News
Mekong backs $50m round for Vietnam microlending player
Vietnam’s Mekong Capital has backed a USD 50m Series C round for local financial microfinance provider F88 Investment, contributing USD 20m.
KKR exits Malaysia's Weststar Aviation after 10-year hold
KKR has exited Weststar Aviation Services (WAS), which primarily provides helicopter transportation services to the offshore oil and gas industry, after a holding period of nearly 10 years.
EQT buys Korean security services provider
EQT has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Korea-based security monitoring business SK Shieldus from an affiliate of SK Group and Macquarie Asset Management, through an investment under its core-plus infrastructure strategy.
BGH, Sixth Street's PushPay buyout bid set to fall short
New Zealand and Australia-listed payments business PushPay has announced that its NZD 1.54bn (USD 933m) acquisition by BGH Capital and Sixth Street Partners will not proceed based on proxy votes already received.
Premji Invest leads $26m round for India's SpotDraft
India’s Premji Invest has led a USD 26m Series A round for local contract lifecycle management and legal work automation supplier SpotDraft.
Multiples leads $146m for Indian EV maker
India’s Multiples Alternate Asset Management has led a INR 12bn (USD 145.7m) investment in TI Clean Mobility, an electric vehicle (EV) subsidiary of engineering conglomerate Murugappa Group.
Hong Kong PE stalwart John Levack dies aged 64
John Levack, who spent over two decades with Electra Partners Asia and was a long-serving board member at the Hong Kong Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (HKVCA), has died aged 64.
B Capital closes US-Asia healthcare fund on $500m
US and Asia-focused VC firm B Capital has closed its first dedicated sector fund, collecting USD 500m for investments in healthcare.
Investcorp opens Japan office
Investcorp has opened a Tokyo office to serve as a staging post for direct private equity and real estate investments Japan.
China vaccine developer Immorna raises $100m
Immorna, a China-based biotech start-up focused on RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, has raised about USD 100m across two Series A extensions.
China VCs back local automotive chip developer
SiEngine Technology, a China-based developer of chips for smart cars, has raised CNY 500m (USD 73m) in an extended Series A round featuring several local VC firms.
Northstar leads pre-Series C for Singapore's Una Brands
Northstar Group had led a USD 30m pre-Series C round for Una Brands, a Singapore-based brand agglomeration platform that operates across Asia.
Goodwin adds investment funds partner in Singapore
Goodwin Proctor has recruited Matthew Nortcliff as a partner in its investment funds practice in Singapore, adding headcount to an office that opened towards the end of last year.
China chatbot developer raises funding to ride ChatGPT wave
Emotibot, a China-based chatbot developer, has raised a Series D extension of undisclosed size from GP Capital, KYMCO Capital, Jiangsu Cultural Investment, and Junci Investment.
India's Nexus Venture closes Fund VII on $700m
Nexus Venture Partners has reached a final close on its seventh India venture capital fund with USD 700m in commitments, taking the firm’s total assets under management past the USD 2bn mark.
Japan enterprise blockchain supplier LayerX raises $40m
Japan’s LayerX, an enterprise technology supplier that incorporates blockchain into functions such as expense management, has raised JPY 5.5bn (USD 40m) from a mostly local VC syndicate.
New Zealand electronic waste start-up gets $37m
New Zealand’s Mint Innovation, a precious metals refiner that salvages electronic waste, has raised NZD 60m (USD 37m) in Series C funding featuring Australian PE firm Liverpool Partners.
China's Oricell secures $45m Series B extension
Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and RTW Investments, a US-based healthcare investor, have led a Series B extension of USD 45m for Oricell Therapeutics, a China-based drug developer working on CAR-T cell therapies.
China edtech player Nowcoder raises $50m
Beijing-based Nowcoder Technology, a Chinese campus recruitment platform also known as Niuke, has raised USD 50m in Series B funding from Sequoia Capital China, Shunwei Capital, 5Y Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Pegasus Capital.
Japan's Astroscale raises $76m Series G
Japan’s Astroscale, a start-up specialising in on-orbit space debris removal, has raised USD 76m in Series G funding featuring Mitsubishi Corporation.
Singapore's Grayscale hits first close on debut VC fund
Grayscale Ventures, a Singapore-based VC firm set up last month by South Asia-focused investors at Japan’s Strive, has achieved a first close of about USD 10m on its debut fund.
Regulator raises the qualification bar for Chinese GPs
China has introduced minimum paid-up capital requirements for local private equity firms that could force smaller, less sophisticated players out of the market.
Cenova leads $40m Series B for China's Eluminex
China-based healthcare investor Cenova Capital has led a USD 40m Series B round for Eluminex Biosciences, which is developing drugs and regenerative tissue used to treat eye disease and other vision-threatening medical conditions.
Fan Bao cooperating with investigation - China Renaissance
Fan Bao, group chairman of China Renaissance, is “cooperating in an investigation being carried out by certain authorities” in China, the firm has announced.
