Official Record
Deal focus: Vedantu adds to war chest as rivals encroach
India's Vedantu has raised $100 million in funding to support its ongoing diversification into non-test preparation services. Other players in the online education space have similar plans
Fund focus: Tidal makes early-stage wave
With $21 million in dry powder, Tidal Ventures wants to bring institutional rigor to Australia's seed stage, helping prepare start-ups for Series A rounds
Fund focus: Wavemaker turns crisis into opportunity
Wavemaker Partners overcome COVID-19 uncertainty to close its latest fund at $111 million. Enterprise-facing and deep technology companies in Southeast Asia are likely targets
Deal focus: DRX wants e-sports to surf the Korean wave
Investors are backing DRX to generate international buzz for e-sports in Korea, following in the footsteps of K-pop, K-food and K-beauty. Overseas interest is already mounting
Deal focus: AIpark keeps an eye on the streets
AIpark founder Jun Yan claims there are five million street parking spaces in China's 100 largest cities that could use his car parking management system. A Gaorong Capital-led Series C round will help him reach them
Deal focus: Cortina goes natural for debut Australia deal
Cross-border PE investor Cortina Capital has backed Australian nutritional supplements producer ATP Science with an eye to China expansion. But establishing brand recognition at home is the first step
Deal focus: J-Star maneuvers Japan’s restaurant lull
J-Star's acquisition of Pepper Lunch is driven by a willingness to look past COVID-19 dislocations and focus on the long-term fundamentals of the fast-casual dining space in Japan
Fund focus: B Capital begins second innings
Growth capital investor B Capital expects enterprise services to feature prominently in its Fund II portfolio as technology ecosystems in Southeast Asia and India continue to develop
Deal focus: Soil Carbon’s nascent climate fix
Australian start-up Soil Carbon is developing microbial technology that can be used to limit carbon emissions from crops. Horizons Ventures has provided financial support for the project
Deal focus: Ascent envisions 10-year Myanmar play
In internet service provider Frontiir, Ascent Capital believes it has a portfolio company that can deliver profit and positive social impact in Myanmar
Deal focus: A91 spices up its portfolio
In backing spices maker Pushp, A91 Partners has gained exposure to what might be the most profitable segment of India's broader food space, with margins comparable to those for cosmetics
Deal focus: Carlyle pursues largest India animal healthcare deal
The Carlyle Group is willing to invest as much as $210 million in SeQuent Scientific to get a head start in India's rapidly evolving animal healthcare industry
Deal focus: Running the CFIUS gauntlet for Grindr
Grindr, America's most popular LGBTQ dating app, was only put up for sale because its Chinese owner violated foreign investment regulations. San Vicente's subsequent $560 million acquisition faced intense scrutiny
Deal focus: KKR's Vietnam macro proxy
KKR's investment in Vietnam property developer Vinhomes is supposed to tap into infrastructure development as well as the home-ownership ambitions of a burgeoning middle class
Fund focus: Beenext targets a world beyond the mirrors
Beenext Capital Management has expanded its LP base while maintaining fund size discipline. This is born of a philosophy that capacity for cross-pollination is more important than capacity for deployment
Deal focus: Yidui delivers love by video
Sky9 Capital and Xiaomi have thrown their support behind a Chinese video-dating platform designed for Generation Z, complete with virtual meeting rooms, live audiences, and mechanisms for crashing other people's dates
Fund focus: Cathay taps strategic expertise in energy
Cathay Capital Private Equity is raising what it claims is China's first-ever smart energy fund, relying on contributions from LPs that offer strategic as well as financial support
Deal focus: Indonesia’s GoPlay changes the channel
Golden Gate Ventures is backing GoPlay, a media streaming spin-out from Indonesia's GoJek, to tap an underserved Southeast Asian audience with local recreations of popular international TV shows
Deal focus: Korean start-up disrupts the laundry
Korean on-demand laundry service Laundrygo will use its Series B funding to widen coverage within Seoul and improve automation levels at its facilities to further boost margins
Deal focus: DocsApp eyes more than appointments
Following a $20 million funding round and a merger with an industry peer, India's DocsApp is working towards a long-term vision that goes beyond online health consultations
Deal focus: Khatabook aspires to be shopkeeper’s best friend
Khatabook, which helps India's small business owners track their transactions, has accumulated eight million users in the last two years. A recent Series B round is intended to help the company reach 30 million
Fund focus: Ardian goes large
With $19 billion in dry powder, Ardian is targeting big-ticket transactions in the secondaries space. Asia is becoming an increasingly significant part
Deal focus: IMM overcomes distancing disruption
Health and safety was a priority when IMM Private Equity negotiated a $413 million carve-out of Korea Kolmar Holdings' drug outsourcing business against the backdrop of COVID-19
Deal focus: Reworld turns gamers into creators
China's Reworld has a technology that lowers barriers to entry in online game design, allowing anyone to become a creator. Joy Capital is backing the company to take user-generated content to another level