Sectors
Japan space debris start-up Astroscale gets $109m Series F
Astroscale, a Japanese space tech start-up dedicated to cleaning up orbital debris, has raised $109 million in Series F funding from investors including London-listed Seraphim Space Investment Trust, Japan Growth Capital Investment, and Axa Life Insurance.
HESTA backs PEP-owned Australia software business
HESTA has acquired a A$120 million ($85 million) equity stake in Australian enterprise software and IT services provider Citadel, following its merger with medical practice software specialist Genie Solutions.
CVC exits Malaysia snacks business to Universal Robina
CVC Capital Partners has agreed to sell Malaysia-based snack foods producer Munchy Food Industries to Universal Robina Corporation (URC) – a branded consumer food and beverage business in the Philippines – for MYR1.93 billion ($454 million).
China GPU chip designer secures $313m Series A
Moore Threads, a Chinese chip designer established 13 months ago by a team from Nvidia, has closed Series A at RMB2 billion ($313 million) led by Shanghai Guosheng Capital, 5Y Capital, and a BOC International fund.
China biotech IPOs in Hong Kong to stay strong - AVCJ Forum
The frenzy for Chinese biotech developers listing in Hong Kong is expected to continue well into 2022, industry participants told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum.
Bain leads $69m Series C for Japan's Linc'well
Bain Capital has led a JPY8 billion ($69 million) Series C round for Linc’well, a Japan-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that caters to medical institutions.
KKR backs Southeast Asia K-12 schools business
KKR has acquired a minority interest in the K-12 schools business of Taylor’s Education Group (TEG), one of the largest private education providers in Malaysia.
RedBird joins $840m round for India's Dream Sports
RedBird Capital Partners, a US investment firm that has extensive sport exposure and several months ago picked up a stake in an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, has co-led a $840 million round for local fantasy sports platform Dream Sports.
India's NoBroker joins unicorn club
General Atlantic, Tiger Global Management, and Moore Strategic Ventures have participated in a $210 million Series E round for Indian real estate marketplace NoBroker at a valuation of $1 billion.
K1, Level Equity invest $350m in Australia SaaS player
US private equity firms K1 Investment Management and Level Equity have invested about $350 million in Australia’s Simpro, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider focused on field service management.
Blume hits $105m first close on fourth India VC fund
Indian venture capital investor Blume Ventures has achieved a first close of $105 million on its fourth fund, exceeding the full amount raised in the previous vintage.
Singapore bio-plastics developer RWDC raises $95m
Singapore’s RWDC Industries, a developer of biodegradable plastics, has raised a $95.1 million round led by Temasek Holdings and Vickers Venture Partners.
China ocular drugs developer raises $63m
China’s Neurophth Biotechnology, a gene therapy developer for ocular diseases, has raised a RMB400 million ($63 million) Series C round led by SDIC China Merchants Investment and Sequoia Capital China.
Microsoft VC unit leads $22m round for India’s SalesKen
M12, Microsoft’s VC arm, has led a $22 million Series B round for SalesKen, an Indian enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) provider focused on sales-related services.
NetEase music spinout completes $449m Hong Kong IPO
Cloud Village, a music streaming business controlled by Chinese internet giant NetEase and backed by several private equity investors, has raised HK$3.5 billion ($449 million) through a Hong Kong IPO.
China IPOs: The star still wanes
Proceeds from private equity-backed offerings on China’s Star Market are down 75% from their peak one year ago, reflecting ongoing regulatory interference and diminished investor confidence
Taiwan start-ups: Leaving the factory
Taiwan’s industrials-focused venture capital and start-up ecosystem has tilted noticeably toward consumer software in the past year. Nevertheless, the traditional heavyweights are indispensable
Deal focus: Orchestra delivers pizza to Seoul
Banolim has become Korea’s fourth-largest pizza delivery business largely on the back of savvy marketing and expansion in lower-tier cities. Orchestra Private Equity is supporting a rollout in Seoul
Deal focus: Icon retains its private equity appeal
EQT’s $1.67 billion acquisition of Icon Group underscores the recent trend in large-cap buyouts, as well as the long-term growth potential for cancer care specialists in Australia and the wider Asian region
Deal focus: Quiet confidence persists in hydrogen power
H3 Dynamics is bringing hydrogen-powered delivery drones to Asia’s crammed megacities as a steppingstone to a cleaner aviation sector. This is a sweet spot for Hong Kong’s Audacy Ventures
Investors see China regulatory turbulence as short-term - AVCJ Forum
Regulatory uncertainty overshadowing China's technology sector is a temporary phenomenon, investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum, while noting that targeting areas favored by the government remains a safe play.
Singapore BNPL player Pace gets $40m Series A
Singapore’s Pace Enterprise, a one-year-old start-up in the fast-growing buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) financial services niche, has raised a $40 million Series A round from a pan-Asian mix of VC firms.
Vision Fund adds managing partners in India, China
SoftBank Vision Fund has promoted Sumer Juneja, who heads up its India investments, and Dennis Chang, a China-focused partner, to managing partner level.
Warburg Pincus backs China new materials business
Ambilight, a China-based new materials company focused on electrochromic (EC) components, has raised several hundred million dollars in Series C funding led by Warburg Pincus.