News
TA makes partial exit as Speedcast IPO raises $139m
Satellite telecom provider SpeedCast is trading at a modest premium to its IPO price following an offering that raised A$150 million ($139 million) on the Australian Securities Exchange and facilitated a partial exit for TA Associates.
Australian agri information service gets Series C round
Agworld, an Australia-based information exchange platform for farmers, has raised A$6 million ($5.6 million) in a Series C round of funding led by Reed Elsevier Ventures. Existing investor Yuuwa Capital also participated.
Next Capital exits NZ bus operator to Maori funds
Next Capital has agreed to sell New Zealand bus operator Go Bus to Maori investment funds Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation (NTHC) and Tainui Group Holdings (TGH).
Dairy Farm invests in Headland-backed Yonghui Superstore
Dairy Farm International will buy a 19.9% stake in Yonghui Superstore, a Chinese supermarkets and retail stores operator backed by Headland Capital Partners, for RMB5.69 billion ($925 million).
Asia trails the West on operational value-add - survey
Asian private equity firms lag behind their Western counterparts on operational value add, according to a new survey.
Japan's Rakuten acquires VC-backed Slice
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has acquired Slice, a US-based e-commerce mobile app backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners and DCM, among others.
CVC to sell Korea's WiniaMando to Hyundai Green Food
CVC Capital Partners has agreed to sell WiniaMando, a South Korean manufacturer of kimchi refrigerators, to Hyundai Green Food, a subsidiary of leading domestic retailer Hyundai Department Store. The deal is worth around KRW150 billion ($146 million).
Rocket Internet’s Foodpanda raises $60m
Foodpanda, an online take-away food delivery marketplace incubated by Rocket Internet, has raised $60 million in a new round of financing from new investor Falcon Edge Capital as well as existing backers.
CBRE GMM reaches final close on Asia real estate fund
The investment arm of global real estate advisor CBRE has announced a final close on the Asia Alpha Plus III (AAP III) Fund of $236 million.
Khazanah to privatize trouble-hit Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines (MAS), the beleaguered national carrier that has tragically lost two planes in the space of four months, will be privatized and restructured by its largest shareholder, Khazanah Nasional in a deal worth MYR1.38 billion ($432 million).
OMM’s Collins joins Dechert, eyes new phase in Asia spin-outs
Dean Collins, formerly partner and head of the Asia fund formation practice at O’Melveny & Myers (OMM), has joined Dechert as managing partner of the firm’s newly-opened Singapore office.
China's CIC sees 9.3% gain on overseas investments in 2013
China Investment Corporation (CIC) saw a 9.3% return on its international portfolio in 2013 as strong stock market performance saw the sovereign fund’s exposure to public equities rise at the expense of other assets classes, including long-term investments...
Baring-backed Kangda acquires sewage treatment plants
Kangda International Environmental, a Chinese water treatment facility operator backed by Baring Private Equity Asia, has acquired a 90% stake in four sewage treatment plants for RMB270 million ($47 million).
EQT exits Taiwan’s Gala TV
EQT Partners has exited Taiwanese cable TV operator Gala Television Corp. to the management of local conglomerate Formosa Plastics Group.
GGV leads round for Chinese personal finance app Yingying
GGV Capital has led a Series A+ round of funding for Yingying Licai, a Chinese personal finance mobile app.
Gree, Atomico lead $35m Series B for Japan news app
Japanese internet gaming firm Gree, and tech-focused investor Atomico, have led a JPY3.6 billion ($35.4 million) Series B round investment in SmartNews, the Tokyo-based start-up behind the news curation app of the same name.
India VC Reservoir reaches final close on maiden fund
Indian early-stage investor Reservoir Investment Managers has reached a final close on its maiden fund, Exfinity Technology Fund - Series I (ETF-I) at INR1.25 billion ($20 million).
Australia's Treasury Wines receives competing buyout offer
Australia’s Treasury Wine Estates (TWE) has received a buyout offer from TPG Capital that values the company at A$3.37 billion ($3.15 billion), matching a revised bid submitted by KKR and Rhône Capital last week.
Baring Asia, Altas buy $750m stake in Grenada university
Baring Private Equity Asia, alongside Canadian private equity firm Altas Partners, has acquired a substantial stake in St George's University, a Grenada-based medical school.
PLDT acquires 10% stake in Rocket Internet
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has acquired a 10% stake in German e-commerce incubator and investor Rocket Internet for EUR333 million ($445 million).
Line backs Japan's Gumi, launches $100m developer fund
Messaging app start-up Line Corp. has agreed to acquire a less than 10% stake in Gumi, a VC-backed Japanese game developer. The exact size and value of the deal is still under negotiation.
PE-backed CICC to pick advisers for IPO – report
The private equity-backed China International Capital Corporation (CICC), China’s largest investment bank, has reportedly picked ABC International Holdings and CCB International as joint sponsors for its Hong Kong IPO.
Legend Star invests in China vacation rentals site Zhubaijia
Legend Star, a Chinese incubator program launched by Legend Holdings and the Chinese Academies of Sciences, has invested $1 million in Zhubaijia, a Chinese vacation rentals website.
VC-backed iDreamSky jumps 6% on debut after $116m US IPO
Shares in iDreamSky Technology - a Chinese third-party mobile game publisher backed by Legend Capital and Redpoint Ventures - jumped 6.42% on the firm's NASDAQ debut.