back and then managing those relationships in a productive way
Deal focus: Advent sees potential in hybrid CRO
Advent International recognized BioDuro as a company uniquely positioned to leverage growth in pharmaceutical R&D outsourcing in China and the US
ClearVue targets $600m for third China consumer fund
China consumer-focused private equity firm ClearVue Partners is seeking to raise $600 million for its third fund. It comes nearly two years after the GP closed Fund II at $362 million.
Japan Airlines launches $70m VC fund
Japan Airlines (JAL) has provided $70 million for a venture capital fund focused on transportation technology start-ups. It will be managed by US-based TransLink Capital.
China supply chain solutions provider gets $356m Series A
Shenzhen-based Zhunshida, or Jusida, a logistics spin-out from Foxconn International, has raised RMB2.4 billion ($355.8 million) in Series A funding led by China Life Insurance.
LionRock buys stake in Italian football club Inter Milan
Asian private equity investor LionRock Capital has agreed to buy a minority stake in Italian football club Internazionale Milano (Inter Milan), which has been controlled by Chinese electronics retailer Suning since 2016.
Accel-KKR invests $16m in Australia's Humanforce
Accel-KKR, a US-based private equity firm created by Accel Partners and KKR, has invested A$22.5 million ($16.1 million) in Australian workforce management solutions provider Humanforce.
CITIC Capital targets China distress
CITIC Capital has established a team to make distressed investments in China, primarily in the real estate sector, and is considering raising a fund dedicated to this strategy.
Advent buys majority stake in US, China-based BioDuro
Advent International has acquired a majority stake in BioDuro, a pharmaceutical contract research and development organization (CRO) with operations in the US and China, from the Bridgewest Group conglomerate.
Hong Kong's Integrated leads $10m round for India's Rapido
Hong Kong-based investment firm Integrated Capital has led a $10 million Series A round for Indian motor scooter taxi start-up Rapido.
Korean beauty products player gets $35m Series D
JJDC, an investment arm of healthcare and consumer goods giant Johnson & Johnson, has led a $35 million Series D round for South Korean online beauty products retailer Memebox.
VCs commit $15m to Japanese AI specialist
A group of venture capital firms, including SBI Investment, have invested $15 million in a Series B round for Cinnamon, a Japanese artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on office automation.
Deal focus: VCs take a bite from India’s food sector
Drums Food International is bringing a modern marketing approach to Indian millennials with its yogurt brand Epigamia. Verlinvest is backing the latest growth drive
Asia start-ups: Global reach
Asian start-ups are under increasing pressure to head off competition by pursuing global expansion agendas in their earliest stages of development. They must pay careful attention to social disparities
Nomura, Carlyle bid for Japan’s Orion Breweries
Japanese investment bank Nomura and The Carlyle Group have made a JPY52.1 billion ($477 million) tender offer as part of a proposed management buyout of Japan-based beer maker Orion Breweries.
BP Ventures backs China EV player
BP Ventures, the venture capital arm of BP, has made its first investment in China, leading a Series A round for electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider PowerShare.
Chinese AI start-up AInnovation raises $59m
Beijing-based artificial intelligence (AI) solutions provider AInnovation has raised RMB400 million ($58.9 million) in Series A funding led by CICC Alpha, a subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation.
Corsair exits DP World Australia
Corsair Capital has agreed to exit most of its controlling stake in DP World Australia to the shipping services provider’s original corporate parent.
Deal focus: Singapore Life delivers insurance update
Singapore Life has accelerated plans to digitize the insurance and wealth management industry following a $33 million Series B from Aberdeen Standard Investments and Aflac
Malaysia's OSK invests Singapore's Blue Planet
Malaysian private equity firm OSK Ventures International has made an investment of undisclosed size in Singapore waste management company Blue Planet Environmental Solutions.
Jafco acquires Japanese manufacturer from China SOE
Jafco has acquired Japanese construction equipment manufacturer Nagano Industry (NKK) from Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE) Beijing Jingcheng Machinery Electric Holding (Jingcheng).
Japan’s TEPCO backs $100m Southeast Asia cleantech fund
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO), Singapore’s WEnergy Global, and ICMG Partners, a start-up accelerator with bases across Asia and the US, have launched a $100 million fund focused on clean energy innovation in Southeast Asia.