News
Sequoia leads Series C for Indian onboarding SaaS
Sequoia Capital India has led a $32 million Series C round for Whatfix, an Indian software-as-a-service (SaaS) firm that helps enterprises increase digital adoption rates.
StepStone promotes Australia-based Suzanne Tavill to partner
Suzanne Tavill, a Sydney-based managing director with StepStone Group, has been elevated to partner. It was one of four partner-level promotions made by the firm globally.
Minnesota SBI backs KKR's Asia fund
Minnesota State Board of Investment (SBI) is looking to commit $150 million to KKR’s fourth pan-Asian fund. This represents a step up from the $100 million it put into the manager’s previous vehicle.
Globis backs two Japan marketing services companies
Japan’s Globis Capital Partners has invested in two marketing services providers in separate transactions, including web conferencing player BellFace and data-focused Flywheel.
China-focused online English teaching platform raises $14m
Whales English, a Chinese online language tuition business also known as Jingyu Peiyou, has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series B funding led by Sino Ocean Capital. Hike Capital and Fresh Capital also participated.
India’s Unacademy secures $110m round
Indian educational learning platform Unacademy has closed a $110 million funding round, bringing Facebook and General Atlantic on to its investor roster.
Chinese GPs provide Series A for Mexican digital bank
Stori, a Mexican digital bank founded by a team with China backgrounds, has raised $10 million in an extended tranche of Series A led by Source Code Capital and Bertelsmann Asia Investments (BAI). Existing investor Vision Plus Capital also participated.
India’s Blume closes Fund III at $102m
Indian venture capital investor Blume ventures achieved a final close of $102m on Blume Ventures Fund III, its third early-stage fund.
Indonesia's Eureka AI gets $20m Series B
Eureka AI, an Indonesia-based artificial intelligence-enabled enterprise software platform, has received $20 million in Series B funding led by Apis Partners, Gobi Partners, Riyad Capital’s Riyad Taqina Fund, and MEC Ventures.
Affirma backs Vietnam recruitment business
Affirma Capital, a PE firm launched last year as a spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has agreed to invest $34 million in Transcendental Human Resources, a Vietnam-focused online recruitment platform.
Kinnevik cuts valuation for India's Quikr
Swedish investment firm Kinnevik has revised downward its valuation of Indian online classifieds platform Quikr, citing fraud-related concerns and a changed measurement metric.
China technology training platform 51CTO raises $20m
51CTO, a Chinese online technology training platform, has raised $20 million in a Series C funding round led by Gaocheng Capital.
India’s Barbeque Nation re-files for IPO
Indian restaurant chain Barbeque Nation has re-filed for an initial public offering that will provide an exit opportunity for its private equity investors.
China logistics player Yimidida raises $140m
Yimidida, a Chinese logistics platform has raised RMB1 billion ($140 million) in an extended tranche of Series D funding. The round took place in parallel with the firm’s acquisition of Shanghai-based UC Express.
Tata Opportunities Fund team targets spin-out
The Tata Opportunities Fund (TOF) team is poised to spin-out after Tata Capital – a wholly-owned unit of India’s Tata Group – decided it did not want to continue sponsoring the franchise for a second fund.
General Atlantic leads round for China's CANbridge Pharma
General Atlantic and WuXi AppTec, China’s leading contract research organization (CRO) WuXi AppTec, have led a $98 million Series D round for local drug developer CANbridge Pharmaceuticals.
PE-backed SBI Cards wins approval for India IPO
SBI Cards and Payments, the State Bank of India's (SBI) credit card arm and a Carlyle Group portfolio company, is looking to raise INR60 billion ($840 million) through a domestic IPO.
HighLight hits $300m first close on China healthcare fund
Chinese healthcare-focused GP HighLight Capital has reached the first close of $300 million on its third US dollar-denominated fund, but further progress is likely to be delayed by the coronavirus outbreak.
Hong Kong crypto finance start-up raises $28m
Amber Group, a Hong Kong-based start-up offering crypto-based financial services, has raised $28 million in a Series A round led by Paradigm and Pantera Capital.
Japan's Endeavor United secures two industrials deals
Endeavour United, a Japanese private equity firm established by the team behind turnaround investor Phoenix Capital, has completed two acquisitions in the packaging and chemicals industries.
India’s Z3 Partners invests in cybersecurity firm
Indian technology-focused private equity firm Z3 Partners has invested in Cyfirma, an analytics platform that helps enterprise clients identify potential cyber threats.
Singapore solar energy firm raises $71m
Sunseap, a Singaporean renewable energy provider, has raised S$100 million ($71.9 million) in Series D funding from a coal producer in Thailand.
CICC raises $229m for China healthcare fund
China's CICC Capital has raised RMB1.6 billion ($229 million) for its first fund dedicated to the biopharmaceutical space.
Rise Fund buys Bangladesh hospital operator
Evercare, a South Asia and Africa-focused healthcare delivery platform controlled by The Rise Fund, TPG Capital’s impact investment unit, has acquired Bangladesh-based Apollo Hospitals Dhaka.
