Financial Services
Vietnam consumer: Trading up
Vietnam’s consumer economy is attracting a wider range of investors as deal sizes inflate and new openings emerge in a winding value chain. Private equity is positioned to exploit several vantage points
India's True North to buy stake in Federal Bank NBFC
True North has agreed to buy a 26% stake in Fedbank Financial Services (Fedfina), a non-banking financial company (NBFC) controlled by India’s Federal Bank.
Singapore's Carro gets $60m Series B
Singapore-based automotive marketplace operator Carro has received a $60 million Series B funding round led by Softbank Ventures Korea, Insignia Ventures Partners and B Capital Group.
TPG, Carlyle lead $1.9b round for Baidu's financial services unit
TPG Capital and The Carlyle Group have led a $1.9 billion funding round for Chinese search giant Baidu’s financial services unit, which is being spun out as Du Xiao Man.
PE-backed Vietnamese lender completes $992m IPO
Vietnam Technological & Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank, TCB), a private-sector lender backed by Warburg Pincus, has raised VND21 trillion ($922 million) in the country’s biggest IPO to date.
Deal focus: Opportunities at the end
TR Capital takes secondary stakes in Indian eyewear chain Lenskart and microfinance specialist Arohan Financial Services
India’s VC-backed True Balance raises $23m
True Balance, an Indian digital payments services provider whose backers include SoftBank Ventures Korea, has raised a $23 million bridge round from a group of Japanese and Korean investors.
IFC co-leads $22m Series C for India's Coverfox
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has co-led a $22 million Series C round for Indian online insurance marketplace Coverfox.
Indonesia tech: Sleeping giant
Bullishness around Indonesia’s young online economy has been encouraged by a handful of VC-backed homeruns and promising demographics. Achieving scale in new business models remains a sticking point
Softbank leads $25m round for Singapore fintech player
Softbank Ventures Korea has led a $25 million Series B round for Funding Societies, a Singapore-based financial technology company focused on crowdfunding and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending.
Chinese fintech start-up raises $159m Series C
China Reform Holdings Corporation (CRHC), a Chinese state-owned asset manager, has led a RMB1 billion ($159 million) Series C round for 100Credit, a financial technology start-up that uses big data to provide credit services.
TR Capital completes two India direct secondary deals
TR Capital has completed secondary direct investments in two India-based businesses, microfinance specialist Arohan Financial Services and eyewear chain Lenskart Solutions.
Lone Star, India’s Rattan to launch NBFC
Lone Star Funds and the RattanIndia Group will jointly invest INR26 billion ($400 million) to launch a new non-banking financial company (NBFC).
Allianz invests $35m in Indonesia's Go-Jek
Germany-based financial services giant Allianz Group has confirmed a $35 million investment in Indonesian ride-hailing and delivery platform operator Go-Jek.
Saama closes fourth India VC fund at $100m
Saama Capital has closed its fourth India VC fund at the hard cap of $100 million, just over a year after closing its third vehicle at $57 million.
Victory Park, IFC launch emerging markets fintech fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed $25 million to a fund that it will co-manage with US-based Victory Park Capital. The fund will improve access to debt capital for financial technology companies in emerging markets, including Asia.
Australia virtual data room provider gets $18.5m
Australia’s Ellerston Capital has led a A$24 million ($18.5 million) Series A round for Ansarada, a domestic business services company that provides virtual data rooms and artificial intelligence-enabled due diligence.
Hong Kong pledges to foster local start-up ecosystem
Hong Kong plans to increase funding to two local incubation programs – Cyberport and Hong Kong Science & Technology Park (HKSTP) – in the expectation they will play a leading role in the drive to turn the territory into an innovation hub.
Insight leads $18m round for India's Chargebee
Insight Venture Partners has led an $18 million Series C funding round for US and India-based financial technology company Chargebee.
Singapore's GTR Ventures invests five fintech companies
GTR Ventures, a Singapore-headquartered VC firm launched last September, has made its debut investments in five financial technology companies.
Actis leads $82m round for India's Pine Labs
Emerging markets-focused private equity firm Actis has led an $82 million funding round for Indian financial technology company Pine Labs.
Warburg Pincus to invest $370m in Vietnamese lender
Warburg Pincus is set to make another substantial investment in Vietnam, having agreed to inject $370 million into Vietnam Technological & Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank, TCB).
Q&A: Dianrong's Soul Htite
Soul Htite, executive chairman of China’s Dianrong and a veteran of the US financial services market, contemplates peer-to-peer (P2P) lending opportunities after raising $70 million from Japan’s Orix Asia Capital and CITIC Securities-owned CLSA
Demonetization drives surge in Indian fintech investment
India’s demonetization policy has been the principal driver for a surge in financial technology investment in the country, according to research by Accenture and CB Insights.