Technology
Northstar hits first close on Southeast Asia VC fund
Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm Northstar Group has reached a first close of USD 90m on its first venture capital fund. The overall target is USD 150m.
Hong Kong's VMS appoints PE head
Hong Kong-based multi-strategy alternatives asset manager VMS Group has appointed Jianming Zou, formerly of New Horizon Capital, as head of private equity.
China's Moore Threads closes $218m Series B
Moore Threads, a China-based designer of artificial intelligence (AI) chips, has raised CNY 1.5bn (USD 218m) in Series B funding led by China Mobile Digital New Economy Industry Fund and Hexie Health Insurance, with participation from Dianshi Capital.
Australia's Potentia backs telecoms technology player
Australia’s Potentia Capital has paid AUD 66.3m (USD 44.9m) for a 25% stake in Soprano Design, a local mobile messaging technology provider that counts Telstra and AT&T as its carrier partners.
Hidden Hill joins $145m round for China's Sany Heavy Truck
Sany Heavy Truck, a subsidiary of Chinese heavy equipment manufacturer Sany Heavy Industry focused on developing new energy trucks, has raised nearly CNY 1bn (USD 145m) in Series A funding.
MUFG invests $200m in Indonesia fintech player Akulaku
Akulaku, an Indonesia-based digital finance platform that has raised several rounds of venture capital funding, has received a USD 200m investment from Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG).
China-linked EcarX, Lanvin complete SPAC mergers
EcarX, a smart mobility solutions provider backed by Chinese automaker Geely Auto Group, and Lanvin Group, a global luxury fashion platform established by Fosun Group, both completed mergers with US-listed special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs).
Co-Stone leads $43m round for China biosynthesis player
Co-Stone Capital Management has led a CNY 300m (USD 43m) Series B round for Readline, a Shenzhen-based company that specialises in synthetic biology.
Australia’s Heal Partners closes debut fund on $137m
Australia’s Heal Partners, a health, education, and lifestyle-focused venture capital firm, has closed its first fund on AUD 200m (USD 137m). The target was AUD 100m.
China solar cell manufacturer raises $72m
Temasek Holdings, Sequoia Capital China, and IDG Capital have led a CNY500m (USD 72m) Series B investment in Chinese solar cell manufacturer GCL Photoelectric Materials.
2023 preview: Hard-tech
As China’s technology space has shifted toward more advanced domains of R&D, bubbles have formed and geopolitics have complicated investment. There is scope for some turnaround on these points
2023 preview: Southeast Asia VC
Southeast Asia VC is in fair position to hobble through a global downturn and cooling appetite for all things tech despite controversial politics in the region’s largest market and a dicey IPO outlook
China automotive chip company raises $43m
Indiemicro, a Chinese chip designer targeting the automotive industry has raised a CNY300m (USD 43m) round featuring semiconductor-focused Sunic Capital.
2022 in review: End of the party?
Fundraising favours the few; deployment becomes progressively slower as investors agonise about valuations, macro prospects, and financing costs; sponsor-to-sponsor deals prop up exits
New Zealand's Partly gets $21m Series A
New Zealand’s Partly, a company that uses big data to source replacement parts for the global automotive industry, has raised a NZD 37m (USD 21m) Series A round led by UK-based Octopus Ventures.
Australia's Potentia pursues two technology take-privates
Australia-based specialist B2B technology investor Potentia Capital appears to be continuing its pursuit of two listed companies – Nitro Software and Tyro Payments – despite several rejections.
China semiconductor player Eswin Material raises $576m
Eswin Material, the integrated circuit manufacturing unit of Eswin Technology Group, has raised CNY 4bn（USD 576m）in Series C funding led by the New Materials Fund of China National Building Material.
Korea's Google-backed Mathpresso raises $70m
Seoul-based education technology start-up Mathpresso has closed its Series C round on USD 70m following an investment of undisclosed size last year from Google.
Korea's Bespin Global gets $100m Series D
Korea-headquartered cloud services company Bespin Global has raised a USD 100m Series D round led by a unit of Emirates Telecoms Group.
Japan's Sparx leads $50m round for Singapore IoT start-up
Japan’s Sparx Group has led an investment in Singapore-based internet-of-things (IoT) developer UnaBiz. It completes a USD 50m Series B round that started in October last year.
Hong Kong’s E15 VC raises $61m for third fund
Hong Kong’s E15 VC has hit a first close of USD 60.75m on its third global deep tech fund with an anchor investment from existing cornerstone LP Sun Hung Kai & Co (SHK).
Square Peg, Wellington back Australia's Rokt at $2.4b valuation
Square Peg Capital and Wellington Management have led a AUD 750m (USD 501m) investment in Australian e-commerce marketing technology provider Rokt at a valuation of USD 2.4bn.
Thoma Bravo raises $32b for deployment in software
Thoma Bravo, a specialist investor in software companies, has closed its latest set of buyout funds with more than USD 32.4bn in commitments. This compares to USD 22.8bn in the previous vintage.
Deal focus: Prosperity7 widens mandate with Australia’s Vow
Prosperity7 Ventures has well and truly escaped its energy sector roots, leading a hefty early-stage round for Australia’s Vow, a company making cell-cultured meat with a twist