Sectors
VC-backed JD.com targets $1.5b US IPO
Chinese online retailer JD.com, which has received $1.7 billion in venture capital and private equity funding in the last two years, is seeking to raise up to $1.5 billion through a US IPO.
Matrix India leads Series B for Mswipe
Mswipe Technologies, a Mumbai-based mobile payment services provider, has raised a Series B round of funding led by existing investor Matrix Partners India. Axis Bank and DSG Consumer Partners also participated.
PE consortium buys Aditya Birla Nuvo's BPO unit for $260m
An investor group led by Capital Square Partners and CX Partners has agreed to buy Aditya Birla Minacs Worldwide, a business process outsourcing (BPO) unit owned by Aditya Birla Nuvo (ABNL), for an enterprise value of $260 million.
Australia's Catalyst secures $245m Actrol trade sale
Catalyst Investment Managers has exited Actrol Group, a components and systems supplier to the heating, ventilation and refrigeration industry, to Reece Australia for A$280 million ($245 million).
Navis buys control of Hong Kong chemicals producer
Navis Capital Partners has acquired a controlling interest in Amazon Papyrus Chemicals Group, a Hong Kong-based chemicals manufacturer that supplies the paper and pulp industry.
CVC hires Asia consumer sector specialist as advisor
CVC Capital Partners has appointed consumer sector veteran Jeremy Hobbins as a senior advisor to the pan Asia team.
Equis, Partners Group bet on Japanese solar
Japan's rapid embrace of renewable energy in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster has alerted PE investors. In the last 12 months, Macquarie Capital and local engineering firm Maeda Corp. launched a joint venture that will target infrastructure...
India's IVFA backs ISS Hicare buyout
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has partnered with Hicare founder A. Mahendran to acquire the pest control company from Danish multinational ISS Global. The deal, including primary growth capital, is worth INR2.5 billion ($39.7 million) and is expected...
GIC, Macquarie invest in Australian student accommodation
GIC Private and Macquarie Capital have formed a joint venture to acquire a majority stake in Australian student accommodation operator Iglu.
Ventureast leads $3m round in med-tech startup
OneBreath, which makes low-cost portable ventilators, has raised $3 million from the Ventureast Tenet Fund, Villgro, former OnMobile COO Rajiv Kuchhal and BVR Mohan Reddy, founder of Infotech Enterprises, among other investors.
Bull Capital invests in Singapore-based IT security specialist
Bull Capital has bought a 41.67% stake in i-Sprint Group, a Singapore-based IT security service provider owned by Automated Systems Holdings, for $9.85 million.
TPG, Carlyle assess exit options for Australia's Healthscope
Healthscope, an Australian hospital operator owned by TPG Capital and The Carlyle Group, looks set for an IPO that could generate proceeds of around A$4 billion ($3.5 billion).
RedMart fills Singapore’s e-groceries void
When entrepreneur Steve Melhuish moved to Asia from the UK his wife was a prodigious online shopper, having grown accustomed to ordering her groceries from Ocado or Waitrose. While he made headway in Singapore’s internet space, launching realty portal...
VC firms back Irish start-ups in China
Led by the likes of Google, Facebook and LinkedIn, US tech companies have flocked to Ireland due to its EU access and business friendly policies, creating around 140,000 local jobs in the process. This has fostered spin-outs and serial entrepreneurs across...
Vertex backs FirstCry’s O2O e-commerce push
Indian baby and kids-focused e-commerce site FirstCry.com was not the first mover in its segment when it launched in 2010. Kalaari Capital-backed HushBabies and Babyoye, an Accel Partners and Tiger Global portfolio company, were among those already operating...
Equis, Partners Group invest $250m in Japan solar platform
Equis Funds Group and Partners Group have led a $250 million equity investment in a dedicated Japanese solar platform to be operated by Nippon Renewable Energy (NRE). For both groups, it represents a first foray into Japanese infrastructure and a solar...
Primavera supports $1.9b Shanda Games take-private
Primavera Capital is supporting a buyout of NASDAQ-listed Chinese online game developer and operator Shanda Games that values the company at $1.9 billion. The PE firm is backing controlling shareholder Shanda Interactive Entertainment in the deal.
CHAMP Ventures plans IPO for SG Fleet
CHAMP Ventures is seeking to exit its 42% stake in Australian vehicle leasing and fleet management business SG Fleet Holdings by way of an IPO on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX).
TAL Education invests $25m in VC-backed Babytree
TAL Education, a China-based after-school tutoring services provider, has acquired a minority stake in childcare website Babytree for RMB150 million ($25 million). The online baby nursing information provider secured previous investments from Matrix Partners,...
Suning acquires VC-backed group buying site Manzuo
Suning Commerce, a Chinese home appliance retailer, has acquired group buying site Manzuo.com. Transaction terms were not disclosed but the investment was said to facilitate a full exit for VC backer KPCB China.
PricePanda gets $3m from Tengelmann for SE Asia expansion
Rocket Internet’s price comparison platform, PricePanda, has raised $3 million from German retailer Tengelmann Group to expand its Southeast Asia footprint. It currently operates in Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore.
Hong Kong-listed A8 commits to tech-focused Qingsong Fund
A8 Digital Music Holdings, a Hong Kong-listed media corporation, has committed RMB20 million ($3 million) to acquire an approximately 6% interest in Qingsong Fund II.
Legend re-ups in US sports tech manufacturer Zepp
Legend Capital has re-upped in athlete training technology developer Zepp Labs, participating in a $15 million Series B round of funding led by GGV Capital. Bertelsmann and Cherubic Ventures also committed capital.
ASA calls for Billabong delay over Oaktree, Centerbridge deal
The Australian Shareholders Association (ASA) has called on Australian surf wear company Billabong International to delay a shareholder vote on a decision that could give PE creditors Oaktree Capital Management and Centerbridge Partners as much as 40.8%...