News
China's XVC raises $330m for Fund II
XVC, a Chinese early-stage investment firm established by Boyu Hu, formerly of DCM Ventures and Blue Lake Capital, has closed its second US dollar-denominated fund with around $330 million in commitments.
India's Five Star raises $50m round led by TPG
TPG Capital has led a $50 million funding round for Five Star Business Finance, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) focused on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Burda leads $40m Series B for Singapore's Hmlet
Germany’s Hubert Burda Media has led a $40 million Series B round for Singapore-based co-living operator Hmlet.
CDC makes first direct equity investment in Myanmar
UK government-backed CDC Group has made its first direct equity investment in Myanmar with a $30 million commitment to internet service provider Frontiir.
Shenzhen Capital seeks $290m for China healthcare fund
Shenzhen Capital Group is looking to raise upwards of RMB2 billion ($290 million) for its first healthcare fund as the Chinese venture capital firm continues efforts to diversify its product offering.
China tech board makes volatile debut
The initial batch of companies chosen to list on China’s technology innovation board – known as the Star Market – posted an average gain of 140% on their first day of trading on July 22, although almost all were pared back in the opening hours of the...
Hopu leads $100m Series D for Singapore's Trax
Singaporean retail industry technology provider Trax has raised $100 million in Series D funding led by Hopu Investments.
Fidelity leads funding round for Malaysia's Iflix
Malaysia-based video streaming service Iflix has raised a funding round of more than $50 million led by Fidelity International.
Cocoon closes second SE Asia fund at $22m
Singapore-based venture capital firm Cocoon Capital has closed its second seed fund, targeting Southeast Asian enterprise technology start-ups, at S$30 million ($22 million).
Korea's Moiin launches $100m VR fund
Korean virtual reality (VR) hardware developer Moiin has announced plans to launch a $100 million venture capital fund in the US focused on immersive gaming companies globally.
New Horizon buys Japan cosmetics player from Ant Capital
Japanese private equity firm New Horizon Capital has acquired 100% of Kagayaku Cosmetics from Ant Capital Partners for an undisclosed sum.
SoftBank Ventures Asia hits $269m first close on global fund
SoftBank Ventures Asia – previously known as SoftBank Ventures Korea – has reached a first close of KRW317.4 billion ($269 million) on a fund that will make early-stage investments globally with a focus on Asia.
Brookfield to lead $3.7b investment in Reliance India telecom unit
A consortium led by Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to invest INR252 billion ($3.66 billion) in the telecommunication tower unit of India’s Reliance Industries. It is said to be the largest foreign investment in an Indian infrastructure asset to...
Texas Teachers targets Asia growth with proposed Singapore office
Teacher Retirement System of Texas wants to use its planned Singapore base as a means of gaining direct access to private investments in the region – although the pension fund’s CIO said penetrating Asia would likely take longer than an earlier push into...
Daiwa units form $30m Myanmar growth fund
The private equity and corporate investment units of Japan’s Daiwa Securities Group have established a $30 million fund that will target growth deals in Myanmar.
Realism on exits essential in Southeast Asia – AVCJ Forum
Exits remain challenging in Southeast Asian private equity, but LPs see a growing willingness among the region’s GPs to take this difficulty into account when planning their investments.
Alibaba leads Series D for China education start-up
Alibaba Group has led a $150 million Series D round of funding for Knowbox, a Chinese education start-up that develops a range of mobile apps aimed at students and teachers.
EBay buys 5.5% stake in India's Paytm Mall
EBay has acquired a 5.5% stake in Paytm Mall, the e-commerce arm of Indian online payments platform Paytm.
European investors back India's MyMoneyMantra
Switzerland-based private equity firm Vaalon Capital and Netherlands investor IFSD BV have provided a combined $15 million to Indian financial and enterprise services provider MyMoneyMantra (MMM).
Ebix to acquire India's Yatra Online for $338m
Indian travel services platform Yatra Online, which has several VC investors, has agreed to an acquisition by software and e-commerce services provider Ebix at an enterprise valuation of $337.8 million.
Visa joins Series F for Indonesia's Go-Jek
Visa has confirmed its participation in an ongoing Series F round for Indonesia-based ride-hailing and online services platform Go-Jek that had raised about $1 billion as of February.
Korea's Orum Therapeutics secures $30m Series B
Orum Therapeutics, a Korean biotechnology developer targeting cancer and rare diseases, has secured a $30 million Series B round from a group including IMM Investment and InterVest.
VinaCapital acquires Singapore fintech player Smartly
Vietnam’s VinaCapital has acquired the operations of Singapore financial technology platform Smartly for an undisclosed sum.
Chinese streaming platform trades flat after $775m US IPO
Chinese game live-streaming platform Douyu International Holdings closed flat on its first day of trading on NASDAQ following a $775 million IPO – the largest US offering by a Chinese company this year.