Sectors
Baidu pays $1.9b for VC-backed 91 Wireless
Chinese search engine giant Baidu is to acquire 91 Wireless - the mobile app store business of online gaming company NetDragon Websoft - for $1.9 billion.
France approves Fosun ClubMed takeover
The French financial markets authority, Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), has approved the takeover of France-based vacation resort operator Club Méditerranée (Club Med) by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International and Axa Private Equity.
Japanese mobility chair firm raises $1m VC round
Whill, a Japanese startup which has designed a type of electronic mobility chair, has received JPY100 million ($1 million) in funding from a group of venture capital investors including Itochu Technology Venture, 500 Startups and Sun Bridge Global Ventures....
Billabong strikes $331m refinancing deal with Altamont, Blackstone
Australian surf wear company Billabong has a reached an agreement with US private equity firm Altamont Capital Partners and Blackstone Group's credit arm GSO Partners for a A$395 million ($331 million) refinancing package.
IMM taps Korea's coffee cravings
Statistics alone do not capture the role coffee has come to play in South Korean culture. Starbucks entered the country in 1999 and it is now the firm's sixth-largest market globally by store numbers, with 556 in operation as of March and plans to take...
Cloudary halts IPO as Goldman, Temasek enter
Cloudary Corp., one of the largest of the largest online literacy platforms in China, has acted quickly to withdraw its IPO after receiving a new round of funding led by Goldman Sachs and Temasek Holdings. These developments took place in the space of...
India's FlipKart shops a $200m round
Indian e-commerce is in a state flux. While penetration is still relatively low compared to developed nations - just one in 10 Indians has access to the internet - the industry was worth $14 billion last year and growing rapidly. Competition for wallet...
China medical devices: Climbing the value chain
Driven by government policy, China's medical devices industry is growing rapidly and VC capital is flowing in. Picking winners requires a keen eye for new technology and potential distribution obstacles
China's PE-backed Cloudary withdraws US IPO
Cloudary, an online literacy platform controlled by Chinese internet company Shanda Interactive Entertainment, has withdrawn its US IPO, which expected to raise $200 million. The move came after the company raised $110 million from Goldman Sachs and Temasek...
Century Bridge makes first investment via China fund
Century Bridge Capital has invested $44.4 million in a joint venture with Coastal Greenland for the development of a residential project in Wuhan, Hubei province. It is the first investment from the firm's China fund.
Blue Sky invests $18m in Australian retirement home chain
Blue Sky Private Equity (BSPE) has invested more than A$20 million (US$18.3 million) for around 40% of retirement community operator and developer Oak Tree Group.
IL&FS exits machine tool manufacturer for 2.91x return
IL&FS Investment Managers' Leverage India Fund (LIF) has exited its 19.3% stake in Bharat Fritz Werner (BFW), a tool manufacturing company, for INR711.9 million ($11.8 million). It has generated an IRR of 15% and a multiple of 2.91x on its INR245 million...
EXS Capital leads $37m investment in Vietnam RE developer
EXS Capital has led a $37 million investment in Vietnamese real estate developer Son Kim Land (SKL). Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Fatfish acquires 65% of Indonesian auto insurance portal RajaPremi
Singapore-based tech investor Fatfish Internet has acquired Indonesian car insurance price comparison site RajaPremi.com, marking its first foray into the country. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
L capital Asia invests in Chinese cosmetics firm
L Capital Asia, a private equity firm sponsored by LVMH Group, has invested in Guangdong Marubi Biological Technoloy Stock, becoming the second-largest shareholder in the cosmetics company. The deal is reportedly worth more than $100 million.
Spreadtrum accepts sweetened Tsinghua Unigroup buyout offer
Spreadtrum Communications, a Chinese mobile chip manufacturer backed by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), is to be acquired by Tsinghua Unigroup after the buyer increased its offer. The merger - which will now go to a shareholder vote having received board...
First Reserve-backed KrisEnergy to raise $213m in IPO
Southeast Asia oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company KrisEnergy, which counts First Reserve among its investors, is expected to raise S$270.8 million ($213 million) through its Singapore IPO.
CNEI invests $9.7m in leading Chinese prawn player
China New Enterprise Investment (CNEI) has committed $9.7 million to Zhanjiang Newpro Food, a leading integrated operator in China's prawn farming industry.
J-Star, supply chain fund back Tokai Trim
Japanese mid-cap buyout firm J-Star has joined the Supply Chain Support Fund (SCSF) - a vehicle backed Japan Auto Parts Industries Association and Development Bank of Japan (DBJ) - in investing around JPY1-2billion ($10-20 million) in auto parts firm...
Riverside buys controlling stake in NZ animal drug delivery group
Riverside has acquired a controlling interest in Hamilton-based animal drug delivery company Simcro for a undisclosed sum.
ADIA to invest $200m in India's Kotak Realty Fund – report
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) is reportedly planning to commit about $200 million to Indian real estate and has appointed Kotak Realty Fund, run by Kotak Mahindra Bank, to invest the money.
Zhejiang ZF invests in Canada's Empire Industries
Zhejiang ZF investment (ZZG) has invested in Empire Industries - a steel fabrication company in Canada - via a $3m private placement.
India's Flipkart raises $200m from VC backers
Online retailer Flipkart has raised $200 million (INR12 billion) from existing investors Accel Partners, Tiger Global, Iconiq Capital and Naspers, in one of the largest fundraising rounds for an Indian e-commerce player. This fifth round brings the total...
Fidelity Japan leads $3m round for e-ticketing start-up PeaTiX
Fidelity Japan has led a $3 million Series A round for Japanese e-ticketing startup PeaTiX. The company provides an online platform for event organizers, allowing them to manage ticket sales.