TMT
Ex-Hostplus PE head launches state-level early-stage fund
V-Ignite, an investment firm established by the former PE and VC head at Australian superannuation fund Hostplus, is looking to raise AUD 120m (USD 86m) for a fund-of-funds that will support managers in the state of Victoria.
Apis doubles down on Asia rewards, incentives space
Apis Partners has backed India-based rewards and incentives start-up Xoxoday through a USD 30m joint investment with Giift, one of its portfolio companies.
India's MediBuddy gets $125m Series C
Quadria Capital and Lightrock India have led a USD 125m Series C round for Indian healthcare platform MediBuddy.
Deal focus: Freight player G7 eyes public listing
Having expanded its business scope from hardware into software and financial services, G7 Network is positioning its recent USD 200m PE investment as a pre-IPO round
Deal focus: Tapping a soft spot for Asian VCs
Investment professionals in Asia know on a personal level exactly what education technology provider Cialfo is doing and why the service is a big help. Now they’re taking it to the next level
Huaxing Growth hits $800m second close on China fund
Huaxing Growth Capital, the private equity division of China Renaissance, has achieved a USD 800m second close on its fourth flagship US dollar-denominated fund.
ADIA leads $210m Series E for India's DealShare
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) has contributed USD 45m to a USD 210m Series E round for Indian social e-commerce start-up DealShare at a valuation of USD 1.7bn.
India's Chiratae seeks USD 700m for VC, growth funds
Chiratae Ventures is looking to raise USD 700m for deployment in India’s technology sector with the addition of an opportunity fund – to participate in mid to late-stage rounds – alongside its core VC vehicle.
India consumer media: Showtime
Investors navigate slim margins and a complex cultural landscape as new digital channels help Indian media rebound from COVID-19. Sector leaders are flirting with global expansion, but is it too early?
KKR to raise Asia growth fund in 2022
KKR expects to raise a growth-stage fund in Asia – first flagged more than two years ago – in 2022 as part of ongoing efforts to boost its presence in the region across multiple strategies.
Altara raises $130m for Southeast Asia VC fund
Altara Ventures, a Singapore-based firm set up in 2020 by Boon Hwee Koh, former chairman of Singapore Airlines, Singapore Telecom, and DBS Bank, has closed its debut fund at USD 130m.
Indonesia's AC Ventures hires Helen Wong as venture partner
Helen Wong, previously a China and Southeast Asia-focused partner at GGV Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners, has joined Indonesia’s AC Ventures as a senior advisor and venture partner.
SoftBank leads Series A for China cashier-less vendor
SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA) has led a CNY 300m (USD 47m) Series A for Feng1, a China-based cashier-less vendor start-up. CICC Capital and Shenzhen Capital Group also participated.
Korea's Shinsegae raises another $251m for e-commerce platform
SSG.com, the e-commerce platform of South Korean retailer Shinsegae Group, raised an additional KRW 300bn (USD 251m) from existing backers Affinity Equity Partners and BRV Capital Management.
India B2B e-commerce player ElasticRun hits $1.5b valuation
Unicorn creation continues apace in India, with B2B e-commerce marketplace ElasticRun becoming the seventh company to achieve a USD 1bn since the start of the year, following the close of a USD 300m Series E round.
India virtual events platform gets $35m Series B
Airmeet, a US-headquartered and Asia-focused virtual events platform with extensive operations in India, has raised USD 35m in Series B funding featuring Sequoia Capital India.
KKR leads $180m round for Singapore's Livspace
KKR has led a USD 180m round for Singapore-based omnichannel home interiors renovation platform Livspace at a valuation of at least USD 1bn.
Deal focus: NPX adds tech to Korea’s culture thesis
NPX Capital is creating a US-based media platform to tap rising global appetite for Korean entertainment. Early acquisitions emphasise artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the metaverse
VCs invest in Japan sports analytics start-up
Global Brain has joined a JPY 770m (USD 7m) pre-Series B round for Japan’s Run.Edge, a sports video search and analytics platform.
India edtech player Scaler raises $55m
Lightrock India has led a USD 55m Series B round for Scaler Academy, an Indian education technology start-up that operates an upskilling platform focused on IT professionals.
India's Moglix raises $250m at $2.6b valuation
Tiger Global Management and Alpha Wave Global have led a USD 250m Series F round for India’s Moglix. It more than doubles the industrial B2B start-up’s valuation in the past eight months to USD 2.6bn.
Australia's AirTree collects $494m for fourth fund
AirTree Ventures has completed the largest-ever venture capital fundraise in Australia and New Zealand, gathering AUD 700m (USD 494m) across three vehicles.
PE-backed Country Style Cooking, Tuhu file for HK listings
Chinese restaurant chain Country Style Cooking (CSC), which was de-listed in the US in 2015, and automotive after-sales service platform Tuhu, which was previously targeting a New York offering, have both filed for IPOs in Hong Kong.
CVC moves to exit Indonesia's Link Net, buys Malaysia's Affin Hwang
CVC Capital Partners is shaking up its Southeast Asia portfolio with a renewed attempt to exit Indonesian broadband and cable TV provider Link Net and the acquisition of Malaysia-based asset manager Affin Hwang Asset Management.