Technology
Creador to take 20% stake in Malaysia's GHL, back e-pay acquisition
Creador will take a 20% stake in Malaysia-based payment services provider GHL Systems through a private placement of new shares. The capital will in part be used to finance GHL’s proposed acquisition of Australian Securities Exchange-listed e-pay Asia....
Mavcap to launch fund targeting tech-based companies
Malaysia Venture Capital Management (Mavcap) plans to launch a $200 million investment fund platform fund later this year that will back technology-based companies at home and abroad.
Kyoto University launches $60m venture fund
Japan's Kyoto University has launched its second venture fund, a $60 million vehicle which will invest in start-ups in Japan and the rest of Asia.
Matrix backs hotel reservation site Stayzilla.com
Matrix Partners India has acquired a significant minority stake in Stayzilla.com, a site which allows users to research and reserve hotels at discounted rates in more than 750 Indian cities. The financial details of the deal, in which Matrix was the sole...
Alibaba leads $50m Series C round for Quixey
Alibaba Group has led a $50 million Series C round of investment for Quixey, an US-based search engine for apps. New investor GGV Capital and existing backers Atlantic Bridge, Innovation Endeavors, Translink Capital, US Venture Partners, and WI Harper...
Temasek commits $100m in China 21Vianet
Temasek Holdings has invested $100 million in 21Vianet Group, a US-listed Chinese carrier-neutral internet data center services provider, for about a 10% stake.
500 Startups raises $44.1m second fund
Silicon Valley-based incubator 500 Startups has held a final close of $44.1 million second fund that will back seed and accelerator companies. The vehicle – 500 Startup Fund II - is larger than its predecessor but below the $50 million target.
VC-backed Chinese online marketplace targets $150m US IPO
Chinese venture capital-backed local marketplace website 58.com filed for its US IPO, targeting up to $150 million.
Baidu, VC-backed travel website Qunar files for $125m IPO
Qunar, a Chinese travel website majority-owned by internet search giant Baidu, is looking to raise up to $125 million through an IPO in the US. GSR Ventures and GGV Capital still hold minority positions in the company but it is unclear whether they plan...
KKR acquires Panasonic healthcare unit for $1.67b
KKR has agreed to acquire an 80% stake in Panasonic Healthcare, a unit of the Japanese electronics giant, for JPY165 billion ($1.67 billion) - the buyout firm's biggest deal in the country to date.
KPCB, IPV back Singapore stock market app Series A round
Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers (KPCB) and IPV Capital have together led a $10 million Series A round for MyHero, the Singapore-based start-up behind the stock market simulation app TradeHero.
VC-backed Montage raises $71m in US IPO, closes up on first day trading
Montage Technology Group, a China-based semiconductor manufacturer backed by AsiaVest Partners and Intel Capital, saw its stock jump 28% to close at $12.80 on its first day of trading on NASDAQ. It is the second PE-invested Chinese company to go public...
Alibaba acquires VC-backed cloud computing Kanbox
Alibaba Group has agreed to buy Kanbox, a Chinese cloud storage service provider backed by Susquehanna Asia Investment and DCM. The value of the deal was not disclosed.
Japan's KDDI, Cisco lead $10m Series A for Moxtra
Japanese telecom firm KDDI Corp and US tech giant Cisco Systems have led a $10 million Series A round of investment for Silicon Valley-based app developer Moxtra. Other investors include China's Innovation Works and Starwood Capital's Barry Sternlicht....
Ant Capital invests $11m in construction software firm Kozo Keikaku
Japanese private equity firm Ant Capital Partners has agreed to acquire a 30.4% stake in Japan-listed construction software developer Kozo Keikaku Engineering from existing shareholders for JPY1.15 billion ($11 million).
Horizons Ventures backs Zoom Video Series B round
Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing’s Horizons Ventures, which is known for investments in Facebook and Skype, has led a $6.5 million Series B funding round for Zoom Video Communication, a California-based cloud conferencing operator.
China cleantech: Addressing overcapacity
China's cleantech sector was the factory to the world, churning out solar panels and wind turbines for export. After the bottom fell out of the market, domestic demand took center stage - how is PE responding?
India cleantech: Expansion time
PE-backed companies have carved out a sizable share of India's nascent renewable power production sector, particularly in the wind space. The quickest to scale up will gain a competitive advantage
Sequoia leads Series B round for China second-hand car platform
Sequoia Capital led a Series B round of investment for Souche Holdings, an online second-hand car trading platform. Existing backers Morningside Technologies and Ferry Venture Capital also participated.
NTT Docomo Ventures, Livesense lead $5.5m investment in Japan's Aratana
NTT Docomo Ventures, the corporate VC arm of the Japanese mobile giant, and internet media firm Livesense have together led a JPY550 million ($5.5 million) investment round for Aratana, a social e-commerce platform developer. Existing VC backers JAFCO,...
CLSA Capital Partners backs VoloAgri
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSA CP) has invested in VoloAgri Group, a California-based agricultural technology company, which is the third agriculture investment channeled through its Clean Resources Asia Growth Fund.
Sequoia Capital leads $15m Series C in App Annie
Sequoia Capital has led a $15 million investment in app analytics platform App Annie, with participation from existing investors IDG Capital Partners, Greycroft Partners, e.ventures and Infinity Venture Partners. Tim Lee, partner at Sequoia Capital and...
Helion, Kalaari lead $10m Series B for Simplilearn.com
Helion Venture Partners and existing backer Kalaari Capital have led a $10 million Series B round for professional certification exam preparation provider Simplilearn Solutions.
Investors book passage with Tuniu
Most Travel e-commerce companies in China are essentially search engines that provide information on hotel and flight bookings plus a payment mechanism. The team at Tuniu opted for a different tack, focusing specifically on packaged tourism, and they...