News
Nippon Life to raise stake in India's Reliance Capital
Japanese life insurance firm Nippon Life will pay INR12 billion ($184 million) to increase its stake in Indian asset manager Reliance Capital Asset Management (RCAM).
SoftBank backs US-based Cybereason, supports Japan expansion
SoftBank Corp. has led a $59 million Series C round of funding for US-based Cybereason and will help the company distribute its cyber-security platform in the Japanese market.
KKR, Alibaba, Ping An commit $300m to 58.com's O2O unit
KKR, Alibaba Group and Ping An Group have agreed to provide $300 million in Series A funding to 58 Daojia, the online-to-offline (O2O) local services platform of US-listed Chinese classifieds site 58.com.
AngelList raises $400m from China’s CSC Group
Start-up funding platform AngelList has raised a $400 million early-stage focused fund from CSC Venture Capital, the US arm of private equity firm China Science & Merchants Investment Management Group, also known as CSC Group.
Temasek, Silver Lake back Dell in $67b acquisition of EMC
Singapore's Temasek Holdings is supporting the $67 billion acquisition of data storage and cloud computing company EMC Corporation by US-based computer maker Dell. Other backers include Silver Lake and MSD Partners.
Everstone pays $54m for controlling stake in India's SJS - update
Everstone Capital has reportedly bought a 51% stake in India-based industrial graphics maker SJS Enterprises for INR3.5 billion ($54 million).
NLVC leads round for China-based English learning platform
Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC) has led a $20 million Series B round of funding for VIPKID, a China-based English-language learning platform that targets primary and secondary school students.
Cardno board rejects takeover bid from Australia's Crescent
The board of Australian engineering company Cardno has advised shareholders to reject a buyout offer from Crescent Capital Partners on the grounds that it is opportunistic and undervalues the business.
Vertex Ventures appoints India head
Vertex Ventures, a VC firm controlled by Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has appointed Ben Mathias as managing director and head of India. He joins from New Enterprise Associates.
CMC Capital Partners to raise $1b China media fund
China’s CMC Capital Partners, a private equity firm set up by Ruigang Li, formerly president of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), is looking to raise $1 billion for a media-focused fund.
Apax buys stake in Indian IT player Zensar, Electra exits
Apax Partners has acquired a 23.2% stake in India-based Zensar Technologies for $129 million, providing an exit for Electra Partners, which has been an investor in the business since 1997.
India's Elgi Equipments gets $6.5m from Nalanda
Singapore-based Nalanda Capital has bought an approximately 2% stake in compressed-air equipment manufacturer Elgi Equipments for INR420 million ($6.5 million).
IDG leads $15m round for China healthcare start-up
IDG Capital Partners has led a $15 million Series A round for Zhangshang Tangyi, a Chinese start-up that is developing a health data tracking device and mobile app for people with diabetes.
Aion invests $90m in India's Varun Beverages
Aion Capital has invested INR6 billion ($90 million) in India's Varun Beverages (VBL), a major drinks manufacturer and bottler for PepsiCo in South Asia.
Warburg Pincus, Embassy in $250m India warehousing JV
Warburg Pincus and Indian real estate developer Embassy Group has formed a joint venture to build industrial parks with warehousing facilities in key cities in India.
Philippines' PLDT Capital backs US start-up
PLDT Capital, the recently-formed investment arm of Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), has committed $10 million to US mobile app development platform Phunware and will support expansion in Southeast Asia.
PE-backed Giant to re-list in Shenzhen via reverse merger
Chinese online game developer Giant Interactive Group, which was taken private last year by a consortium of PE investors in conjunction with the company’s CEO, is seeking to re-list in Shenzhen through a reverse merger.
QIC leads $1.3b purchase of Australian gas storage facility
QIC Global Infrastructure Fund has led a consortium to purchase the Iona Gas Storage Facility in Australia for A$1.78 billion ($1.3 billion).
Sequoia, Kalaari commit $10m to India's Grabhouse
Sequoia Capital and Kalaari Capital have committed $10 million in Series B funding to Indian start-up Cryptopy Technologies, the developer of rental property listing platform Grabhouse.
Northstar set for $800m close on Fund IV
Northstar Group is scheduled to reach a final close on its fourth fund – which targets Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Indonesia – at approximately $800 million at the end of October.
Lippo sponsors Southeast Asia VC fund
Former Monk's Hill Ventures partner Stefan Jung has announced the launch of Venturra Capital, a new Southeast Asia-focused VC fund backed by the Lippo Group.
AGIC reaches $550m first close on China-Europe fund
Asia-Germany Industrial Promotion Capital (AGIC), a PE firm focused on China-Europe cross-border investments, has reached a first close of $550 million on its debut fund.
China internet players Dianping, Meituan agree merger
Rival Chinese online-to-offline (O2O) services platforms Dianping and Meituan – both of which have received substantial private equity and strategic funding – have agreed to merge. It is thought the combined entity would be worth at least $15 billion.
China’s CreditEase reaches first close on Israel fund
CreditEase, a leading Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) microcredit lender, has reached a first close of $30 million on its debut Israel-focused fund.