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PE-owned Adore Beauty targets $193m Australia IPO
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity is set to make a first exit from its growth fund with online beauty retailer Adore Beauty announcing plans for a A$269.3 million ($192 million) IPO.
Jafco backs Japan VR game developer
Japan’s Jafco has led an $8.5 million Series A round for local virtual reality (VR) game developer Thirdverse.
Australia's 99Designs acquired by European trade buyer
Australia’s 99Designs, a global graphic design marketplace, has been acquired by Ireland-based Cimpress, the owner of marketing services firm Vistaprint. It sets up at least one VC exit.
Linear raises $200m for China VC fund
Chinese venture capital firm Linear Capital has closed its fourth US dollar-denominated fund at nearly $200 million, taking its overall assets under management to $400 million.
Lee Fixel's Addition backs India news aggregation app
Inshorts, an Indian news aggregation app, has raised $35 million in funding led by Addition, an investment firm launched by Lee Fixel, who was previously involved in Tiger Global Management’s India deals.
Prosus leads $12m Series B for Pakistan's Bykea
Prosus Ventures, formerly a VC arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers, has led a $12 million Series B round for Pakistan ride-hailing and courier app Bykea.
China's M31 Capital closes debut fund at $450m
Chinese Venture Capital firm M31 Capital has raised $450 million for its debut US dollar-denominated fund, beating a target of $400 million.
Taiwan tourism platform KKday raises $75m Series C
Taipei-based online tour package vendor KKday has closed a $75 million Series C round led by Cool Japan Fund and Taiwan’s National Development Fund.
Gaorong seeks $1b for China VC fund
Chinese venture capital firm Gaorong Capital is targeting $1 billion for its fifth US dollar-denominated fund – twice the amount raised in the previous vintage.
PineBridge, Peter Thiel launch Southeast Asia-focused SPAC
Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal, Palantir Technologies and Founders Fund, has teamed up with PineBridge Investments and Pacific Century Group on a special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) that will target new economy assets in Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia VC: Knowledge transfers
When venture capital firms move into Southeast Asia, they often use existing operations in China or India as a launching pad. Different lessons can be learned from these two markets
GGV targets $2b for China, US tech investments
GGV Capital will return to market with its latest set of China and US-focused funds, seeking to raise an aggregate $2 billion, up from $1.88 billion in the prior vintage.
India's ShareChat gets $40m pre-Series E round
ShareChat, a social networking platform that focuses on Indian vernacular languages, has raised $40 million in a pre-Series E funding round.
Japan gaming start-up raises Series A, hits $1b valuation
Playco, a Japan-headquartered mobile gaming start-up, has simultaneously formally launched operations and become a unicorn, raising $100 million in Series A funding at a valuation of $1 billion.
Iron Pillar leads Series C for Indian after-sales service player
Iron Pillar has led a $23 million Series C round of funding for Servify, an India-headquartered start-up that integrates parties involved in smart device retail with a view to improving customer service experience.
Deal focus: Airmeet rewires the conference circuit
As social distancing and travel restrictions play havoc with traditional conferences, Airmeet has seen a spike in demand for its virtual alternatives. A Series A round duly followed
India gaming platform secures $90m Series C
SIG Asia, RTP Global, MDI Ventures and Pegasus Tech Ventures have led a $90 million Series C round for Mobile Premier League (MPL), an India-based mobile gaming platform.
LPs see decoupling as bigger issue than delisting - AVCJ Forum
The long-term implications of US-China decoupling are of greater concern than the prospect of Chinese companies being forced to delist from US stock exchanges, LPs told the AVCJ China Forum.
Japan's 31 Ventures establishes second fund with $81m
Japan-based 31 Ventures, a VC firm established by local investor Global Brain and property developer Mitsui Fudosan, has launched a second fund of JPY8.5 billion ($81 million).
DCP pursues $5.6b take-private of China's 51job
DCP Capital Partners has submitted a take-private offer for Chinese online recruitment services platform 51job that values the company at approximately $5.6 billion.
Lightspeed establishes Southeast Asia VC team
Lightspeed Venture Partners has formalized its Southeast Asian practice with the nomination of Akshay Bhushan (pictured) as head of a new Singapore office and three additional hires.
Asia-focused events platform Airmeet raises $12m
Sequoia Capital India has led a $12 million Series A round for US-based and Asia-focused virtual events platform provider Airmeet.
Naver leads $80m round for Singapore's Carousell
Korean internet conglomerate Naver has led an $80 million round for Singapore’s Carousell, a mobile classifieds marketplace, at a valuation of $900 million.
India fantasy sports platform raises $225m
TPG – acting through its tech adjacencies strategy – Tiger Global Management, ChrysCapital Partners, and Footpath Ventures have led a $225 million round for Dream Sports, operator of India’s largest fantasy sports platform.