News
Microsoft consolidates India start-up programs
Microsoft India has brought its start-up offerings under a single platform – known as Microsoft Ventures – following a similar restructuring at group level. Existing VC investment programs including BizSpark, Bing Fund and Accelerator will now operate...
China's Car Clubs rental service secures Series A financing
Hangzhou-based Incapital and government-owned Tobon VC have provided a Series A round of funding for Car Clubs, a Chinese car rental service operator. Details of transaction were not disclosed but it is said to be in excess of RMB10 million ($1.6 million)....
INCJ invests $27m in Japan patent fund
Government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has invested JPY2.75 billion ($27.8 million) in a fund that will buy unused patents and license them to domestic start-ups.
China Merchants sells stake in NTong Technology
The direct investment arm of China Merchants Group plans to sell its entire 12.34% stake in NTong Technology to Shenzhen-listed Unisplendour Corporation (UNIS), for RMB86.36 million ($14.07 million). The proposed deal values the company at about RMB700...
Japan's ACA targets $100m for domestic IT fund
Japanese buyout firm Asian Capital Alliance (ACA) is targeting $100 million for a new fund focused on businesses in the domestic information and communications technology space.
Australia's Gresham Private Equity to lose co-head
Mark Yoens, joint head of Australian GP Gresham Private Equity, is leaving the firm in September. Mark Rimmer will continue as sole head of the team.
Blackstone downbeat on India prospects
The Blackstone Group has turned cautious about opportunities in India, where it says “serious governance issues” threaten to erode investor returns. The firm, which earlier this month bought a majority stake in auto parts maker Agile Electric for $56...
PE-backed OzForex considers IPO - report
OzForex, an Australian online foreign exchange platform backed by The Carlyle Group, Accel Partners and Macquarie Group, is said to be considering an IPO that could raise around A$500 million ($643 million).
China Molybdenum beats strategics, PE to Rio Tinto copper mine stake
China Molybdenum (CMOC) has fought off competition from PE and strategic investors to acquire an 80% stake in Rio Tinto's Northparkes copper mine in Australia for $820 million.
Malaysia's Khazanah in Turkish insurance buyout, Abraaj exits
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has agreed to pay $252 million for a 90% stake in Turkish health insurer Acibadem Sigorta. The investment facilitates the exit of The Abraaj Group, which held a 50% stake in the business.
China CYTS Tours buys back Wuzhen stake from IDG
IDG Capital Partners has existed Tongxiang Wuzhen Tourism Development to the investee’s parent company, China CYTS Tours Holding, for $67.5 million. The PE firm bought about a 16% stake for $6.47 million in 2009, implying a 10.4x return on its investment....
Mahindra Lifespace, Standard Chartered form real estate JV
Mahindra Lifespace Developers (MLD), an Indian real estate and infrastructure developer, and SCM Real Estate (SCM), a Singapore-based investment arm of Standard Chartered bank, have formed a joint venture to develop residential projects in India. The...
CIC returns to profit in 2012 on back of equities boost
China Investment Corp. (CIC) has returned to profit, reporting an annual return of 10.6% on its overseas investments last year thanks to a rally in global equities. The sovereign wealth fund saw a cumulative annualized return of 5.02% for 2012, up from...
China's Baifendian secures $10m Series B round
Baifendian, a Chinese recommendation engine that tracks user tastes and predicts how they might rate items, has received $10 million in Series B financing from Zhejiang Shinkansen Media Investment via its Eastern Starry Sky Culture Fund.
Zennon, New World invest $25m in China games developer CMGE
Zennon Capital Partners and New World Strategic Investment (NWSI) have invested $25 million in NASDAQ-listed China Mobile Games and Entertainment Group (CMGE).
CLSA Capital backs India's Luminous Water Technologies
CLSA Capital Partners (CLSACP) has invested INR 550 million ($9.2 million) in water-purifier maker Luminous Water Technologies (LWT) from its ARIA Investment Partners IV fund.
Nissay Capital backs Japanese online ad platform Dennoo
Nissay Capital has invested $1.1 million in Japanese online ad platform, Dennoo. The investment brings the start-up's total amount of venture capital funding to $3.1 million.
Japan's Meiji Yasuda beats PE to Thai Life stake
Japan’s Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance has agreed to buy a 15% stake in Thai Life Insurance for an undisclosed sum, thought to be in the region of $750 million. Other participants in the auction reportedly included the Carlyle Group, KKR and CVC Capital...
Asia Pacific Capital completes $25m Series C round for Ciris Energy
Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Capital (APC) has invested $15 million in Ciris Energy, a US company that converts coal to natural gas, concluding a $25 million Series C round of investment.
Kroll boosts China investigations practice
Kroll Advisory Solutions has hired Peter Glanville as an associate managing director in its Greater China investigations and disputes practice. He joins from Deloitte where he was a senior member of the forensic accounting team.
Affinity reaches $2.5b second close on Fund IV
Affinity Equity Partners has reached a second close of $2.5 billion on its fourth Asia buyout fund. The private equity firm has been on the road for about nine months in what is a challenging fundraising market for Asian GPs, with just $17.3 billion raised...
DCM targets $250m for China VC fund
DCM is seeking $250 million for its latest China-focused fund. The target for Venture China Fund VII is less than the $400 million raised for DCM's previous vehicle, which invests in China, the US and Japan.
Multiples buys ICICI Venture's stake in Vikram Hospital
Multiples Alternate Asset Management has bought a 64% stake in Bangalore-based Vikram Hospital from ICICI Venture Funds Management, and also infused direct capital for debt repayment.
Femto invests $1m in Japanese restaurant app startup
Japanese venture capital firm Femto has committed JPY100 million ($1 million) of seed funding in Toreta, a start-up developing apps for the food service industry.