News
Bertelsmann to invest $500m in India
Bertelsmann India Investments has earmarked USD 500m, provided by its eponymous German parent, for investment in local start-ups. The VC unit’s total deployment since its launch in 2013 is USD 285m.
Entrepreneur First raises $158m, targets SE Asia
UK-headquartered incubator Entrepreneur First (EF) has raised USD 158m, targeted in part at investment in Southeast Asian start-ups and expanding its reach in the region.
CDH exits New Zealand supplements brand to Nestle
CDH Investments has agreed to sell New Zealand-based supplements manufacturer The Better Health Company (TBHC) to Nestlé Health Science for an undisclosed sum.
Panthera hits first close on India, Southeast Asia fund
India and Southeast Asia-focused Panthera Growth Partners has reached a first close on its second fund with commitments amounting to more than half the overall target of USD 250m.
Karthik Prabhakar to leave India's Chiratae Ventures
Karthik Prabhakar, who joined Chiratae Ventures – then IDG Ventures India – as a senior analyst in 2011 and rose to the level of managing director and head of global fundraising, has announced his departure from the firm.
AVCJ daily bulletin returns July 4
AVCJ’s daily bulletin will not be published on July 1 due to a public holiday marking the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
Tiger Global, Google join $40m round for India's Progcap
Tiger Global Management, Google, and Creation Investments have led a USD 40m investment in India’s Progcap, a financing services provider for small businesses.
India's Pine Labs buys VC-backed Setu
Indian financial technology company Pine Labs, which has raised more than USD 1.5bn in private funding, has acquired VC-backed counterpart Setu.
KKR's Greater China head transitions to advisor role
Paul Yang, KKR’s Greater China head, is moving to an advisory role as the private equity firm looks to appoint a replacement based full-time in mainland China.
Carlyle makes growth investment in India's Varmora Granito
The Carlyle Group has acquired a significant minority stake in Varmora Granito, an India-based manufacturer of tiles, bathware, and sanitaryware products, for an undisclosed sum.
SeaTown invests $50m in Vietnam e-commerce enabler
SeaTown Holdings International, an alternatives manager owned by Temasek Holdings, has provided a USD 50m Series B round for Vietnamese e-commerce enabler OnPoint.
Southeast Asia logistics player Deliveree raises $80m
Gobi Partners and SPIL Ventures – the corporate venture capital arm of shipping business Salam Pacific Indonesia Lines – have led a USD 70m Series C round for Southeast Asia-focused logistics marketplace Deliveree.
Asia Partners leads $80m round for Singapore's ShopBack
Singapore’s Asia Partners has led a USD 80m growth round for local e-commerce and retail rewards platform ShopBack.
India's Zomato buys PE-backed Blinkit for $567m
India-based online food services platform Zomato has agreed to acquire Blinkit – a private equity-backed quick commerce start-up formerly known as Grofers – for INR 44.5bn (USD 567m).
Future Fund promotes private equity head to deputy CIO
Alicia Gregory, head of private equity at Australia’s Future Fund, has been promoted to deputy CIO with responsibility for private markets.
PE-backed Gogox sinks on debut after $98m Hong Kong IPO
Gogox, a last-mile logistics company formed through the merger of Hong Kong's GoGoVan and an affiliate of mainland China-based 58.com, fell 22% on its Hong Kong trading debut following a HKD 771.4 (USD 98.3m) IPO.
China RNA vaccine developer raises $42m
Therorna, a China-based biotech company specializing in vaccines and drugs based on circular RNA technology, has raised USD 42m in Series A funding.
India's Fundamental VC launches debut fund
Fundamental VC, an early-stage investor set up by two Indian angel investors and start-up ecosystem professionals, has launched its debut fund with a target of USD 130m.
PAG's Hong Kong IPO on hold amid weak market
Asia-focused private equity firm PAG has put its Hong Kong IPO on hold, three sources familiar with the situation told Mergermarket, AVCJ’s sister title.
AstraZeneca-CICC fund backs China gene sequencer
Axbio, a China-based provider of gene sequencing and diagnostic systems, has raised nearly USD 100m in Series B funding led by AstraZeneca-CICC Healthcare Industrial Fund and Yunfeng Capital.
GPs must adapt to raise capital from HNWIs - AVCJ Forum
Australia’s high net worth individuals (HNWIs) are becoming a more important source of capital for mid-market private equity firms as superannuation funds face minimum cheque size constraints, but tapping this fundraising channel requires understanding...
China bio-manufacturing start-up Mojia raises $80m
Temasek Holdings has led a USD 80m Series B round for Shanghai-based bio-manufacturing start-up Mojia Biotech.
NewQuest, Prosus lead $90m Series E for India’s Cashify
NewQuest Capital Partners and Prosus Ventures have led a USD 90m Series E round for India’s Cashify, a marketplace for used smart phones and gadgets.
Matrix seeks $450m for fourth India fund
Matrix Partners has launched its fourth India venture capital fund with a target of USD 450m.