News
CITIC acquires China perfume brand
CITIC Capital has made an investment of undisclosed size in Shanghai Xiangmiao Trade, owner of Reclassified, a leading Chinese perfume and home fragrance brand.
Morgan Stanley backs India logistics provider
Morgan Stanley Infrastructure Fund has invested INR1.8 billion ($25 million) in Leap India, a supply chain services provider focused on cost reduction through pallet pooling.
China math tuition platform adds $150m to Series E
Huohua Siwei, a China-based children's online education platform specializing in mathematics and science, has raised $150 million in the third tranche of the Series E round, taking the overall total to $400 million.
Hopu founder backs China healthcare-focused SPAC
Fenglei Fang, founder and chairman of Chinese private equity firm Hopu Investments, is looking to raise $300 million for a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) that will target healthcare companies with a China focus or expansion prospects in the...
China AI specialist 4Paradigm receives $700m Series D
Boyu Capital, Primavera Capital Group, and Hopu Investments have led a $700 million Series D round for 4Paradigm, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer that serves enterprise customers.
China e-sports business VSPN lifts Series B to $160m
VSPN, a Chinese e-sports broadcaster and events promoter backed by Temasek Holdings, has extended its Series B round to $160 million with a mix of VC and strategic investors.
Vista founder calls for investment in Asia tech infrastructure
Vista Equity Partners is keen to invest in Asia’s financial technology space, but founder Robert F. Smith stressed that governments must put in place the appropriate regulatory infrastructure.
Chinese financial education start-up raises $100m
Erwan Technology, a China-based wealth management education platform, has secured nearly $100 million in funding across Series D and E rounds.
Investors question eligibility for HK carried interest tax concession
Fund-of-funds and family offices could be excluded from Hong Kong’s proposed carried interest tax concession, industry participants have warned.
Singapore's iStox raises $50m Series A
A group of Japanese VC investors has backed a $50 million Series A round for Singapore’s iStox, a digital securities platform that deals in private markets.
Dimension leads $48m round for Japan's Nyle
Japanese VC firm Dimension has led a JPY5 billion ($48.3 million) round for local digital marketing and mobile media business Nyle.
Riverside to buy Australian insurance broker
The Riverside Group has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Australian disability insurance broker Altius from Sydney-listed AUB Group for A$57 million ($44.3 million) in cash.
China's BangEr Orthopedic raises $46m
Chinese hospital chain operator BangEr Orthopedic has raised a RMB300 million ($46 million) Series D round led by Fortune Capital and Cenova Capital.
Tower Capital hits first close on Southeast Asia fund
Tower Capital, a Singapore-based GP that previously operated on a deal-by-deal basis, has achieved a first close of approximately $250 million on its first Southeast Asia-focused private equity fund.
Sinovation sharpens focus on healthcare-plus-AI
Healthcare, rather than “rocket science,” represents the biggest opportunity for artificial intelligence (AI) applications, according to Kai-Fu Lee, chairman and CEO of China’s Sinovation Ventures.
COVID-19 changing conduct as much as tech usage
Experiences vary across geographies as Asian GPs adapt to pandemic working conditions. Technology use is up, but the most lasting changes may be more cultural in nature.
Salesforce invests $15m in India's Darwinbox
Salesforce Ventures has invested $15 million in Darwinbox as part of the Indian staff management technology provider's latest growth round. It brings funds raised to date to about $35 million.
Prosus leads $30m Series C for India agtech start-up
Prosus Ventures, formerly a VC arm of South African media conglomerate Naspers, has led a $30 million Series C round for Indian agricultural technology provider DeHaat.
Monument Group recruits Japan representative
Placement agent Monument Group has appointed Hiroshi Nishimuro, formerly of Morgan Stanley, as its Japan representative to lead fundraising efforts and manage GP relationships in the country.
Pathway promotes head of Hong Kong office
Simon Lau, who has led the Asian operations at fund-of-funds Pathway Capital Management since 2012, has been promoted to managing director.
Asia PE investment ends 2020 on a tear
A fourth-quarter surge in growth-stage deal-making took Asia private equity investment to $198.5 billion in 2020, comfortably surpassing the previous year’s total despite the strictures of COVID-19.
Hillhouse founder bullish on China life sciences
Lei Zhang, founder and CEO of Hillhouse Capital, emphasized the opportunities at the nexus of life sciences and artificial intelligence-enabled supercomputing, while describing his firm as “probably the largest investor in healthcare in China.”
Lake Bleu raises $560m for Asia pre-IPO healthcare fund
Lake Bleu Capital, a Hong Kong-based private equity investor focused on healthcare, has raised $560 million for a pre-IPO fund targeting Asia with an emphasis on Greater China.
Navis invests in Singapore fintech supplier Moneythor
Navis Capital Partners has made an investment of undisclosed size in Moneythor, a Singapore financial technology supplier focused on digital banking.