covid-19
Australia PE: Brave new world
As Australia contemplates opening its tightly controlled borders and finding a way to live with COVID-19, private equity probes an opportunity set in transition yet surprisingly stable
CDC joins $75m round for India medical B2B marketplace
CDC Group has contributed $27.5 million to a $75 million Series C round for Medikabazaar, an Indian medical B2B marketplace and COVID-19 supply chain operator.
Virtual reporting: Lost in translation
GP-LP reporting in the age of remote portfolio assessments and stilted video catchups leaves much to be desired. Both sides are trying to bridge the divide, but no best-practice approach has emerged
China vaccine developer Abogen raises $700m
Suzhou Abogen Biosciences, a Chinese vaccine developer targeting COVID-19, has raised $700 million in Series C funding featuring Temasek Holdings, Loyal Valley Capital, and Lilly Asia Ventures.
Deal focus: Targeting an insurance pain point
India’s Digit Insurance has achieved a valuation of $3.5 billion in four years with a thesis that simple is better – and more trustworthy. COVID-19 added more rocket fuel
Asia fundraising: Fortune favors the bold?
LPs cannot survive indefinitely on re-ups and new commitments to managers they know well. Questions are being asked internally as to what it would take to back an Asian GP sight unseen
Faering leads $200m round for India's Digit Insurance
Indian private equity firm Faering Capital has led a $200 million round for local insurance company Digit Insurance at a valuation of $3.5 billion.
PE & gambling: Ante up
Private equity has exhibited consistent appetite for gambling-related assets amid pandemic-fueled uncertainty. Regulation remains a significant wildcard in Asia. Reputational risk, not so much
Deal focus: Australia’s ENA hits COVID-19 in the nose
Australian investors see hope in ENA Respiratory, a nasal spray specialist aiming to complement global COVID-19 vaccine programs with an immune system-boosting product
Australia COVID-19 nasal spray maker raises $25m
ENA Respiratory, an Australian biotech company developing a nasal spray for the prevention of COVID-19, has raised A$32 million ($25 million) with support from local venture capital investor Brandon Capital.
China mRNA specialist Stemirna gets $200m in funding
Stemirna Therapeutics, which claims to be the first biotech company to bring an mRNA therapeutics and nanomedicine platform to China, has raised $200 million in funding.
Myanmar: Asia’s anguish
Myanmar has proven unique among Asia’s frontier markets in terms of volatility and risk. As its ongoing humanitarian and political catastrophe deepens, a sense of helplessness has taken root
Chinese COVID-19 vaccine developer Clover files for IPO
Clover Biopharmaceuticals, a Chinese pre-revenue drug developer that has raised $315 million across several funding rounds since 2011, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Invesco leads $155m round for China's Brii Biosciences
Invesco has led a $155 million Series C round for China-focused infectious diseases drug developer Brii Biosciences.
Asian GPs prioritize portfolio resilience - Bain & Co
Three out of five GPs in Asia Pacific would be willing to forego at least 5% of near-term profit if that sum could be invested in making their portfolio companies more resilient across a range of metrics.
CDC, FMO, SDC launch Nepal investment platform
European development finance institutions CDC Group and FMO and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) have jointly launched a market building platform in Nepal.
Jungle joins $46m Series D for India's Turtlemint
Indian online insurance broker Turtlemint has closed its Series D round at $46 million following a significant contribution from early-stage investor Jungle Ventures.
Fundraising talent: New calls of duty
The trend toward more stringent due diligence in recent years has maximized fundraising complexity at a time when the professionals involved must adapt to unfamiliar virtual forums
Aspex leads $200m Series E for Hong Kong's Klook
Aspex Management has led a $200 million Series E round for Klook as the Hong Kong travel app pivots to domestic holiday services during a freeze in international tourism.
COVID-19 changing conduct as much as tech usage
Experiences vary across geographies as Asian GPs adapt to pandemic working conditions. Technology use is up, but the most lasting changes may be more cultural in nature.
