News
Baring Asia restructures retailer Cath Kidston
Baring Private Equity Asia has agreed a restructuring of Cath Kidston, a UK lifestyle retailer it has backed since 2014, under which the company has entered administration and will reemerge as a smaller business.
US, India pharma company Bugswork raises $7.5m
Bugworks Research, a pharmaceutical company with operations in India, has raised $7.5 million in a funding round led by existing investors University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC) and Global Brain.
Kuaishou backs Chinese online education platform Huohua Siwei
Huohua Siwei, a Chinese online education platform specializing in mathematics and science, has raised $30 million in an extended Series D round from local video-sharing giant Kuaishou.
Advantage raises $790m for sixth Japan buyout fund
The middle-market private equity firm expects COVID-19 to generate more deal flow as founder-owners and corporates come under stress
Akeso Biopharma trades up after $333m Hong Kong IPO
Akeso Biopharma, a private equity-backed Chinese drug developer specializing in treatments that use the immune system to fight cancer, saw its stock jump 50% in early trading on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange following a HK$2.58 billion ($333 million) IPO.
Thailand’s InVent invests in Singaporean insurtech Igloo
InVent, a corporate venture capital firm affiliated with a Thai telecom operator, has led a $16 million funding round for Singaporean insurtech Igloo, formerly known as Axinan.
Warburg Pincus re-ups in India's Apollo Tyres
Warburg Pincus has invested INR5.4 billion ($70.2 million) in Apollo Tyres to follow up on an earlier investment in the company. This continues a recent trend of PE players increasing their stakes in Indian public companies.
Chinese big data player DataCanvas raises $17m
Beijing ZetYun Tech, also known as DataCanvas, has raised RMB120 million ($17 million) in Series C funding across two tranches. Participants include Zhongguancun Frontier Fund, GF Qianhe, Delta Capital, and Shidake Investment.
GIC backs $1b Japan data center rollout
Singapore’s GIC Private and cloud services provider Equinix have agreed to jointly invest $1 billion in data centers in Japan.
Openspace, Gaw back Singapore's SensorFlow
Gaw Capital, a Hong Kong-based private equity firm with a real estate focus, and Openspace Ventures have co-led an $8.3 million funding round for SensorFlow, a Singaporean energy management solution provider.
Facebook takes 9.9% stake in Reliance's India app platform
Facebook has acquired a 9.9% stake in Jio Platforms, the holding company behind a number of apps and the parent of India's largest telecom operator.
Hong Kong's 8 Securities acquired by US player
8 Securities, a Hong Kong-headquartered app-based brokerage, has been acquired by SoFi, a financial technology company based in the US.
Gaocheng partner joins SoftBank Vision Fund
Daisy Cai, previously a partner at China-based growth capital investor Gaocheng Capital, has joined SoftBank Vision Fund.
ADB Ventures raises $50m for debut fund
ADB Ventures, a VC unit of the Asian Development Bank launched earlier this year, is set to begin investment after raising $50 million for its debut impact fund.
Northstar hits first close on fifth Southeast Asia fund
Northstar Group has reached a first close of approximately $260 million on its fifth Southeast Asia fund, which has an overall target of $800 million.
Korean digital food trading platform raises $11m
Tridge, a Korean international trading platform for agricultural products, has raised $11 million in a Series B round from SoftBank.
China's Pinduoduo invests $200m in electronics retailer Gome
Chinese social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo – which has several VC backers - has invested $200 million in Gome Retail, one of the country's leading household appliance and electronics retailers.
IFC proposes commitment to India Alternatives fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to invest $10 million in the second fund raised by India Alternatives, a division of IIFL Wealth Management. The vehicle has an overall target of $70 million.
GLP closes latest China logistics fund at $2.1b
GLP, a PE-owned warehouse operator based in Singapore, has closed its latest China logistics fund at RMB15 billion ($2.1 billion).
China cancer diagnosis player ChosenMed gets Series B
ChosenMed, a Beijing-based tumor detection company has raised a Series B round of more than RMB100 million ($14 million) led by state-owned Shanghai Lianhe Investment.
Singapore GP launches $500m Japan-Israel tech fund
Singapore private equity firm Chartered Group has teamed up with Israel’s Ministry of Defense to launch a Japan-Israel cross-border technology fund targeting $500 million.
ADV hires ex-KKR executive to head up Southeast Asia
ADV Partners, a mid-market pan-Asian private equity firm, has recruited Rahul Bhargava as a managing director to lead coverage of Southeast Asia.
Risa targets $139m for Japan corporate solutions fund
Risa Partners, a Japanese mid-size investment bank controlled by a subsidiary of NEC Corporation, has launched its fifth corporate solutions fund with a target of JPY15 billion ($139.5 million).
Indian corporate travel booking platform raises $13m
Itilite, a platform that helps Indian corporates manage travel-related expenses, has raised $13 million in a Series B round led by Greenoaks Capital and Vy Capital.