Sectors
China digital marketing platform gets $50m Series B
Whale, a China-focused digital marketing platform, has raised a Series B round of $50 million led by Temasek Holdings. Existing investors Nio Capital, Linear Capital, and Alpha Startups Fund re-upped.
Rise Climate, ADQ commit $994m to Tata Motors EV unit
TPG Rise Climate, a climate-focused strategy under TPG’s global impact investment platform, has agreed to invest INR75 billion ($994 million) in the electric vehicle (EV) unit of India’s Tata Motors.
India digital banking player Open raises $100m
Temasek Holdings has led a $100 million Series C round for Indian online banking company Open Financial Technologies with support from Google.
Lightspeed joins $125m round for India virtual events platform
Lightspeed Venture Partners has joined a $125 million Series B round for India-based virtual events platform Hubilo.
Vision Fund: Big is beautiful?
Previously the sole elephant in Asia’s growth-stage technology space, SoftBank’s Vision Fund program is now one of a herd. Prevailing amid increased competition may prove its thesis once and for all
3Q analysis: India advances
India technology investment continues to ramp up as China flatlines; international payments M&A drives Asia trade sale revival, but IPOs slump; fundraising remains slow
Q&A: Glow Capital Partners' Justin Ryan
Having teamed up with the founder of Adore Beauty to launch Glow Capital Partners, Justin Ryan discusses life after Quadrant Private Equity, growth-stage investment in Australia, and gender balance
Deal focus: Digital brokerage Ajaib finds the right fit
Ajaib grew from nothing to become Indonesia’s fifth-largest stockbroker by volume in the space of six months. The newly appointed unicorn is now raising capital just as quickly
Fund focus: Yunqi reaffirms its enterprise focus
Yunqi Partners was the first Chinese GP dedicated to enterprise services and now claims to be the largest early-stage investor in the space. SaaS, in various forms, will account for the bulk of Fund III
China's Yunqi closes third US dollar fund at $300m
Yunqi Partners, an early-stage investment firm focused on enterprise software and services in China, has raised $300 million for its third US dollar-denominated fund.
Eneos to buy PE-backed Japan Renewable Energy for $1.8b
Eneos Holdings, an oil company and active technology investor, has agreed to acquire Japan Renewable Energy (JRE) from Goldman Sachs Asset Management and GIC.
China's Source Code raises $1.1b renminbi fund
Chinese venture capital firm Source Code Capital has raised RMB7 billion ($1.1 billion) for its fifth renminbi-denominated fund after approximately three months in the market.
Norwest, Kedaara lead $59m round for India NBFC
Norwest Venture Partners and Kedaara Capital have led a INR4.4 billion ($58.6 million) Series F round for Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) Veritas Finance.
China in six trends
Key themes in China private equity fundraising, investment, and exits
PE-backed MicroTech Medical targets $254m Hong Kong IPO
MicroTech Medical, a China-based manufacturer of insulin pumps for diabetes sufferers that counts Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) and Qiming Venture Partners among its investors, is looking to raise up to HK$1.98 billion ($254 million) in a Hong Kong IPO.
Australian Business Growth Fund seals debut deal
The Australia Business Growth Fund (ABGF) has made its first investment, committing A$15 million ($11 million) to local lithium-ion battery manufacturer 3ME Technology.
China biotech start-up LianBio files for US IPO
LianBio, a two-year-old Chinese biotech start-up incubated by life sciences investor Perceptive Advisors, has filed for a US IPO.
China Renaissance hits first close on flagship US dollar fund
Huaxing Growth Capital, a new economy-focused private equity division of China Renaissance, has reached the first close on its fourth US dollar-denominated fund of $550 million.
East, Vulcan lead $15m Series A for Singapore's Qapita
Qapita, a Singapore-based provider of software used by start-ups to manage cap tables and employee stock ownership plans (ESOP), has raised $15 million in Series A funding.
Allegro sells New Zealand retailer to Pencarrow
Australian turnaround investor Allegro Funds has sold The Interiors Group – a New Zealand-based home interiors retailer formerly known as Carpet Court – to Pencarrow Private Equity.
India cloud kitchen player Rebel Foods raises $175m
India-based cloud kitchen operator Rebel Foods has raised $175 million in Series F funding, led by Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), at a valuation of $1.4 billion.
India's Coinswitch Kuber raises $260m
Indian crypto exchange Coinswitch Kuber is claiming to be the largest app of its kind locally following a $260 million Series C round featuring Andreessen Horowitz at a $1.9 billion valuation.
Indonesia fintech start-up Ajaib achieves unicorn status
Ajaib, an online stock-trading platform in Indonesia, has raised $153 million in a Series B funding round led by DST Global at a valuation of $1 billion.