Growth capital
Navegar commits $15m to Philippines-based TaskUs
Manila customer support outsourcing start-up TaskUs has received a $15 million series A round from the Philippines-based Navegar Fund.
India's Swiggy raises $16.5m from Norwest, Accel, SAIF
Indian food delivery platform Swiggy has raised $16.5 million in a Series B round led by Norwest Venture Partners, along with existing investors Accel Partners and SAIF Partners and an unnamed investor.
Q&A: ICG's Christopher Heine
Whether it is mezzanine for buyouts or growth financing for family businesses, Christopher Heine, head of Asia Pacific at Intermediate Capital Group, wants to be seen as a partner rather than just another capital provider
Deal focus: RRJ doubles down on e-commerce logistics
When RRJ Capital first committed $250 million to Shanghai Yupei Group in April 2014, Temasek Holdings was its sole partner in the investment. The company had 16 warehouses with a total gross floor area of more than 1.4 million square meters and plans...
Deal focus: Aspada backs India's agri-tech 'Uber'
Indian agriculture is woefully inefficient. This is in part due to the extreme fragmentation of land ownership; the UN estimates the average farm holding is 1.6 hectares, or just larger than two football pitches. As a result, the nation’s food producers...
Korea e-commerce: Appetite for disruption
Capital is gravitating to the leaders in Korea’s e-commerce space as consumers swap shopping malls for mobile devices. Efficient logistics and effective payment systems sit at the top of the agenda
TPG joins $129m investment in Singapore's PropertyGuru
Singapore online property portal PropertyGuru has raised S$175 million ($129 million) from TPG Capital, Australia's Square Peg Capital, and Indonesian media company Emtek Group.
Australia's Future Fund leads $40m round for India solar firm
Australia's Future Fund has led a $40 million investment in Indian Solar power company Applied Solar Technologies (AST). Existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP), Capricorn Investment Group and the International Finance Corp. (IFC) also participated....
Innovation Works leads $6m round for China's Smellme
Chinese pet-oriented social network Smellme has raised a $6 million Series A round of funding led by Innovation Works.
Snow Leopard, Paytm commit $5m to India's Jugnoo
Indian autorickshaw-hailing service Jugnoo has raised INR320 million ($5 million) in Series A funding from Snow Leopard Technology Ventures and Paytm, along with some existing angel investors.
RRJ consortium commits $250m to China warehousing player
RRJ Capital has re-upped in Chinese logistics player Shanghai Yupei Group, leading a consortium that has agreed to invest $250 million in the business.
India home appliances marketplace raises $20m
Indian hyper-local online marketplace Zopper has raised $20 million from existing investors Tiger Global and Nirvana Venture Advisors.
Fidelity leads round for India healthcare start-up Medwell
Fidelity Growth Partners India (FGPI) and affiliated US fund Fidelity Biosciences have invested $10 million in Medwell Ventures, operator of Nightingales specialty home healthcare services.
Tembusu backs Singapore energy efficiency business
Singapore-based GP Tembusu Partners has invested in local energy efficiency services start-up Barghest Building Performance (BBP), providing a "seven-figure" mezzanine commitment.
Morningside backs China mathematics teaching start-up
Early-stage investor Morningside Technologies has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for Leleketang, a China-based online teaching platform that specializes in mathematics and Chinese.
Warburg Pincus invests $120m in India's Ecom Express
Ecom Express, an Indian e-commerce logistics startup, has raised INR8.5 billion ($120 million) from Warburg Pincus.
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.
Taiwan launches $120m Silicon Valley VC fund
Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) have agreed to form $120 million VC fund that will invest in Silicon Valley tech start-ups.
SoftBank commits $1b to Korea e-commerce player Coupang
Japan’s SoftBank Corp. has added another Asian e-commerce brand to its portfolio with a $1 billion commitment to South Korea-based Coupang.
CBC leads $15m round for China public transport app
China Broadband Capital (CBC) has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Chelaile, a Chinese public bus tracking app.
Deal focus: Tata sees logistics angle in India tax reforms
Third-party logistics (3PL) companies have traditionally struggled in India. For example, the country’s fragmented tax system meant that companies moving goods cross-country had to pay multiple tariffs and stop for traffic examination each time they crossed...
WI Harper, ITIC lead $4m Series A for Taiwan's HWTrek
Taiwan business networking startup HWTrek has raised a $4 million Series A round led by WI Harper and the Industrial Technology Investment Corporation (ITIC), with participation from Legend Star Capital, JD.com, and Global Brain.
Aspada commits $3.3m to India agri-tech business
Asapada Investment - an India-based investor backed by the Soros Economic Development Fund (SEDF) - has injected INR200 million ($3.3 million) into Dehli-based EM3 AgriServices.
Silver Lake leads $500m investment in China's Qunar
Silver Lake has invested $330 million in Qunar, a US-listed Chinese travel-booking platform controlled by Baidu, as part of a $500 million strategic investment. This comes after the company rejected a buyout offer from industry peer Ctrip.