Growth capital
Private equity firms target $500m for Myanmar investments
Leopard Capital and Cube Capital are among the Asian private equity firms looking to raise nearly $500 million for investments in Myanmar. It is hoped that the removal of trade sanctions imposed on the Southeast Asian nation will create opportunities...
Macy’s invests $15m in China’s VIPStore
Macy’s, the US department store operator, has invested $15 million in VC-backed Chinese e-commerce firm VIPStore. As part of the deal, Macy’s will sell private brand merchandise through omei.com, VIPStore’s luxury retail site.
Warburg Pincus leads $32m round for Quikr
Warburg Pincus has led a $32 million investment round for India’s largest horizontal classifieds platform, Quikr. Existing venture backers Matrix Partners India and Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) also subscribed to the round.
Ambit Pragma pases halfway point in fundraising for second vehicle
Indian venture capital firm Ambit Pragma has raised $77 million for its second fund. Ambit Pragma Fund II has a final target of $150 million and is expected to close by March 2013.
Baird Capital invests in Chinese refrigerated trucks manufacturer
Baird Capital Partners Asia, the China-focused private equity fund of Baird Private Equity, has invested in Chinese truck maker Henan Bingxiong Refrigerated Truck (also known as Ice Bear).
Globis leads $3.6m Series A round for quiz developer
Globis, the Japanese venture capital firm, has led a GBP2.3 million ($3.6 million) Series A round of funding for Quipper, a UK quiz applications manufacturer. Benesse, a Japanese education and publishing company, and Atomico, the VC firm led by Skype...
ICICI Venture in talks to buy Maja Health Care
ICICI Venture is in talks to pick up a stake in Maja Health Care, a division of Vi-John Group that manufactures shaving cream and other personal care products.
Mandarin Capital agrees JV with China’s Dagong - report
Sino-Italian private equity group Mandarin Capital Partners has reportedly agreed to establish a joint venture with Chinese ratings agency Dagong.
Creador invests $15m in OldTown
India- and Southeast Asia-focused investor Creador has injected RM45.7 million ($15 million) in OldTown White Coffee, the number-one Asian restaurant chain in Malaysia.
Moolchand raises $18.7m from Sequoia Capital
Sequoia Capital has invested INR1 billion ($18.7 million) into New Delhi-based Moolchand Healthcare, with an aim to fund the company’s further expansion and acquisitions of hospitals across India.
New Zealand’s Waterman buys 20% of Manuka Health
New Zealand-based Waterman Capital has acquired a 20% stake in natural health brand Manuka Health.
IndoUS Venture Partners backs New York-based digital magazine store
IndoUS Venture Partners has invested in New York-based digital magazine store Magzter in a Series A funding round. The investment is estimated at $3-5 million.
Hong Kong’s ADM buys stake in Prista Oil
ADM Capital and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) have provided EUR48 million ($62 million) of replacement capital for a 30% stake in Bulgaria’s Prista Oil Group.
SingTel's Amobee buys VC-backed ad startup
Singapore Telecommunications, Southeast Asia's largest telecoms company, has acquired AdJitsu, a VC-backed Silicon Valley startup in the mobile advertising sector. This is SingTel's second acquisition in two months.
JAFCO backs US-based pharma company in Series A funding
JAFCO has invested $10 million in the Series A financing of Eleven Biotherapeutics, a US-based biopharmaceutical company designing and engineering novel and differentiated protein-based biotherapeutics.
IFC to boost Equitas, Ujjivan MFIs with $28m
International Finance Corp (IFC) is planning to inject INR1.5 billion ($28 million) into two Indian microfinance institutions: Equitas Microfinance and Ujjivan Financial Services.
RVCF invests $2.8m in Frontier Lifeline
Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) has invested INR150 million ($2.8 million) for an 11% stake in Indian hospital Frontier Lifeline via a capital increase.
PE’s positive role in China
Private equity has a far reaching impact in China’s economic, social and environmental spheres, according to Bain & Company’s Michael Thorneman, Weiwen Han and Hao Zhou
ChrysCapital no fair-weather friend to Intas
Back in 2005, the principal concern for much of India’s rural population was where their next meal was going to come from. Over the past seven years, however, the spoils of rapid economic growth have trickled down through the social strata. Rural residents...
NSR to take local food national
South Indian cuisine specialist Vasudev Adiga’s is the first part of New Silk Route’s plan to take on the multinationals by creating a domestic casual dining conglomerate in India
India hospitals: Capital cure
Badly in need of consolidation and infrastructure investment, India’s hospital chains are an attractive target for private equity. But identifying suitable targets and getting them to scale up remains a challenge
Navis mulls buying Twilight Litaka stake
Malaysia-based Navis Capital Partners is in negotiations with Indian pharmaceutical company Twilight Litaka Pharma about a potential cash injection of $1.5 billion ($29 million) in the firm.
ChrysCapital reinvests $57m in Intas Pharmaceutical
ChrysCapital Partners is investing a further INR3 billion ($57 million) in Indian drugmaker Intas Pharmaceuticals ahead of the company’s upcoming initial public offering.
Mitsui & Co. Global Investment establishes Indian arm
Mitsui & Co. Global Investment, the private equity arm of Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co., has established an India operation in Mumbai.