Sectors
CLSA exits Japan apparel business Baroque to CDH, Belle International
CLSA Capital Partners has exited its majority stake in apparel business Baroque Japan to China's CDH Investments and Chinese women's shoe retailer Belle International.
Australia's IRESS acquires LDC-backed software firm Avelo
Australian software company IRESS is to acquire UK tech firm Avelo Financial Services Holdings from a private equity consortium including Lloyds TSB Development Capital (LTDC) for GBP210 million ($321 million)
IFC invests in Indian education NBFC
International Finance Corporation will back Avanse Financial Services with $2.3 million to help expand its ability to provide loans to Indian students pursuing higher education.
Australia's RecruitLoop secures seed funding
Australian recruitment marketplace RecruitLoop (RL) has raised $500,000 from Russian firm The Untitled VC, Microsoft executive Todd Forest and a Middle East-based recruiter to fund its expansion in the US.
Draper Nexus leads $2m round for Japan travel site startup Trippiece
Draper Nexus Venture Partners has led a JPY200 million ($2 million) round of investment in Tokyo-based travel site startup Trippiece.
Vangoo Capital leads China's luxury goods site Series C round
Japan’s Vangoo Capital Partners has led a Series C round funding for Secoo.com, a Chinese luxury goods e-commerce platform. The investment sum was undisclosed.Existing investors IDG Capital, French venture capital firm Vantech Capital and Shanghai-based...
Q&A: Rocket Internet's Tito Costa
Rocket Internet, which has raised more than $1 billion in funding in the last year, is known for launching copycats of successful sites. Tito Costa, managing director for Southeast Asia, outlines a different strategy for the region
Clearlake backs Futuris to buck downturn
The A$200 million ($178 million) state bailout for Australia's auto industry comes after years of decline in manufacturing. Industry production numbers are the lowest since 1957. Toyota and General Motors (GM) have scaled back production amid export pressure...
Financial technology: The new normal
Initiatives are in place to make private equity reporting faster, more detailed and completely standardized. Are the guidelines a good fit for the industry in Asia and what are GPs doing to meet them?
Axa to exit Arkadin to Japan's NTT
Axa Private Equity has entered exclusive negotiations with Japan's NTT Communications Corporation to sell its stake in collaboration software as a service (SaaS) provider Arkadin.
China pollution control business gets $20m Series C round
Invesco WLR Private Equity and Keynote Ventures have led a $20 million Series C round funding for LP Amina, an US-based energy and environmental solutions provider. Existing investors Qiming Venture Partners and Hao Capital also participated.
Jafco invests $10m in lunch box delivery start-up
Japanese VC firm Jafco Ventures has invested JPY1 billion ($10 million) in Star Festival, the start-up behind lunchbox delivery and catering site Gochikuru.com.
Sequoia-backed Quick Heal targets India IPO
Sequoia Capital-backed Quick Heal Technologies (QHT), an Indian security software-maker, expects to file its draft red herring prospectus and begin the formal listing process next year.
Chinese VCs join funding round for gesture-based technology developer
Shunwei Capital Partners and CTQuan joined Chinese mobile handset maker Xiaomi in a Series B funding round for Israel’s Pebbles Interfaces worth $11 million.
China Tiantu Capital closes sixth RMB fund at $160m
Tiantu Capital has closed its sixth renminbi-denominated fund on RMB1 billion ($160 million). The vehicle will mainly invest in China's consumer sector.
Advantage Partners exits Japan's Kazaka Securities
Japanese mid-market buyout firm Advantage Partners has sold its stake in Kazaka Securities to Osaka-based Naito Securities. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Actis makes another attempt to sell India's Sterling Hospitals – report
Olympus Capital-backed DM healthcare and Temasek’s HealthCare Global (HCG) are reported to be making offers for Actis Capital's Sterling Hospitals.
MBK in exclusive talks with ING to acquire Korea unit - report
MBK Partners has reportedly entered into exclusive talks regarding the sale of ING Groep's South Korean life insurance business. The private equity firm is said to have offered KRW1.8 trillion ($1.6 billion) for the entire operation.
Mandarin Capital exits Italian valve component maker
Sino-European PE firm Mandarin Capital Partners has exited its 70% stake in Italian valves’ components producer Gasket International to Hutchinson, a French thermoplastics company. The Girelli family that founded the business has also sold its 30% shareholding....
AIG says aircraft leasing deal with Chinese consortium is not dead
Negotiations are ongoing between American International Group (AIG) and the Chinese consortium – which includes a fund run by former Primus Financial Holdings executive Wing-Fai Ng – that has agreed to buy a majority stake in International Lease Finance...
SingTel Innov8 invests $10m in Fab.com
SingTel Innov8 has invested $10 million in online lifestyle store Fab.com as part of an ongoing Series D round of financing. It joins a list of strategic Asian backers as the company plans expansion in the region.
China's Zhonglu VC invests in five start-ups
A venture capital arm of Shanghai Zhonglu Group, a Chinese bicycle manufacturer, has invested a total of RMB36.4 million ($5.9 million) in five online technology start-ups. Zhonglu VC will take a 20% stake in each company.
New Zealand's Pan Pacific, Taiwan to set up $40m cross-border fund
Taiwan’s state-run Institute for Information Industry (III) and New Zealand-based Pan Pacific Capital have formed a $40 million venture capital fund, with a view to promoting cross-border deals and expanding bilateral cooperation.
Providence Equity-backed Idea Cellular to raise $616m through share sale
Idea Cellular, an Indian telecom provider backed by Providence Equity Partners, plans to issue up to INR37.5 billion ($616.1 million) in equity.