USA
India, US-based speech AI player Uniphore raises $51m
Asian VCs have backed a $51 million Series C round for Uniphore, an India and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) developer focused on speech recognition.
Women on corporate boards: Finding a voice
Investor pressure and industry lobbying has contributed to a rise in female representation on corporate boards. While quotas work for some, they aren’t necessarily the silver bullet
Carbon recycling specialist raises $72m Series E
Novo Holdings, a Danish venture and growth equity investor focused on life sciences, has provided $72 million in Series E funding to LanzaTech, a US carbon recycling specialist with a significant Asia presence.
EDBI joins $89m round for US agtech player Inari
EDBI, the investment arm of Singapore’s Economic Development Board, has joined an $89 million Series C round for US agricultural technology developer Inari.
Japan Post Capital leads $29m Series E for SmartNews
Tokyo-based news app operator SmartNews is said to have achieved unicorn status following a JPY3.1 billion ($29.2 million) Series E round led by Japan Post Capital.
Cross-border e-commerce player Wish gets Series H
Wish, a US-based cross-border e-commerce app backed by several Asian investors, has achieved a valuation of $11.2 billion following a Series H round led by General Atlantic.
Deal focus: Jollibee circles as Coffee Bean booms in Asia
The Philippines’ Jollibee Foods is set to buy US cafe chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to continue a massive Asian expansion effort. Exiting investor CDIB Capital attests to the opportunity set
Norwest leads $40m Series C for India's MindTickle
Norwest Venture Partners has led a $40 million Series C round for MindTickle, an online sales enablement platform based in India and the US.
PE investors exit The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to Jollibee
Advent International, CDIB Capital and Mirae Asset Private Equity are set to exit US-based cafe chain The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf after the Philippines’ Jollibee Foods agreed to pay $350 million for the company.
China VC and US regulation: Defensive positions
Chinese venture capital firms and strategic investors have found their path to US tech start-ups barred by new regulations. It is possible to find a way around, but it requires compromise
US-India cross-border: Taking the leap
US-India cross-border deals present a tempting opportunity for Indian GPs, but managing investments in another market requires careful use of resources and a level of commitment that not all firms can match
China-US decoupling: Silicon curtain
Evidence is mounting that US and Chinese ecosystems for advanced technologies are careening toward an antagonistic decoupling. Investors are philosophical and pragmatic
China-US trade: Suboptimal outcomes
The China-US trade war appears set to enter new territory as legislators contemplate financial sector clampdowns including stock exchange listing restrictions. Investors are bracing for the worst
China GPs back US health-tech player in $22m Asia push
China’s 6 Dimensions Capital and Yonghua Capital have joined a $22 million Series C round for US-based Ultivue that will help the medical technology developer expand into Asia.
Singapore's PE-backed Trax secures US retail tech bolt-on
Trax, a Singapore-based developer of retail computer vision and analytics solutions with several private equity backers, has acquired US-based shopping rewards app developer Shopkick for an undisclosed amount.
Malaysia's Kenanga launches late-stage VC fund
Malaysia’s Kenanga Investment Bank has launched a venture fund of undisclosed size that will invest exclusively in companies that have achieved unicorn status or are within 6-24 months of IPO.
Q&A: Ripplewood's Tim Collins
A Ripplewood Holdings-led consortium broke new ground for private equity with the turnaround of Long-Term Credit Bank of Japan. CEO Tim Collins explains why he boldly goes where others fear to tread
Catalys seeks $100m for Japan healthcare VC fund
Newly established Japanese venture capital firm Catalys Pacific has launched its debut fund with a view to raise $100 million for investments in early-stage life science start-ups globally.
Baring-owned Hexaware announces $182m US bolt-on
Hexaware Technologies, an Indian IT services company majority-owned by Baring Private Equity Asia, has acquired US-based digital consultancy firm Mobiquity for a total consideration of $182 million.
Australia’s NAB Ventures exits Wave Financial in $400m deal
NAB Ventures, a unit of National Australia Bank (NAB), is set for its debut exit via a deal that will see US tax services giant H&R Block acquire Canada’s Wave Financial for about $400 million.
Vivo raises $1.28b for China-US healthcare fund
US and China-focused healthcare investor Vivo Capital has raised $1.28 billion for its ninth private equity fund. The predecessor vehicle closed at $750 million in 2015.
Singapore's Wavemaker reaches $60m first close on third fund
US and Singapore-based early-stage VC firm Wavemaker Partners has reached a first close of $60 million for its third Southeast Asia-focused fund. The target is $100 million.
China-US tensions hinder PE fundraising, redraw investment options
Trade tensions between China and the US have held back private equity fundraising in recent months, but industry participants are also considering the long-term challenges – and opportunities – of a schism between the world’s two largest economies.
Food tech: Irresistible recipes
Food technology is a virtually endless horizon of profound and unignorable investment imperatives mistaken as a niche category. Alternative protein is the first opportunity set to gain serious traction