Financial Services
OPIC commits $185m to India SME sector
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a development finance arm of the US government, will invest $185 million in India’s small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.
Hong Kong's WHub launches crowdfunding platform
WHub, a Hong Kong-based start-up services provider and accelerator, has launched the territory’s first licensed equity crowdfunding platform for technology entrepreneurs.
PAG commits $300m to China's LexinFintech
PAG has agreed to invest $300 million in LexinFintech, a US-listed financial technology platform provider based in China.
Steadview leads $14m Series D for India's Chargebee
Steadview Capital has led a $14 million Series D round for Chargebee, a developer of a platform for online payments based in India and the US.
Lok seeks $150m for fourth India fund
Indian venture capital firm Lok Capital is targeting $150 million for its fourth fund, which will invest in growth-stage companies with a potential for positive social impact.
LGT acquires India impact investor
LGT Group has acquired a majority stake in Indian impact investor Aspada from an investment arm of Open Society Foundations, a George Soros-founded charitable institute.
Grab commits $500m to Vietnam tech ecosystem
Grab, a Southeast Asia-focused ride-hailing app operator backed by a number of PE and VC firms, has committed to invest $500 million in Vietnam’s technology ecosystem in the next five years.
India payments player BharatPe raises $50m Series B
US-based Ribbit Capital and UK-based Steadview Capital have co-led a $50 million Series B round for BharatPe, a digital payment services provider for Indian offline businesses.
US fintech player Tala targets India with $110m Series D
Tala, a US financial technology provider looking to expand its microlending operations in India, has raised a $110 million Series D round from a group including PayPal Ventures.
PE-backed CSB files for India IPO
CSB, an Indian private bank with several private equity backers, has filed for an IPO that is expected to raise at least INR300 million ($4.2 million). It is the first PE-backed IPO filing in more than nine months.
Sequoia, Matrix join $20m round for Chinese fintech player
Sequoia Capital China and Matrix Partners have joined a $20 million round for Chinese financial technology provider QFPay.
Bertelsmann leads $30m round for India fintech start-up
Bertelsmann India Investments has led a $30 million funding round for Rupeek, an India-based online gold loan marketplace.
India's Lendingkart raises $30m Series D
Indian financial technology platform Lendingkart has raised a INR2.1 billion ($29.9 million) Series D round from existing investors Fullerton Financial Holdings, Bertelsmann India Investment, and India Quotient.
Kleiner Perkins, Aspex lead $64m round for Korea's Viva Republica
Kleiner Perkins and Aspex Management, a pan-Asia investor founded in Hong Kong last year, have led a $64 million round for Korean financial technology start-up Viva Republica.
JC Flowers plans near-full exit from Japan's Shinsei Bank
US-based private equity firm JC Flowers is planning to sell nearly all of its stake in Japanese financial institution Shinsei Bank for an undisclosed amount.
Hong Kong’s AMTD trades up after US IPO
Shares in AMTD International, a PE-backed division of Hong Kong financial advisor AMTD Group, traded as much as 28% above initial pricing following a $174 million IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
CDC leads $21m round for Indian fintech player
UK government-backed development finance institution CDC Group has led a $21 million round for Indifi Technologies, a company that facilitates loans for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) in India.
Hong Kong's CompareAsiaGroup gets $20m
Data and financial services company Experian has led a $20 million investment in Hong Kong-based financial comparison platform CompareAsiaGroup.
Singapore's Carro raises $30m for extended Series B
Singaporean auto marketplace operator Carro has raised $30 million from investors including SoftBank Ventures Asia as part of an extended Series B round.
Baring Asia buys Korean leasing business from JC Flowers
Baring Private Equity Asia has acquired Korean consumer finance and leasing services provider Acuon Capital from JC Flowers for an undisclosed sum.
MassMutual Ventures leads $33m round for Singapore's Aspire
The Southeast Asia arm of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance’s venture capital arm, has led a $32.5 million funding round for Singapore-based online banking platform Aspire.
Deal focus: Olympus backs big plans for Thailand's smallest bank
Olympus Capital has paid $91 million for a 25% stake in microfinance and micro-SME lending specialist Thai Credit Retail Bank. It wants to double the loan book and support digitization of services
Accel leads $25m round for India's Drip Capital
Drip Capital, an India-based trade finance provider targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in emerging markets, has raised a $25 million Series B round led by Accel Partners.
India's Five Star raises $50m round led by TPG
TPG Capital has led a $50 million funding round for Five Star Business Finance, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).