Official Record
Deal focus: Kujiale embraces SaaS
Having struggled to get traction with consumers, Chinese online interior design player Kujiale turned its attentions to enterprise. International expansion is now on the agenda
Deal focus: One Store brings service to videogaming
A freshly spun-out private equity arm of SK Securities is helping Korea’s One Store break up a local monopoly in mobile videogame marketing.
Fund focus: AirTree goes full service
AirTree Ventures raised $188 million for its third fund on the back of a hiring spree that has doubled headcount and added operational capabilities as the firm looks to nurture a new generation of Australian unicorns
Fund focus: J.P. Gan bucks VC fundraising trend
Having spent 12 years at Qiming Venture Partners, J.P. Gan has raised $352 million for his debut fund at Ince Capital Partners. More early-stage consumer internet deals will follow
Deal focus: China's XTransfer fills missing link in fintech
XTransfer has won backing from Alibaba and a string of venture capital investors to provide a bridge to payment services that so many small businesses in China are still forced to go without
Deal focus: Cornell picks Lorom for Asia debut
Cornell Capital, a US-based mid-market buyout firm, is starting to realize its Asian ambitions with an investment in Taiwan-based industrial supplier Lorom Holding. Bolt-on expansions appear likely
Deal focus: Fast fashion strategy pays off for Worldtool
CLSA Capital Partners backed Japan's Worldtool having been won over by a Uniqlo-inspired business model. It turned into a domestic and overseas expansion story
Deal focus: Navis pursues durian farm modernization
Nearly $100 million has been earmarked for the development of upstream farming and downstream processing so that Chinese buyers can have faith in Malaysia's durian suppliers
Deal focus: Events focus delivers Affinity 2.6x return on TEG
Building a meaningful events promotion business was an early priority for Affinity Equity during its ownership of Australian ticketing player TEG. This transformation paved the way to a lucrative exit
Deal focus: CDC gets comfortable in Bangladesh
Backing small business lender BRAC Bank and establishing an office in Dhaka is part of CDC Group's wider plan to more than double its exposure to Bangladesh over the next three years
Deal focus: Udaan signals India’s digital progress
B2B marketplace Udaan has achieved unicorn status faster than any of its illustrious Indian forbears. A readymade national broadband infrastructure certainly helped
Fund focus: Hahn eyes more big buyouts
With $3.2 billion in dry powder, Hahn & Company is looking for larger deals in a Korean market that already punches above its weight in private equity terms
Deal focus: Avataar seeds India SaaS portfolio
Having won support from HarbourVest Partners to spin out a portfolio from his former employer, Norwest Venture Partners, Mohan Kumar is taking aim at India's underdeveloped enterprise software space
Deal focus: Darwinbox prioritizes Southeast Asia
Human resources software provider Darwinbox is among the Indian business services players leading the charge into Southeast Asia
Fund focus: Vertex pumps up in SE Asia, India
Having raised $305 million for its latest India and Southeast Asia fund, Vertex Ventures is looking to tap into themes of technological advancement common to both geographies
Deal focus: Russell Simmons backs Singapore's Gushcloud
Singapore-based Gushcloud International has teamed up with the founder of Def Jam Recordings to create a digital talent agency that realizes value for social media influencers in Asia and America
Deal focus: LGT plugs Aspada into global impact platform
LGT Group aims to create new inroads for global investors looking to enter the impact space by acquiring Aspada, an Indian platform focused on digital inclusion and small business finance
Deal focus: China’s CRCI targets industrial upgrades
In teaming up with China-based Estun Automation to acquire a European industrial technology asset, China Renaissance Capital Investment is pursuing a different kind of growth capital deal
Deal focus: Jingling seeks to stand out from the crowd
China’s Jingling contemplates an expansion of its social e-commerce strategy after securing a $100 million Series C round and de-risking its business model
Deal focus: Gong Cha’s global push pays off for Unison
Unison Capital achieves a rare feat in helping the Korea franchise of bubble tea retailer Gong Cha take over its Taiwanese parent before facilitating a sale to TA Associates. Entering Japan has been a key value-add
Fund focus: CITIC Capital eyes divestment opportunity
CITIC Capital has scaled up for its latest China fund, raising 75% more capital than in the previous vintage. The buyout-focused GP expects tighter liquidity to drive more corporate carve-outs
Deal focus: India AI player Uniphore eyes post-call center world
Fresh from raising a $51 million Series C round, Uniphore's founder argues that artificial intelligence will become as much about quality of engagement as back-end efficiency
Fund focus: Kotak exploits distressed assets edge
Kotak Mahindra Group hopes his longstanding experience in financial services will serve as a differentiator as it looks for deals in India's increasingly popular distressed space
Deal focus: Longreach secures swift return from Japan's NOC
The Longreach Group exits Nippon Outsourcing Corporation with a 2.7x return after strong domestic interest in Japan's demographics-driven BPO industry led to a shorter-than-expected holding period