Growth capital
India's ShopClues eyes $50m growth round
Online marketplace ShopClues.com is looking to raise a further $30-50 million from investors, after January’s $10 million round from Helion Venture Partners, Nexus Venture Partners and Japan’s Netprice, which is backed by CyberAgent and Dentsu.
India Value Fund invests $40m in spice firm VKL
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has committed $40 million to Vallabhdas Kanji Limited (VKL), a seasonings and spices producer, based on expectations of growth in the quick service restaurants segment (QSR) and processed foods industry.
Asia PE: Taking the temperature
AVCJ assembled a group of private equity industry leaders to share their views on the prospects for exits in Asia, changing expectations and approaches to China, and how to address LP interest in co-investment
Regional update: A time to invest?
Is now the time to invest in Asia? This is a question that keeps popping up in my conversations with limited partners. Obviously, the simple answer can always be “yes.” That is if these LPs are able to locate and gain access to the fund managers that...
Telstra Ventures provides Series D funding for Kony Solutions
Telstra Ventures, the VC arm of Australian telecom operator Telstra, has committed $18.3 million in a Series D round of funding for Kony Solutions, a US-based mobile applications developer. The size of its stake was not disclosed.
Abraaj teams up with USAID to launch $100m Pakistan PE funds
The US Agency for International Development (USAID), The Abraaj Group and JS Private Equity Management (JSPE) will launch two private equity funds focused on Pakistani small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Positive signs from India
The last few years haven't been kind to Indian private equity. After a period of strong fundraising and bumper investment – a large portion of it into publicly-listed entities – the industry has largely been unable to deliver on the promise. Non-performers...
Asia travel search engine Wego gets $17m in Series C funding
Crescent Point has led a Series C round of funding worth $17 million for Wego, an Asia travel search engine. Victoria Capital and existing investor Tiger Global also participated.
Baird backs China children's education platform
Baird Capital, the private investment arm of Robert W. Baird, has committed an undisclosed sum to Peter Winn, former China president at English First Professional (EF), to explore education sector investments in the country.
Carlyle to exit Yashili stake to China Mengniu Dairy
The Carlyle Group has agreed to sell its 24% stake in Yashili International to domestic rival China Mengniu Dairy for about HK$3 billion ($387 million). This is part of a Mengniu bid for a majority interest in Yashili - its second lateral investment...
Asian Healthcare Fund invests in Wellspring clinic chain
Delhi-based Asian Healthcare Fund (AHF) has invested in Wellspring Healthcare, which runs eight primary care clinics in Mumbai under the Healthspring Community Medical Centres brand. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
China's GSR leads restructuring round for Mirabilis Medica
China-focused GSR Ventures is leading a $7 million restructuring round for Mirabilis Medica with a view to helping the company expand its footprint outside the US.
Avenue Venture invests $9.5m in Chennai residential project
Avenue Venture Partners has invested INR250 million ($4.3 million) in a Chennai luxury residential project being developed by Casa Grande. The firm plans to commit a total of INR550 million ($9.5 million) in the project.
PE, strategics back Gateway Distriparks subsidiary
Norwest Venture Partners has picked up a 14% stake in Indian port-based logistics operator Gateway Distripark's subsidiary Snowman Logistics for INR600 million ($10.4 million). Existing shareholders include International Finance Corporation (IFC) and...
IDG invests $4m in China Weipass Series A round
IDG Capital Partners has provided a $4 million round of Series A funding to China WeiPass, a smartphone app for payment verification.
Lumis, HDFC invest in India's PeopleStrong
Lumis Partners has teamed up with Housing Development Finance Corporation (HDFC) to invest in PeopleStrong, an Indian human resources outsourcing company. The size of the equity commitment was not disclosed.
Safety first: Investing in China's food supply chain
Driven by rising disposable incomes and lower confidence in food safety, Chinese consumers are willing to pay a premium for quality. PE firms have identified the opportunity, but taking it can be difficult
Navis plugs into Southeast Asia energy demand
Southeast Asia's hunger for energy cannot be overstated. Of the region’s 600 million inhabitants, a staggering 160 million live without electricity. According to a report published last year by the National University of Singapore’s Energy Studies Institute,...
DEG invests $12m in Indian hospital chain
German Investment and Development (DEG), a development finance institution, has invested INR700 million ($12 million) in the Ivy Healthcare Group which runs a chain of super specialty hospitals in the north Indian state of Punjab.
IFC to support BioVeda's $200m China fund
International Financial Corp.(IFC), the World Bank investment arm, plans to commit up to $20 million to the latest fund launched by healthcare-focused firm BioVeda China Fund (BVCF).
TEL Venture Capital invests in MIOX Corporation
TEL Venture Capital, the investment arm of Japanese semiconductor maker Tokyo Electron, has invested in US water technology company MOIX Corp. The details of the transaction were not disclosed.
East meets West: China PE and European corporates
Asian companies have sunk nearly $9 billion into European assets so far this year. In 2012, the final total for Asia-to-Europe M&A was more than $54 billion across 200 or so deals, according to AVCJ Research. This is more than was deployed in the four...
ChrysCapital invests $44m in Indian FMCG CavinKare
ChrysCapital Partners has invested INR 2.5 billion ($44 million) to buy a minority stake in Indian consumer goods producer CavinKare.
India's Aavishkaar to close VC Fund II at $95m, raise SE Asia fund
Aavishkaar Venture Management, which funds enterprises in India’s rural areas, is to close the Aavishkaar II fund at $95 million. Investors include the International Finance Corporation, Cisco, KfW, FMO, CDC Group and Rianta Capital, a London-based family...