Transportation
India motorcycle taxi platform Rapido gets $55m Series B
Chinese early-stage investor Shunwei Capital Partners has participated in a Series B funding round for Indian motorcycle taxi operator Rapido, drawing comparisons with the growth trajectory of Indonesia’s Go-Jek.
Japanese flying car developer receives $14m
Japanese flying car developer SkyDrive has raised a $14 million funding round from a group including Itochu Technology Ventures and Strive.
CDH joins Series D for Chinese AI truck player
CDH Investments has participated in the $120 million second tranche of a Series D round for TuSimple, a China and US-based developer of autonomous driving technology for trucks.
Affinity sells frequent flier stake back to Virgin Australia
Affinity Equity Partners has more than doubled its money on Virgin Australia’s frequent flyer business, having agreed to sell back a 35% stake to the parent company for A$700 million ($480 million).
Permira positions Topcast as pan-Asian roll-up play
Permira bought aircraft parts distributor Topcast Aviation Suppliers in expectation of robust business growth as Asian fleets increase in size and age. Further upside could come through consolidation
Mahindra & Mahindra to buy 55% of India's PE-backed Meru
Indian automotive conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra has agreed to acquire an up to 55% stake in Meru Cab, a technology-enabled taxi company backed by True North.
VIG secures 3.2x return on Korea's HiParking
VIG Partners has agreed to sell Korean parking management business HiParking to Humax, a consumer electronics manufacturer, for KRW170 billion ($141 million).
Grab commits $500m to Vietnam tech ecosystem
Grab, a Southeast Asia-focused ride-hailing app operator backed by a number of PE and VC firms, has committed to invest $500 million in Vietnam’s technology ecosystem in the next five years.
GIC to invest $621m in Indian toll road assets
Singapore’s GIC Private has agreed to invest up to INR44 billion ($621 million) in nine toll road assets controlled by Indian private road and highway firm IRB Infrastructure Developers.
Affinity seeks exit from Virgin Australia frequent flyer business
Affinity Equity Partners has begun a process to exit its 35% interest in the frequent flyer business of Virgin Australia.
SoftBank invests $250m in India's Ola Electric
SoftBank has invested $250 million in Ola Electric, an electric vehicle (EV) company that spun out from Indian ride-hailing platform Ola earlier this year. The new investment reportedly brings Ola Electric’s valuation to over $1 billion.
Invesco commits $300m to Southeast Asia's Grab
Southeast Asian ride hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has received a $300 million commitment from global investment manager Invesco as part of its ongoing $6.5 billion Series H round.
B Capital, Falcon Edge lead $72m round for India's Bounce
Indian scooter rental start-up Bounce, formerly known as Metro Bikes, has raised a $72 million Series C round led by B Capital and Falcon Edge Capital.
Deal focus: Ather charges up for India’s EV race
Indian electric vehicle producer Ather has won $51 million in funding as it looks to reinvigorate the two-wheeler market by drawing on old and new economy expertise
ComfortDelGro backs Singapore logistics start-ups
Singapore land transport services company ComfortDelGro has backed two local logistics start-ups via its recently launched venture capital arm.
Flipkart's Bansal leads $51m round for India EV player
Sachin Bansal, co-founder of Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart, has led a $51 million investment in local electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Ather Energy.
Deal focus: Chezhubang fills its tank
Chezhubang has found a way into China's fuel retail market with an app that helps drivers find the cheapest gas stations
EVs: Chemical balance
Investors targeting electric vehicles must consider strategies that support the underlying technical development of the industry. The underdeveloped battery segment is ripe for digitization
Southeast Asia's Grab ups capital-raising target by $2b
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has confirmed it will seek to raise an additional $2 billion within 2019, bringing its ongoing Series H round to some $6.5 billion.
NIIF, PSP form $2b India toll road investment platform
The Indian government-backed National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has teamed up with Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) to launch a platform that will invest up to $2 billion in local toll road projects.
Q&A: Lalamove's Blake Larson
Hong Kong delivery start-up Lalamove recently raised $300 million in Series D funding. Blake Larson, head of the company’s international division, discusses business models, cross-border expansion, and vehicle sales
Baidu Capital leads $466m Series C for China’s WM Motor
WM Motor Technology, a Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer, has raised RMB3 billion ($466 million) in a Series C round of funding led by existing investor Baidu Capital.
SoftBank Vision Fund invests $1.5b in SE Asia's Grab
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has secured a $1.46 billion investment from SoftBank Vision Fund. The commitment brings the capital raised in its ongoing Series H to over $4.5 billion.
Deal focus: Lalamove brings the Uber effect to logistics
Hong Kong-based online logistics platform Lalamove raises a $300 million Series D round to pursue expansion in Southeast Asia and India