Sectors
Google buys stake in VC-backed Taiwan glass supplier
Google has taken a 6.3% stake in Himax Display, a subsidiary of Taiwanese company Himax Technologies, which manufactures liquid crystal silicon (LCOS) chips used in Google Glass and other products. The company also counts KPCB Holdings, Khosla Ventures...
Standard Chartered, IL&FS-backed Ramky Enviro in Australian acquisition
Ramky Enviro Engineers (REEL), an Indian waste management company backed by Standard Chartered and IL&FS Investment Managers, has agreed to acquire Australian environmental engineering and petrochemical services provider Enviropacific Services .
IndiaVenture eyes $25m first close on healthcare fund
IndiaVenture Advisors (IVA), the PE arm of Indian healthcare company Piramal Enterprises, expects to reach a first close at around INR1.5 billion ($25 million) next month on IndiaVenture Trust Fund II, which has a full target of INR10 billion.
Baring ups stake in India’s Manappuram Finance
Baring Private Equity Partners India has upped its stake in Manappuram Finance, a listed non-bank financial company (NBFC) specializing in gold loans, to 11.56% from an earlier 9.48% via open market purchases.
MBK considers IPO for Taiwan’s CNS – report
MBK Partners is reportedly considering an IPO for China Network Systems (CNS), Taiwan’s largest cable TV and broadband provider, in place of a longstanding trade sale agreement that has yet to materialize amid regulatory concerns.
Media entrepreneurs to create China alternative investment group
Chinese media entrepreneur Bruno Wu and Thomas Middelhoff, former CEO of German media group Bertelsmann and Arcandor, are to form a China-focused media and investment joint venture, pooling assets with revenues of $1-2 billion.
First Reserve-backed KrisEnergy jumps 5% on Singapore debut
KrisEnergy, the Southeast Asia-focused oil and gas exploration and production (E&P) company which counts First Reserve among its investors, rose 5% on its trading debut in Singapore on Friday. The stock closed at S$1.155 after reaching an intra-day high...
KKR seals debut Indonesia deal
KKR will become the second-largest shareholder in Indonesia’s Tiga Pilar Sejahtera Food (TPSF) after agreeing to buy an approximately 9.5% stake for an undisclosed sum. The investment, which is being made through funds advised by KKR Asset Management,...
New Zealand’s Rangatira takes 12% stake in Magritek
New Zealand PE firm Rangatira has acquired a 12% stake in Magritek, which manufactures nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices, for an undisclosed sum. It has the option of increasing its holding to 18% in a year.
Australian regulator declines PE request to delay Billabong deal
The Australian Government Takeover Panel - the country's takeover regulator - has declined a request from Oaktree Capital Management and Centerbridge Partners to delay a A$395 million ($359 million) refinancing deal for surf-wear company Billabong International.
ASK eyes $100m first close for $200m real estate fund
The ASK Group expects a $100 million first close of its first overseas real estate fund in September.
Singapore online grocer RedMart closes Series A round
Online grocery store RedMart has closed its Series A round of funding from Singapore-based Garena, which offers online gaming. The company did not disclose the exact amount raised in this round, only that the total amount of funding raised so far adds...
ADB-backed infra fund to invest $85m in Philippines wind farm
The Philippine Investment Alliance for Infrastructure (PINAI) fund, a vehicle partly financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and managed by Macquarie Infrastructure Management Asia, is investing up to $85 million in the country's first ever wind...
Oak Capital invests $6.6m in Japan's K-Lab
Japan's Oak Capital Corp. has invested JPY650 million ($6.6 million) in online mobile game designer KLab.
Globis, KDDI invest $2.6m in Japanese how-to site
Globis Capital Partners and the KDDI Open innovation fund have led a JPY270 million ($2.6 million) investment in Nanapi, a Japanese website offering everyday how-to advice. This is the second round of investment for Globis which previously backed the...
HomeAway acquires VC-backed vacation rental startup Travelmob
US-based vacation rentals site HomeAway has bought a controlling stake in Singapore-based Travelmob in a bid to boost its online rental accommodations business in Asia. Early investors of the start-up include Accel Partners and Jungle Ventures, alongside...
Shuanghui plans HK IPO after Smithfield deal - report
China’s Shuanghui International - which is backed by CDH Investments and Goldman Sachs - intends to list US pork producer Smithfield Foods on the Hong Kong stock exchange following its planned takeover.
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...