Sectors
Global Brain, others lead $4m Series C round for Japan photo app
Japanese early stage investor Global Brain Corp. has joined Energy and Environment Investment and publishing firm Kodansha to invest JPY400 million (about $4 million) in Toyko-based Mind Palette, the start-up behind fashion-focused photo sharing app Snapeee.
WH Group sets terms for HK IPO to raise $2b
WH Group, the Chinese pork producer backed by investors such as CDH Investments and Goldman Sachs, has set terms for a revised Hong Kong IPO that will raise up to HK$15.9 billion ($2.05 billion).
EQT buys HK compliance and integrity service provider Dataflow
EQT Partners has acquired a majority stake in Dataflow Verification Services, an immigration compliance and credential verification service provider based in Hong Kong, via its EQT Mid Market Fund.
Qualcomm commits $150m to invest in Chinese start-ups
Qualcomm has launched a $150 million strategic venture fund to invest in Chinese start-ups in the mobile technology space.
TPG, Carlyle to price Healthscope IPO at upper-end of range - report
TPG Capital and The Carlyle Group are to price shares in Australian hospital chain Healthscope at A$2.10 a share - the upper-end of the target range, generating A$2.25 billion ($2.12 billion).
SAIF Partners leads $15m round for US monetization platform
SAIF Partners has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Supersonic, a mobile app monetization firm based in San Francisco.
Temasek’s Pavilion Capital leads $60m round for Rong360
Temasek Holdings’ Pavilion Capital has led a $60 million Series C round of funding for Rong360, a Chinese online search for loan products.
Founders Fund, Shasta Ventures back Australia's Canva
Founders Fund and Shasta Ventures have led a $3.6 million round of funding for Canva, an Australian website that allows amateur designers to create polished web graphics using drag-and-drop tools.
Hao, DCM, Baidu provide Series C for Beijing Wanxue Education
Hao Capital, DCM and Baidu have invested in a Series C round of funding for Beijing Wanxue Education, a Chinese online education service provider.
Darby PE backs Indian engineering consultancy
Darby Private Equity, a PE arm of Franklin Templeton Investments, has committed an undisclosed sum to Enzen Global Solutions, an Indian engineering consultancy.
China's JD Capital launches medical, energy funds
JD Capital has launched three renminbi-denominated funds to invest in the medical and energy sectors.
Shunfeng commits $74m in Japan power project PE fund
Hong Kong-listed solar cell manufacturer Shunfeng Photovoltaic International has commited JPY7.5 billion ($74 million) to an unnamed Japanese solar power-focused fund.
CLSA, Korean corporate launch $295m global co-invest fund
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSACP) launched a KRW300 billion ($295 million) global co-investment fund in partnership with South Korean tire manufacturer Nexen. The primary LP is the National Pension Service of Korea (NPS).
Baring Asia buys stake in TA-owned Cath Kidston
Baring Private Equity Asia has acquired a substantial stake in UK lifestyle retailer Cath Kidston from existing majority shareholders TA Associates and company management.
Helion leads Series A for mobile workplace provider
India’s Helion Venture Partners has led a $6.5 million Series A round of funding for Workspot, a cloud-based administration platform that allows users to access business applications and data via mobile devices.
PE investors near deal for China NPL manager Huarong - report
A group of private investors is nearing a $2 billion deal for a minority stake in China Huarong Asset Management, one of four groups tasked with managing non-performing loans (NPLs) from state-owned banks.
Chinese education site Yuantiku raises $15m
Yuantiku, a Chinese online education platform, has raised $15 million in a Series C round of funding from existing investors IDG Capital Partners and Matrix Partners.
VC firm launches $13.6m Anglo-Japanese agri fund
Japanese venture capital firm Tsukuba Technology Seed (TTS) has teamed up with the UK's Adapt Low Carbon Group to launch an Anglo-Japanese VC fund focusing on agricultural innovation.
Gobi, CBC commit $8m in China KeyTone Cloud
Gobi Partners and China Broadband Capital CBC) have co-led a RMB50 million ($8 million) Series A round of funding for in KeyTone Cloud, a Chinese cloud computing platform.
Hony’s pizza takeaway
Immediately after TDR Capital and Capricorn privatized Pizza Express in 2003, the UK-based restaurant chain’s international franchise operations were shifted into separate entity as part of the “non-core group.”
Zoyi’s premium pork play
Nearly a decade ago, in his former career as an investment banker with J.P. Morgan, Andrew Kuo worked on the deal that saw CDH Investments and Goldman Sachs back Chinese pork producer Shuanghui International. Now known as WH Group, the company has grown...
Norwest backs Capillary retail solution
Buy anything online today and there is a good chance the seller not only knows what you bought, but who you are, where you are and what you like. E-commerce firms can now mine a wealth of information on their customers; traditional brick-and-mortar retailers,...
Vision Knight bets big on property site
Vision Knight Capital expects massive growth in three segments of China’s e-commerce market over the next three years – property, autos and home decorating. Hence the private equity firm’s willingness to provide the largest portion of a $80 million...
India's budget: Roadmap to recovery?
India’s recent Union Budget represents the opening salvo from a government that many in the business community hope will get the country moving again. The private equity industry is watching closely