Official Record
Deal focus: LingoAce shakes up Chinese class
Singapore’s LingoAce is leveraging growing interest in learning the Chinese language with an entertainment-focused education platform. Sequoia Capital India is backing a global expansion
Deal focus: Longreach eyes long overdue EnTie exit
Mindful of how political maneuvering has undone previous sale processes of Taiwan’s EnTie Commercial Bank, The Longreach Group is on edge as regulators prepare to rule on a $1.2 billion tie-up with IBF Financial
New faces, old faces: Asia PE people moves
A selection of the transfers, promotions, arrivals and departures in the private equity community in 2021
Fund focus: Lightspeed bets on green-tech
Green-tech is the latest big idea being championed by Lightspeed China Partners. It has inspired a change in the firm’s name and it will underpin deployment of the new $920 million fund
Deal focus: Gaussian serves China’s aged
With its globally competitive technology and low costs, Gaussian Robotics has become a dominant force in the cleaning robot segment. SoftBank Vision Fund is the latest addition to its cap table
Fund focus: AC Ventures hits its stride early
AC Ventures rallies global investors for an Indonesia-heavy Southeast Asia thesis, more than doubling its expected corpus as pandemic disruption changes everything but the plan
Deal focus: Permira passes Tricor baton to Baring
Permira helped Tricor Group consolidate its position in Asian corporate services and upgrade its product offering. Under Baring Private Equity Asia’s ownership, the CEO wants to build a $10 billion company
Fund focus: A91 basks in India afterglow
Having increased its Fund II hard cap to $550 million in response to investor demand, the Indian manager is ready to address an Indian market that is increasingly digital, VC-exposed, and expensive
Deal focus: Serving biryani at scale
With biryani the dish of choice on India’s food delivery apps, Biryani By Kilo is looking to build out a standardized cloud kitchen model. It has $35 million in Series B funding to pursue this ambition
Deal focus: Orchestra delivers pizza to Seoul
Banolim has become Korea’s fourth-largest pizza delivery business largely on the back of savvy marketing and expansion in lower-tier cities. Orchestra Private Equity is supporting a rollout in Seoul
Deal focus: Icon retains its private equity appeal
EQT’s $1.67 billion acquisition of Icon Group underscores the recent trend in large-cap buyouts, as well as the long-term growth potential for cancer care specialists in Australia and the wider Asian region
Deal focus: Quiet confidence persists in hydrogen power
H3 Dynamics is bringing hydrogen-powered delivery drones to Asia’s crammed megacities as a steppingstone to a cleaner aviation sector. This is a sweet spot for Hong Kong’s Audacy Ventures
China's Momenta adds $500m to Series C round
Strategic and financial investors have put another $500 million into Chinese autonomous driving technology developer Momenta, endorsing the company's two-legged approach to commercialization
Fund focus: Genesis reinforces Australia’s specialist thesis
Having raised $142 million for its debut fund, Genesis Capital joins a select group of Australian mid-market GPs with blind pools. The firm believes a singular focus on healthcare was a key selling point
Deal focus: KV Asia opts for beauty in Indonesia debut
KV Asia has paid $43 million for a 25% interest in Indonesian beauty and personal care brand Victoria Care, convinced by the company’s ability to stay ahead of the curve in a highly fragmented market
Deal focus: Biotech gets more cerebral
As opportunity appears to plateau in the most popular biotech segments, brain health could come to the fore. Neurology specialist Cerecin is tracking greater interest amid industry traction in the lab
Deal focus: Crypto promises frictionless wire transfers
Hong Kong’s XanPool is tapping a growing universe of cryptocurrency holders to speed up traditional money transferring processes while reducing costs. Valar Ventures offers support
Deal focus: India’s Hubilo rises from ashes
An early mover in last year’s virtual events boom, Hubilo is attracting global investors with an explosive growth story and a sense of empathy for a disrupted industry
Fund focus: Vitalbridge plays it safe
The China-based venture capital firm declined to increase its Fund II hard cap as regulatory uncertainty mounted. It now has $275 million in dry powder earmarked for services digitalization
Deal focus: Whale takes a bite of big data
China-focused digital marketing start-up Whale has secured $50 million in Series B funding to hone a product offering that helps companies optimize customer engagement by analyzing traffic flows
Deal focus: Digital brokerage Ajaib finds the right fit
Ajaib grew from nothing to become Indonesia’s fifth-largest stockbroker by volume in the space of six months. The newly appointed unicorn is now raising capital just as quickly
Fund focus: Yunqi reaffirms its enterprise focus
Yunqi Partners was the first Chinese GP dedicated to enterprise services and now claims to be the largest early-stage investor in the space. SaaS, in various forms, will account for the bulk of Fund III
Deal focus: Vedantu highlights impact potential in Indian edtech
The latest round for livestreaming teaching app Vedantu reframes India’s swaggering, unicorn-populated edtech sector as the impact opportunity it always was
Deal focus: COVID-19 grows India’s Medikabazaar
Pandemic-driven demand for masks, ventilators, and the like has propelled Indian medical equipment operator Medikabazaar to its next stage of development with a global mix of investors