Financial Services
IFC invests $35m in Indian energy-focused NBFC
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed $35 million to infrastructure finance firm PTC India Financial Services (PFS).
China financial player Jupai files for US IPO
Chinese wealth-management service provider Jupai, which is backed by an investment unit of online real estate agency E-House and Sina Corp, has filed for a US IPO.
Banks and deal-sourcing: Information arbitrage
Japan’s banks do not have the power that they once did to source deals, but they are far from irrelevant. GPs say these institutions still have a role to play, though their advice must be considered carefully
Alibaba, Tencent-backed online property insurer raises $931m
Zhong An Online Property Insurance, which was set up by Jack Ma and Pony Ma, the founders of Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings, has raised RMB5.78 billion ($931 million) from a group of investors.
Archer buys Dun & Bradstreet's Australasia credit-checking unit
Archer Capital has agreed to buy Dun & Bradstreet’s (D&B) Australia and New Zealand-based credit data business for A$220 million ($170 million).
Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui backs GMO Payment
Japan's GMO Internet - which runs its own early-stage investment unit, GMO Venture Partners - has raised JPY8 billion ($65 million) from Sumitomo Mitsui to develop e-commerce payment solution GMO Payment Gateway (GPG).
India payments: The missing link
India’s payment start-ups hope to shape the way e-commerce companies charge for their goods. The future may lie with approaches tailored to the country’s circumstances
J-Star backs Japan medical insurer
Japanese mid-market GP J-Star has invested an undisclosed sum in Nihon Hoken Service (NHS), a Tokyo-based insurance agency and insurance solicitation business.
Corporate VC: Pleasing the parent
Companies want to keep tabs on technological innovation in order to stay relevant in their industries by nurturing Asia’s tech start-ups. However, there is no uniform approach to corporate venture capital
Temasek's India NBFC to provide home financing
Fullerton India Credit Company (FICC), the Indian non-banking financial company (NBFC) owned by Singapore's Temasek Holdings, will set up a new unit offering home financing in the affordable housing segment.
Baring Asia agrees its largest-ever buyout
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed to buy Vistra Group, a leading global provider of company formation, trust, corporate and fund administration services, in what is expected to be its largest-ever deal.
Ant Financial launches $160m internet finance fund
Ant Financial Service Group, Alibaba Group’s online financials services affiliate, has launched a RMB1 billion ($160 million) fund to invest in internet and finance companies.
US digital payment firm raises $28m for Asia expansion
US-based online payment system developer Ripple Labs is looking to expand in Asia on the back of a $28 million Series A round provided by investors including IDG Capital Partners and AME Cloud Ventures.
Gopher, Hillhouse back Huatai Securities' Hong Kong IPO
A fund managed by Gopher Asset Management, a unit of Chinese wealth management firm Noah Holdings, and Hillhouse Capital Management are among 13 cornerstone investors that have committed HK$14.7 million ($1.9 billion) to Huatai Securities’ Hong Kong IPO....
Japanese e-payment service Paidy expands Series A to $8.3m
Arbor Ventures has led an additional $5 million round of funding for Exchange Corporation (ExCo), the Japanese start-up behind e-commerce payment and instant credit service Paidy.
Alibaba's Jack Ma leads investment in Hong Kong brokerage
A consortium led by Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, has acquired 81% of Hong Kong-listed brokerage Reorient Group.
Indian regulator approves Baring Asia's acquisition of CMS
Baring Private Equity Asia has received permission from India's Competition Commission to acquire ATM management service CMS Info Systems, providing an exit for The Blackstone Group.
TPG sells Shriram City Union Finance stake to Apax
TPG Capital has sold its 20.37% stake in Indian non-banking finance company Shriram City Union Finance (SCUF) to Apax Partners. Based on the May 12 closing price of INR1,719, it was worth around INR23 billion ($360 million).
China's JD launches P2P lending platform
Chinese private equity firm JD Capital has invested RMB2 billion ($322 million) to launch an online peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform.
Fosun to take 20% in payment play Ingenico Group
Fosun Group has invested in Europe-based payment services provider Ingenico Group with a view to helping the company develop its business in China.
Thailand payment services provider gets Series A round
Indonesian venture capital fund SMDV has a $2.6 million Series A round for Thailand-based payment solutions start-up Omise.
Quadrant exits New Zealand lender Heartland
Quadrant Private Equity has exited Heartland New Zealand, selling its 8.75% stake in the lender for NZ$53.5 million ($40.1 million) through a block trade.
Deal focus: LeapFrog seals debut Indonesia deal
Indonesia's middle class is expected to jump from 70 million in 2012 to more than 140 million by 2020 – representing more than half of the country’s population – according to the Boston Consulting Group. Financial services should benefit from this expansion,...
Deal focus: 2C2P plots regional expansion
Southeast Asia-focused payments provider 2C2P has made substantial progress in Myanmar over the last 12 months. It has introduced the country’s first mobile-based point-of-sale payment solution, issued prepaid cards that link to a mobile app, and launched...