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India's Epiq closes first three investments
Epiq Capital, an India-focused private equity firm founded by Matrix Partners India co-founder Rishi Navani, has completed its first three investments in eyewear retailer Lenskart Solutions, financial technology company Mswipe, and online home rental...
TPG, MBK agree sale of Wharf T&T to Hong Kong’s HKBN
TPG Capital and MBK Partners have agreed to sell Hong Kong telecom services provider Wharf T&T to internet service provider Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) at an enterprise valuation of HK$10.5 billion ($1.3 billion).
Samsung to expand VC program in $22b innovation drive
Korea’s Samsung has committed KRW25 trillion ($22 billion) to a technology innovation drive that will focus strongly on domestic R&D and include an expansion of the company’s venture incubation program.
Hong Kong's Klook gets $200m Series D
Hong Kong travel services company Klook has closed a $200 million Series D funding round from a group of investors including Sequoia Capital China, Matrix Partners, and Goldman Sachs.
IDG backs Chinese sports video streaming service
IDG Capital and government-backed Huiying Borun Investment have committed RMB500 million ($73 million) to iQiyi Sports, a newly established division of the Chinese video streaming platform that listed in the US earlier this year.
China's PE-backed Weimob applies for HK IPO
Weimob, a Shanghai-based provider of marketing and cloud services to online merchants that is backed by Tencent Holdings and several private equity firms, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.
India's Shadowfax raises $22m Series C
Shadowfax, an Indian online-to-offline (O2O) logistics provider focused on hyperlocal delivery, has raised a $22 million Series C round led by Nokia Growth Partners (NGP).
Yunfeng records $2.5b final close on third China fund
Yunfeng Capital, a Chinese private equity firm established by Jack Ma and David Yu, founders of Alibaba Group and Target Media, respectively, has raised $2.5 billion for its third US dollar-denominated fund.
Chinese second-hand goods trading platform raises $65m
Sequoia Capital China has led an extended Series B round worth $65 million for Xiangwushuo, a Chinese online trading platform for second-hand goods. The company, which was founded as recently as 2017, has now raised $110 million in cumulative funding.
India bus-hailing app Shuttl gets $11m
Amazon India has led an $11 million Series B funding round for India-based bus-hailing app operator Shuttl, with participation by several other VC investors.
SE Asia's Grab raises $2b in Toyota-led funding round
Southeast Asia-focused ride-hailing business Grab has raised $2 billion in its latest round of funding led by Japan’s Toyota Motor Corporation and involving a number of other global investors.
Australian SME lender Judo Capital raises $104m
Australian financial services start-up Judo Capital has raised A$140 million ($104 million) to provide loans to domestic small to medium-sized enterprises (SME).
China’s 51Zhaoyou gets $150m in Series C funding
Chinese B2B oil trading platform 51Zhaoyou.com has raised $150 million across two tranches of Series C funding.
PE and tech investment: The late show
Private equity firms are participating in late-stage rounds in Asia’s technology space as they look to gain a toehold in start-ups with the potential to transform economies. But do the valuations make sense?
Tech investment case study: True North and Seedworks
True North aimed to set Indian seed maker Seedworks apart from its competitors by leveraging digital technology. Two years into its investment the private equity firm is seeing its initiatives pay off
Accel, Sequoia lead $100m round for US, India-based Freshworks
Freshworks, a cloud business software developer based in India and the US, has raised a $100 million funding round led by Accel Partners and Sequoia Capital.
Q&A: Future Fund's Raphael Arndt
Australia’s Future Fund is responding to disruption by investing in venture capital, factoring technology risk into investment decision making, and upgrading internal systems. CIO Raphael Arndt explains the rationale behind this approach
Blackbird hits $193m final close on Australia VC fund
Blackbird Ventures has closed its third Australian VC fund with A$261 million ($193 million) in commitments, split between a core investment vehicle and a top-up fund.
Gaja invests $25m in India's Educational Initiatives
Gaja Capital has made a commitment of $25 million to Educational Initiatives (EI), an India-based developer of educational technology and assessment tools.
Singapore VC-backed hotel chain gains $15m strategic investment
Zen Rooms, a budget hotel operator and online booking platform based in Singapore, has raised a $15 million from Korean online-to-offline (O2O) local services platform Yanolja.
WeWork raises $500m for China unit
Trustbridge Partners, Temasek Holdings, SoftBank Group and the SoftBank Vision Fund, and Hony Capital have led a $500 million Series B round for the China branch of US-based co-working space operator WeWork.
Pinduoduo gains 40% on debut after $1.63b US IPO
Chinese social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo – which is backed by Gaorong Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Tencent Holdings, among others – saw its shares gain 40% on debut following a $1.63 billion IPO.
Square Peg leads $30m Series B for Indonesia's FinAccel
Square Peg Capital has led a $30 million Series B round for Indonesian financial technology start-up FinAccel to support its national and regional expansion.
Beyond named as partner for Hong Kong venture fund
Beyond Ventures has been named as a co-investment partner for the Innovation & Technology Venture Fund (ITVF), a vehicle launched by the Hong Kong government to encourage private investment in local technology start-ups.