China
Qiming leads $20m round for China cancer specialist
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $20 million round for New Horizon Health, a Chinese start-up that develops cancer screening technology, with participation from existing investors Legend Capital and SBCVC.
China dairy: Gone sour?
China’s dairy industry has experienced a dramatic fall from grace, driven by overhype at home and lower prices overseas. Investors that got in at the top of the market are considering their options
Olympus, UOB invest $90m in China radio ad agency
A consortium led by Olympus Capital Asia and UOB Venture Management will acquire a controlling stake in Shanghai-based Yuanyu Radio, which claims to be the largest radio advertising agency in China, for $90 million.
Temasek leads $57m round for China biotech firm
Singapore’s Temasek Holdings has led a $57 million Series B round for Chinese drug developer Hangzhou Just Biotherapeutics (Just China).
China's PE-backed UrWork receives $178m investment
UrWork, a Chinese co-working space operator with a number of private equity backers, has received $178 million as part of a pre-Series C funding round led by a group of strategic investors.
China’s GSR to acquire Nissan’s electric battery business
Japan’s Nissan Motor has agreed to sell its electric battery operations and production facilities to Chinese private equity firm GSR Capital. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Sino-US Tang Media Partners acquires Open Road Films
Tang Media Partners (TMP), a Sino-US media and entertainment investment group, has finalized its acquisition of Open Road Films, an independent film distributor and producer owned by US-based AMC Entertainment and Regal Entertainment Group.
China’s Gu Sheng Tang raises $150m in equity, debt funding
Gu Sheng Tang, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) clinic chain, has raised RMB1.01 billion ($150 million) in a Series D round comprising RMB510 million in equity and RMB500 million in debt.
Deal focus: Momenta brings brains to self-driving cars
Fast-rising autonomous driving software developer Momenta started signing up paying customers for its products within a year of launch. The company's $46 million Series B round will help it take the next step
Alibaba's Tmall leads $300m round for PE-backed Yiguo
Tmall, Alibaba Group’s B2C e-commerce unit, has led a $300 million Series D round for Yiguo.com, a PE-backed Chinese grocery shopping platform. This is the fourth time an Alibaba entity has invested in the company.
Goldman backs China food delivery platform Meican
Goldman Sachs Investment Partners has participated in a Series D round of funding for Meican.com, a Chinese online food delivery services platform that targets the corporate market.
Q&A: Permira's Alex Emery
Alex Emery, head of Asia at Permira, on global funds versus regional funds, escalations in dry powder and deal size, and how to lay the ground for when the current bull run inevitably comes to an end
GIC leads $220m Series D for China’s Dianrong
Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform Dianrong.com has raised a $220 million Series D round led by Singapore’s GIC Private.
Deal focus: Liulishuo bridges the learning gap
China's Liulishuo wins $100 million in funding for an adult-focused education app that uses artificial intelligence to bring customized teaching solutions to English language learners
Blue Lake reaches $120m first close on China VC fund
Blue Lake Capital, a China-focused VC firm led by two former GGV Capital and Sequoia Capital executives, has reached a first close of more than $120 million on its second early-stage fund. The full target is $200 million.
Warburg Pincus to buy stake in Chinese mutual fund business
Warburg Pincus is set to acquire Société Générale's (SocGen) 49% interest in Fortune SG Asset Management, a Sino-foreign mutual fund joint venture with China’s Baosteel Group.
Secondary buyouts: Peer to peer
Maligned by some investors, sponsor-to-sponsor deals are gradually becoming more prevalent in Asia as the private equity industry matures. What is the early verdict?
China First Capital to acquire Korean online education platform
Hong Kong-listed investment group China First Capital plans to acquire 54% of SJW International, a Korea-based online video English training platform, for about $135 million.
Fosun, Sanyuan to buy margarine maker from European GP
Chinese conglomerate Fosun Group has teamed up with Beijing Sanyuan Foods to buy French margarine maker St Hubert from Montagu Private Equity for EUR625 million ($734 million).
China’s Xiaomi confirms $1b debt deal
Chinese PE-backed smart phone maker Xiaomi has raised a new $1 billion loan to support global expansion and the build-out of its offline retail network.
PAG to raise $500m China growth fund
PAG Asia Capital is raising a $500 million China growth fund, which will enable the firm to target middle-market deals that fall below the minimum check size for its pan-Asian vehicle.
Joy Capital leads $105m round for China’s Shopex
Joy Capital, a Chinese VC firm that spun out from Legend Capital, has led a RMB700 ($105 million) Series D round for Shanghai ShopEx Network Technology, an e-commerce software and services provider.
Hony, SoftBank commit $500m to WeWork China unit
US-based co-working space operator WeWork has raised $500 million from investors led by Hony Capital and Japan’s SoftBank to create a dedicated Chinese entity as part of efforts to compete with local rivals.
Deal focus: VCs see potential in karaoke booths
Telephone booth-sized karaoke units in shopping malls are the latest penchant among China's emerging middle-class millennials. A group of VCs has invested $15 million in MiniKTV to support a nationwide roll-out