professional services
Data centers: The information edge
Asia’s booming online economies have created unprecedented demand for data center services, but private equity investors still must determine the best way to approach the industry
VCs back Asia expansion by Japan's Sansan
Japanese cloud-based professional services company Sansan has received a fresh round of expansion funding from Mirai Creation Investment and existing backers DCM and Salesforce Ventures.
Partners Group raises $7b for direct PE deals
Partners Group has achieved a close of EUR6 billion ($7 billion) on its latest direct private equity fund. It is the firm's largest fundraise to date.
J-Star exits Japanese document scanning business to Orix
Mid-market private equity firm J-Star has exited its entire holding in Japanese document scanning company Primagest to local financial services conglomerate Orix Corporation.
Q&A: BDA's Paul DiGiacomo
Paul DiGiacomo, a managing director with Asia-focused advisory firm BDA Partners, discusses the latest trends in M&A, from increasingly sophisticated Chinese buyers to more willing multinational sellers
Sapphire leads Series C for Australia's Culture Amp
Sapphire Ventures has led a $20 million Series C funding round for Australian business analytics services provider Culture Amp.
Australia's Rokt closes Series B at $26m
Australian digital marketing services company Rokt has closed a Series B funding round at $26 million led by Moelis Australia Asset Management.
Blackbird joins $12m round for Australia-US marketing player
Blackbird Ventures has led a $12 million round for Sydney and San Francisco-based marketing software provider Autopilot.
Morrison & Foerster adds fund formation partner in Hong Kong
Morrison & Foerster has hired Serena Tan, formerly an associate at Debevoise & Plimpton specializing in fund formation and fund management, as a partner in its Hong Kong office.
Sequoia commits $20m to Indian co-working space Awfis
Sequoia Capital India has committed $20 million in Series B funding to Awfis Space Solutions, a Mumbai-based provider of co-working spaces.
Samara acquires India's Sanjay Maintenance
Samara Capital Partners has acquired Indian facilities management company Sanjay Maintenance Services (SMS) for about $20 million.
Multiples acquires India's PeopleStrong
Indian private equity firm Multiples Alternative Asset Management has acquired a controlling stake in domestic human resource (HR) services and technology company PeopleStrong.
FTV Capital leads $56m round for Indian researcher
US venture investor FTV Capital has taken a minority stake in India-based industry research and consulting company MarketsandMarkets after leading a $56 million funding round.
Italian PE unit backs Morrow Sodali's purchase of Australia's GPS
GPS, an Australia-based shareholder services and corporate governance consultancy, has been acquired by global counterpart Morrow Sodali in a deal supported by Italian government-controlled PE investment unit Simest.
Due diligence: Behind the curve
Gaining an accurate impression of an industry is vital for investors, but this can be difficult in markets where information is patchy or unreliable. Those who hope to prosper must learn to judge data carefully
Information issues: Fund administration in Asia
Private equity firms in Asia are increasingly willing to outsource fund administration, but they appear to be slower than their global counterparts in embracing more sophisticated middle office functions
India's Updater Services gets $15m from Motilal Oswal
Motilal Oswal Private Equity (MOPE) has invested INR1 billion ($15 million) in Indian facilities management company Updater Services.
IIFL, Iron Pillar back India's NowFloats
Indian enterprise web solutions provider NowFloats has raised $10 million in Series B funding from a group of investors including IIFL and Iron Pillar.
Australia SaaS start-up Deputy gets $25m from OpenView
US-based VC investor OpenView has committed $25 million in Series A funding to Australian workforce management software developer Deputy.
Skadden hires Asia fund formation partner from Ropes
Skadden has appointed Geoffrey Chan, formerly head of the Asia private investment funds practice at Ropes & Gray, as partner and head of its Asia Pacific investment management practice.
India's VC-backed Practo acquires US analytics start-up
Indian clinic management software developer and doctor search portal Practo, which is supported by several VC investors, has acquired US-based analytics firm Enlightiks.
Japan's Outsourcing buys Orizon from European GP
Japanese employment services company Outsourcing has agreed to acquire German jobs portal operator Orizon, providing an exit for UK-based private equity firm Silverfleet Capital.
Deal focus: Patsnap leverages innovation boom
Sequoia Capital and Shunwei Capital Partners support Patsnap's push to provide intellectual property analytics services to Asian corporates looking to expand into new markets with minimal legal fuss
Sequoia, Mayfield in $19m Series C for India's Knowlarity
Sequoia Capital India and Mayfield have participated in a INR1.3 billion ($19.3 million) Series C round for Indian cloud telephony solutions provider Knowlarity Communications.