China
China education player Zuoyebang raises $750m
Zuoyebang, a Chinese K-12 education platform that spun out from domestic search giant Baidu, has raised $750 million in Series E funding led by Fountainvest Partners and Tiger Global Management.
China's Agora more than doubles in value after $350m US IPO
Agora.io, a real-time voice and video communication platform established by Tony Zhao, formerly CTO of Chinese social networking player YY.com, saw its stock gain 151% on its NASDAQ trading debut following a $350 million IPO.
China LGBTQ investments: Pink power
There has been little VC investment in Chinese LGBTQ social platforms since 2017 due to regulatory concerns. Will gay dating site Blued’s US IPO reignite interest in the space?
General Atlantic invests $100m in Chinese drug maker
General Atlantic has invested $100 million in NASDAQ-listed Chinese cancer drug developer Hutchison China MediTech - also known as Chi-Med - a subsidiary of Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings.
Deal focus: Running the CFIUS gauntlet for Grindr
Grindr, America's most popular LGBTQ dating app, was only put up for sale because its Chinese owner violated foreign investment regulations. San Vicente's subsequent $560 million acquisition faced intense scrutiny
China establishes $5b SME support fund
China has launched a government guidance fund intended to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with initial capital commitments of RMB35.75 billion ($5 billion).
Hillhouse invests $400m in China data center player
Hillhouse Capital has taken a 3.9% interest in US-listed Chinese data center developer GDS Holdings for $400 million.
VC-backed SinocellTech enjoys strong Star Market debut
Chinese drug developer SinocellTech nearly trebled in value on its first day of trading on China's Science and Technology Innovation Board (Star Market) following a RMB1.28 billion ($181 million) IPO.
Blackstone invests $150m in China's 21Vianet
The Blackstone Group has invested $150 million in 21Vianet, a US-listed Chinese data center developer backed by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings.
Chinese IPOs: One less option
Will Chinese companies listed in the US become the latest casualties of tensions between the two countries? It could lead to a narrowing in IPO exit options for PE and VC investors
Deal focus: Yidui delivers love by video
Sky9 Capital and Xiaomi have thrown their support behind a Chinese video-dating platform designed for Generation Z, complete with virtual meeting rooms, live audiences, and mechanisms for crashing other people's dates
Chinese car parts supplier Casstime raises $50m
Chinese aftermarket car parts supplier Casstime has raised $50 million in the second tranche of Series C round led by Greater Bay Area Homeland Investments.
China's Genetron trades flat after upsizing US IPO
Genetron Holdings, a Chinese company that uses DNA sequencing to support the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, traded flat on its NASDAQ debut following a larger-than-planned $256 million IPO.
China logistics robot specialist raises $200m Series C
Geek+, a manufacturer of robots used to move merchandise around warehouses, has closed a Series C funding round, having raised $200 million across two tranches.
China gay dating app Blued pursues US IPO
BlueCity Holdings, the company behind Chinese gay dating platform Blued, has filed an application to list on NASDAQ, which would provide a liquidity event for several PE and VC investors.
GP Profile: Gobi Partners
China’s Gobi Partners has grown from a four-person team to an 11-office franchise. The coming decade will test the VC firm’s aspiration to become a pan-Asian enterprise
Fund focus: Cathay taps strategic expertise in energy
Cathay Capital Private Equity is raising what it claims is China's first-ever smart energy fund, relying on contributions from LPs that offer strategic as well as financial support
Ascendent to exit China dairy player through $240m trade sale
Ascendent Capital Partners has agreed to make a full exit from Chinese dairy producer Ningxia Harmony Dairy Development with New Hope Dairy set to buy the business for an enterprise valuation of RMB1.7 billion ($240 million).
Chinese cloud player Qiniu gets $141m Series F
Chinese enterprise cloud service provider Qiniu Cloud has raised RMB1 billion ($141 million) in Series F funding from the state-owned China Structural Reform Fund, Bocom International, and Hongzhao Fund.
China's Miaoshou Doctor raises $85m
Miaoshou Doctor, a Chinese online healthcare services platform, has raised RMB600 million ($85 million) in the first tranche of Series D funding round backed by the likes of Qiming Venture Partners, Sequoia Capital China, Ince Capital Partners, CITIC...
Chinese AI chip maker Biren raises $155m Series A
Biren Technology, a nine-month-old Chinese smart chip design company, has raised RMB1.1 billion ($155 million) in Series A funding led by Qiming Venture Partners, IDG Capital and Walden International.
PE investors agree $8.7b take-private of China's 58.com
58.com, China’s leading online classifieds marketplace, has agreed to be acquired by a consortium of private equity investors at an implied equity valuation of $8.7 billion.
BOC leads Series B-plus for Chinese AI player Shukun
Shukun, a Chinese start-up that develops artificial intelligence (AI) technology used in the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, has raised RMB200 million ($28 million) in an extended Series B round led by BOC International and CCB International.
Foreign investment restrictions: Looking inward
China is the implied threat as governments look to protect vulnerable domestic companies from foreign corporate raiders. On balance, PE investors are unlikely to benefit from moves towards de-globalization