News
Bain closes Japan fund at $1b
Bain Capital has closed its first dedicated Japan private equity fund with JPY110 billion ($1.01 billion) in commitments.
China-backed Oatly pursues US IPO
Oatly, a Swedish oat-based, dairy-free beverage brand backed by a joint venture between China Resources Group and Verlinvest, has filed for a US IPO and put in place a mechanism for an additional Hong Kong listing.
Japan's J-Star partially exits jobs training service
Japan’s J-Star has exited a 20% stake in Aki-Japan, an employee training service provider for the local construction sector. It leaves the private equity firm with an 80% position.
GM leads $139m Series D for Singapore EV battery maker
General Motors (GM) has led a $139 million Series D round for Singapore-based electric vehicle (EV) battery maker SES, also known as SolidEnergy Solutions.
China e-commerce enabler Xingyun raises $600m - update
China’s Xingyun Group, a digital supply chain provider for cross-border e-commerce, has raised $600 million in the second tranche of Series C round led by Yunfeng Capital, HI Transformational Fund, and Crescent Point.
China’s Hike Capital seeks $300m for Fund III
Hike Capital, a Chinese venture capital firm established by the founder of classifieds website Ganji.com and a senior executive at NetEase, is targeting $300 million for its third US dollar-denominated fund.
Indonesia's Shipper gets $63m Series B
Indonesian logistics start-up Shipper has raised a $63 million Series B round led by DST Global and Sequoia Capital India.
KKR, DCP back China's Adopt A Cow
KKR and DCP Capital Partners have jointly invested in Adopt A Cow, a China-based dairy farm operator that pursues a direct-to-consumer sales model underpinned by digital tools.
China's ZJS Express raises $153m
China-based logistics provider ZJS Express has raised a RMB1 billion ($153 million) Series B round led by Sino-Ocean Capital. Gaolin Capital and state-backed HighRun Capital also participated.
Japan's Samurai Incubate raises Africa fund
Japanese venture capital firm Samurai Incubate has closed its second Africa-focused fund above target at just over JPY2.02 billion ($18.6 million).
Amazon fund to drive India SME digitalization
Amazon has formed a $250 million fund that will invest in India-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a view to supporting nationwide business digitalization.
CPE hits $1.8b first close on China fund
CPE has reached a first close of $1.8 billion on its fourth US dollar-denominated fund following a six-month period punctuated by three new investments and four portfolio company IPOs.
China home fitness brand Fiture raises $300m
Fiture, a Chinese developer of artificial intelligence-enabled home fitness devices, has raised $300 million in Series B funding led by All-Stars Investment, Legend Capital, DST Global, and Coatue Management.
Temasek leads $200m Series E for China's Arrail Dental
Arrail Group, one of China’s largest dental services providers, has raised close to $200 million in Series E funding led by Temasek Holdings.
China's TuSimple trades flat after $1.3b US IPO
TuSimple, a China and US-based developer of autonomous driving technology for trucks, traded flat on debut following a $1.35 billion IPO at a market capitalization of $8.5 billion.
Alpha JWC seeks $250m for third Indonesia VC fund
Alpha JWC Ventures is targeting $250 million for its third Indonesia-focused venture capital fund, with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) proposing a commitment of up to $20 million.
Kakao spins out online fashion unit, buys VC-backed Zigzag
Korean internet company Kakao Corporation has spun out its fashion e-commerce business as an independent entity and merged it with Zigzag, a VC-backed local fashion marketplace.
Singapore's Genesis closes $80m venture debt fund
Singapore’s Genesis Alternative Ventures has closed its debut venture debt fund, which will target Southeast Asia, with $80 million in commitments.
China AI drug discovery platform StoneWise raises $100m
StoneWise, a Chinese biotech start-up that uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to develop new drugs, has raised $100 million in Series B funding across two tranches.
Media SPAC legitimizes MENA for Asia investors
The imminent US listing of a Middle East and North Africa (MENA) media app via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is helping legitimize the region for Asian private equity.
Australia's Quadrant loses growth fund head
Justin Ryan, a managing partner at Quadrant Private Equity and latterly head of the Australian firm’s growth strategy, is stepping back from day-to-day investment activity.
KKR joins $61m round for Japan's Netstars
KKR has contributed JPY4 billion ($37 million) to a JPY6.6 billion funding round for Netstars, a Japanese QR code payment gateway operator. SIG and Lun Partners, a Hong Kong-based global financial technology investor, also took part.
India's PE-backed Pine Labs acquires Malaysia's Fave
Pine Labs, an India payments start-up backed by MasterCard, PayPal, and Sequoia Capital India, has acquired Fave, a Malaysian counterpart also backed by Sequoia India, for $45 million.
Southeast Asia's Grab to merge with SPAC at $30.4b valuation
Southeast Asia-focused ride hailing and local services platform Grab has agreed to go public in the US through a merger with a special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) at an enterprise valuation of $30.4 billion.