Growth capital
WestBridge invests $16m in Indian housing finance company Aptus
WestBridge Capital Partners has invested INR980 million ($16 million) in India Aptus Value Housing Finance, an affordable housing finance company.
Nippon Life raises stake in India's Reliance Capital
Japanese insurer Nippon Life has agreed to increase its stake in India's Reliance Capital Asset Management and could end up owning 49% of the company.
BVCF leads Series A for Shanghai immunotherapy firm
China-focused healthcare investor BVCF has led an undisclosed Series A round of funding for CARsgen, an immunotherapy firm that focuses on treating cancer.
China's Ally Bridge ventures into German healthcare
Ally Bridge Group, a healthcare-focused PE firm based in Hong Kong and the US, has made its first investment in Europe, participating in a EUR6.6 million ($8 million) round of funding for Pieris, a Munich-based clinical-stage biotechnology firm.
Goldman leads $36m round for Korean food-ordering platform
A Goldman Sachs-led consortium has invested KRW40 billion ($36 million) in Woowa Brothers Corp, owner and operator of Baedal Minjok, South Korea’s leading digital food-ordering platform.
Blackstone invests $150m in Australia retirement village developer
The Blackstone Group has invested $150 million in Australian retirement village developer National Lifestyle Villages (NLV).
Fidelity commits $10m to China medical device maker Eyebright
Fidelity Growth Partners Asia and Fidelity Biosciences have committed RMB62.5 million ($10 million) to Eyebright Medical Technology, a Chinese ophthalmic medical devices manufacturer.
Rakuten leads $10m Series A for Singapore's PocketMath
Rakuten Ventures, a corporate VC arm of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, has led a $10 million Series A round for PocketMath, a Singapore-based mobile advertising platform.
Xiaomi, Shunwei to invest $300m in Baidu-controlled iQiyi
Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi and Shunwei Capital – a VC firm set up by Xiaomi co-founder and super angel investor Lei Jun – will invest $300 million in iQiyi, a video platform owned by Baidu.
Australia's Bigcommerce gets $50m growth equity round
SoftBank Capital, Telstra Ventures and American Express have led a Series D round of funding worth $50 million for Bigcommerce, an Australian e-commerce platform with a strong presence in the US. Existing investors General Catalyst and Revolution Growth...
Goodman, CPPIB boost investment in China logistics joint venture
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Goodman Group have invested a further $500 million in their China logistics joint venture, taking the total equity commitment to $2 billion.
Sailing to the Maldives
China has become the primary source of tourists to the Maldives. In the first six months of 2014, more than 170,000 Chinese travelers flocked to the islands, up 20% year-on-year. They accounted for nearly one in three visitors, according to the Maldives...
IFC leads $45m round for India's Tikona Digital
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's investment arm, has led a $45 million round of investment in Indian broadband service provider Tikona Digital Networks.
Hillhouse, CITIC PE commit $75m to Chinese cancer drug developer
Hillhouse Capital and CITIC Private Equity have participated in a RMB450 million ($75 million) round of funding for BeiGene, a Chinese company that develops drugs to combat cancer.
China's Sailing Capital backs Maldives resort developer
Chinese private equity firm Sailing Capital has agreed to invest in luxury resort developer Soneva Group. It will support the expansion of a portfolio of properties in the Maldives.
Being global is about being good, not big - AVCJ Forum
The priority when building a global company is creating quality, not necessarily expanding outside your local market, industry participants told the AVCJ Forum.
Silver Lake overcame doubters to secure Alibaba deal – AVCJ Forum
Silver Lake’s 2.2% stake in Alibaba Group is worth more than $6 billion at current market prices, but internal approval for the original investment in the Chinese e-commerce player in 2011 did not come easily.
SIG, SoftBank back China wearables maker Codoon
SoftBank China Venture Capital (SBCVC) and SIG Asia have invested $30 million in a Series B round of funding for Codoon, a Chinese wearable electronic devices manufacturer.
TVS Capital consortium picks 26% stake in IEX
A consortium led by TVS Capital Funds has agreed to buy a 25.64% stake in Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) for INR5.76 billion ($94 million) from Blackstone-backed Financial Technologies India (FTIL).
Qiming, Innovation Works invest $22m in China Face++
Qiming Venture Partners and Innovation Works have participated in a $22 million Series B round of funding for Face++, a Chinese face recognition technology developer.
Hera Capital re-ups in Philippines-based Cashcashpinoy
Singapore-based private equity investor Hera Capital has committed an additional $2 million in a Series B round of funding for Cashcashpinoy, a Philippines-based online shopping platform.
Asia PE performance: Special measures
Asian private equity has, by some accounts, failed to meet LP expectations in terms of risk-adjusted returns. With GPs under pressure to show they can be company builders, is specialization the inevitable end game?
Lombard invests in Vietnam seafood producer
Lombard has invested an undisclosed sum in Viet Uc Seafood, Vietnam’s leading shrimp seed producer. It will help the company optimize operations as it seeks to become a fully-integrated shrimp producer.
Mandala Capital commits $24m to India cold chain business
Mandala Capital has acquired a 30% stake in the cold chain unit of Indian express distribution and supply chain solutions provider Gati for INR1.5 billion ($24.4 million).