Transportation
Deal focus: Allegro pumps up in New Zealand
Australia’s Allegro Funds has made its first investment from its largest fund to date, flexing new capacity to invest at scale with petrol station chain Gull New Zealand
J-Star invests in Japanese courier business
Japanese lower middle-market private equity firm J-Star has made an investment of undisclosed size in air cargo transportation and courier services provider Score Japan Holdings.
Allegro buys New Zealand fuel retail business
Australia’s Allegro Funds has agreed to acquire 100% of petrol station chain Gull New Zealand, the largest independent operator of its kind locally, for NZD 552m (USD 327m).
Apax buys Australia automotive auctions platform
Apax Partners has acquired a majority position in Australian vehicles and industrial equipment marketplace Pickles Auctions.
China trucking fleet platform Duckbill raises $49m
China’s Duckbill, a fleet management platform for the trucking industry, has raised CNY 330m (USD 49m) in a Series C round led by CICC Capital.
Korea's Kakao considers partial divestment of mobility spin-out
South Korean internet giant Kakao has indicated it may sell around 10% of Kakao Mobility, its transportation division, which has several private equity backers.
Korea autonomous driving tech supplier raises $25.5m
Korea’s Autocrypt, a connected mobility technology supplier targeting the autonomous driving sector, has raised a USD 25.5m Series B round featuring STIC Ventures and Hyundai Venture Investment.
India EV ride-hailing start-up raises $50m
BluSmart, which claims to be India’s first integrated electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing and charging business, has closed a USD 50m Series A round led by BP Ventures and local cleantech investor Green Frontier Fund.
Indonesia's Sinar Mas launches smart city VC fund
The real estate arm of Indonesian conglomerate Sinar Mas has launched a smart city technology fund in partnership with East Ventures, Redbadge Pacific, and Prasetia Dwidharma.
Singapore's Neuron Mobility gets $43.5m
Singapore-based e-scooter rental start-up Neuron Mobility has raised USD 43.5m in Series B funding co-led by GSR Ventures and Square Peg Capital.
China delivery player Gogox files for Hong Kong IPO
Gogox, a last-mile logistics company formed through the merger of Hong Kong's GoGoVan and an affiliate of mainland China-based 58.com, has filed to list in Hong Kong
Swiggy leads $180m Series D for India's Rapido
Indian motorcycle taxi platform Rapido has raised USD 180m in Series D funding led by local on-demand delivery platform Swiggy.
Japan's Drone Fund closes third vintage on $85m
Japan’s Drone Fund has closed its third air mobility-dedicated vehicle at JPY 10.5bn (USD 85m), beating a target of JPY 10bn.
Taiwan's Gogoro trades up on NASDAQ following SPAC merger
Gogoro, a Taiwan-based start-up that has developed a battery-swapping technology for scooters, gained 10% on its NASDAQ trading debut following the completion of a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by the former CIO of Morgan...
CPE sells New Zealand shipping business to Morgan Stanley
Australian middle-market private equity firm CPE Capital has sold StraitNZ, a ferry and logistics operator that runs services across the Cook Strait between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, to Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Partners (MSIP).
Deal focus: India EV set for mass mobility boom
India’s EverSource Capital sees a fast track to auto industry electrification in the B2B fleet services of Lithium Urban Technologies. The company plans more than fivefold growth in the next few years
India's EverSource acquires local EV fleet operator
India’s EverSource Capital has acquired a majority stake in Lithium Urban Technologies, a local electric vehicle (EV) fleet and charging infrastructure operator, for an undisclosed sum.
Deal focus: Affirma sees promise in Asia e-scooters
Affirma Capital has led a USD 93m Series B round for Singapore-based e-scooter provider Beam, citing its ability to internationalise a locally-focused and increasingly popular business model
A91, Z3Partners lead Series B for India's Shipsy
A91 Partners and Z3 Partners have led a USD 25m Series B round for India-based Shipsy, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that helps companies automate logistics.
Infrastructure: Out of the comfort zone
Infrastructure managers in Australia are pushing into the PE space, competing with GPs for assets and buying businesses from them. It falls under the core-plus umbrella, but is the definition being stretched too far?
China truck smart devices manufacturer raises $200m
G7 Networks, a Chinese company that uses smart devices to track cargo trucks, has raised a USD 200m round led by Trustbridge Partners, and State Development & Investment Corporation (SDIC). Several existing investors re-upped.
Korea autonomous driving tech supplier raises $20m
Morai, a Korean autonomous vehicle simulation technology supplier, has raised USD 20m in Series B funding from investors including Korea Investment Partners and Hyundai Motor Group.
EverSource closes India climate impact fund on $741m
EverSource Capital has reached a final close of USD 741m on what is being called India’s largest climate impact fund.
China's Didi to delist in New York
China ride-hailing platform Didi, which has traded poorly ever since being targeted by regulators in the wake of its IPO in June, plans to delist from the New York Stock Exchange and relist in Hong Kong.