Sectors
Deal focus: The SoftBank effect, one step removed
The new owners of SoftBank Ventures Asia are cut from the same cloth – and even come from the same family – as the VC firm’s corporate parent. They aspire to reconfigure Asia’s tech ecosystem
Q&A: Vitalbridge Capital’s Jinjian Zhang
Jinjian Zhang, founder of Chinese VC firm Vitalbridge Capital, on addressing domestic turbulence, getting investors to reengage on China, and where he sees opportunities in Southeast Asia
Warburg Pincus set to buy minority stake in Chinese fund house
Warburg Pincus has received regulatory approval to acquire a 23.3% stake in Zhong Ou Asset Management (Zhong Ou AMC), a Chinese mutual fund manager, from Italy's Intesa Sanpaolo Bank.
Australia's Glow hits first close on debut PE fund
Australian private equity firm Glow Capital Partners has reached a first close of AUD 55m (USD 37m) on its debut fund. The target is AUD 300m.
Nio Capital, Xiaomo back China 4D radar start-up Sinpro
Sinpro, a China-based developer of hardware sensor products, has raised a Series A amounting to several hundred million renminbi led by Nio Capital and Xiaomi.
China's Alebund Pharma gets $145m in debt, equity funding
Alebund Pharmaceuticals has raised close to CNY 200m (USD 29m) in a pre-Series C funding round. Investors include state-owned Yangzhou Guojin Investment and Yangzhou Longchuan Holdings.
Wellington leads $150m round for Australia's Saluda Medical
Wellington Management has led a USD 150m round for Saluda Medical, an Australian devices company focused on spinal cord stimulation. TPG also came in as a new investor.
Growtheum backs Vietnam's International Dairy Products
Growtheum Capital Partners, a private equity firm established by the former head of GIC’s direct private equity investment group in Southeast Asia, has made a growth capital investment in Vietnam-based International Dairy Products (IDP).
Australia's Milkrun winds down, founder defends business model
The founder of Australian grocery delivery business Milkrun, which announced that it would shutter last week amid challenging market conditions, has defended the start-up’s business model and claimed that its impact on the industry will be long-lasting.
China HR SaaS player Beisen completes $30m HK IPO
Beisen Holding, a China-based human resources software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform backed by the likes of SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Goldman Sachs, Matrix Partners China, and Sequoia Capital China, fell 12% on debut following a HKD 238.9m (USD 30m) Hong...
China automotive parts supplier Bibo raises $29m
Nio Capital and Hangzhou-based Orient Jiafu Asset Management have led a CNY 200m (USD 29m) Series A round for Bibo, a China-based automotive parts supplier.
Longreach acquires Japan IT company via bolt-on
The Longreach Group has acquired Japanese IT services provider Blueship as a bolt-on for Japan Systems, an existing portfolio company in the space.
MDI leads Series A for Indonesia cloud kitchen
MDI Ventures, the corporate VC arm of state-controlled Telkom Indonesia, has led a USD 13.7m Series A round for local cloud kitchen start-up Legit Group.
ResponsAbility sets $450m hard cap for second Asia food fund
Swiss impact investor ResponsAbility has set the hard cap for its second South and Southeast Asia-focused sustainable food fund at USD 450m, having fully deployed Fund I across five investments.
Australia cybersecurity start-up raises $20m
Australian cybersecurity start-up Fivecast has closed a USD 20m Series A round led by Ten Eleven Ventures, a US-based specialist in cybersecurity.
JBIC, Mitsui back Singapore's Wellesta
Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) and Mitsui & Co have invested in Singapore-based Wellesta, a diversified services provider for the regional healthcare industry.
Southern leads $31.5m round for fintech player Soft Space
Southern Capital has led a USD 31.5m funding round for Southeast Asia-focused payments technology provider Soft Space.
China hotpot home dining player Guoquan pursues HK listing
Guoquan, a Chinese hotpot ingredients supplier that now positions itself as a one-stop home meal solutions brand, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Lightspeed China hits first close on renminbi fund
Lightspeed China Partners has returned to the renminbi funds space for the first time in seven years, reaching a first close of CNY 800m (USD 116m) on its latest local currency vehicle.
Temasek increases holding in India's Manipal Health
Temasek Holdings is set to become the majority shareholder in Indian hospital operator Manipal Health Enterprises, having agreed to acquire an additional 41% stake in the company. The transaction facilitates an exit for TPG Capital, but the PE firm will...
Fund focus: Iron Pillar takes India SaaS to the world
Iron Pillar has secured USD 129m for what it claims is the first India venture-growth fund dedicated to supporting local companies with global software and cloud infrastructure solutions
China chip packaging player SJ Semiconductor raises $340m
Legend Capital, CITIC Securities-controlled Goldstone Investment, and Ince Capital have participated in an extended Series C round of USD 340m for SJ Semiconductor, a China-based chip packaging business.
Australia's QIC acquires 50% stake in smart metre business
Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), an Australian sovereign wealth fund, has agreed to acquire a 50% stake in New Zealand-listed Vector Metering at an enterprise valuation of NZD 2.5bn (USD 1.6bn).
Prosus, Accel back India SaaS procurement platform
Prosus Ventures and Accel have led a USD 11m Series A round for Spendflo, an India-founded software-as-a-service (SaaS) procurement management platform now headquartered in the US.
