Official Record
Deal focus: Chatbots position for cross-border expansion
Cathay Innovation, an affiliate of Cathay Capital, sees voice recognition services as a key area of B2B growth. Singapore’s AI Rudder is hoped to prove this idea on a global scale
Deal focus: Inspiration snares rare China mid-cap tech buyout
Antute, a third-party IT maintenance provider, became an orphan asset following a larger M&A deal. Inspiration Capital Partners sees it as an attractive play on China’s digitalisation drive
Deal focus: Faux fowl fast-forwards
Next Gen Foods is pushing hard to popularise its meatless chicken brand Tindle in the name of climate action. The largest-ever Series A round in alternative protein is jumpstarting the campaign
Deal focus: Nexus Point doubles down on dentistry
With a dentist clinic chain already in the portfolio, Nexus Point Capital has backed a B2B procurement platform that services clinics. It is a firm believer in the industry’s tailwinds
Deal focus: Freemium works for Dianxiaomi
China cross-border e-commerce services platform Dianxiaomi has achieved traction, and profitability, by only charging for value-added services. Its Series C will fuel global expansion
Deal focus: ADV’s Asia hygiene platform play
ISS Environmental Services is well-positioned as Hong Kong’s preferred provider of portable toilets. But ADV Partners has acquired the business with a view to executing a regional roll-up strategy
Deal focus: Quadria goes shopping in Vietnam
Singapore’s healthcare-focused Quadria Capital has made its most overtly consumer retail-oriented investment with Vietnam’s Con Cung. But the endgame is considered squarely on-strategy
Deal focus: Affirma sees promise in Asia e-scooters
Affirma Capital has led a USD 93m Series B round for Singapore-based e-scooter provider Beam, citing its ability to internationalise a locally-focused and increasingly popular business model
Deal focus: Sobot’s journey from underdog to top dog
A USD 100m Series D confirmed Sobot’s status as a stalwart of China’s customer service software space, but getting there has not been a straightforward process
Deal focus: Freight player G7 eyes public listing
Having expanded its business scope from hardware into software and financial services, G7 Network is positioning its recent USD 200m PE investment as a pre-IPO round
Deal focus: Tapping a soft spot for Asian VCs
Investment professionals in Asia know on a personal level exactly what education technology provider Cialfo is doing and why the service is a big help. Now they’re taking it to the next level
Deal focus: Proterra’s alternative take on incubation
Early-stage bets on oat milk and healthy beverages in Asia by Proterra Investment Partners reflect a willingness to back nascent brands, but in doing so, the firm believes it is dialling down the risk
Deal focus: Indonesia’s fintech plumber
Brick is developing backend digital infrastructure so that financial technology start-ups in Southeast Asia can provide seamless services. Priorities include deepening functionality and geographic expansion
Fund focus: Ion Pacific goes institutional
Pitching a niche VC capital secondaries strategy with a meaningful focus on Asia isn’t easy, but Ion Pacific raised nearly 4x more than last time with large family offices well-represented in the LP base
Deal focus: NPX adds tech to Korea’s culture thesis
NPX Capital is creating a US-based media platform to tap rising global appetite for Korean entertainment. Early acquisitions emphasise artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the metaverse
Deal focus: Fourier brings robotics to rehab
China-based Fourier will use its USD 63m Series D round to support an evolution of its business model from manufacturing rehabilitation robots to providing end-to-end treatment services
Fund focus: Asia Alternatives rides out chaos
Regulatory tumult in China has not materially shaken LP faith in Asia Alternatives or the fund-of-fund manager’s commitment to China – but an increased India allocation is likely in the latest vintage
Deal focus: Baring Asia completes Interplex turnaround
Refocusing on high-growth segments like electric vehicles – plus a smarter approach to sales and operations – underpinned Baring Private Equity Asia’s 4x return on engineering business Interplex
Deal focus: Starfield serves up Series B
The Chinese manufacturer of plant-based protein replacements has secured USD 100m in funding to advance a product portfolio that aspires to diversity and structural sophistication
Deal focus: ACA seeks Asia-Europe sporting synergies
Japan’s ACA Group has acquired a Belgium-based KMSK Deinze as part of a multi-club investment strategy that will – in part – bring Asian players into the middle tiers of European football
Fund focus: Ince eyes global entrepreneurs
Blockchain, hardware, and entrepreneurs going global are on the agenda for Ince Capital Partners’ second fund, which closed above target despite LPs getting spooked by the tech sector crackdown
Deal focus: India's Prime Venture secures four-year extension
Foundation Private Equity has made its first foray into India, taking out all the LPs in Prime Venture Partners' debut fund through a tender offer process
Fund focus: Eastern Bell targets digitalisation
As a supply chain specialist, Eastern Bell Capital claims to have a differentiated take on China industrial digitalisation. It has USD 800m in dry powder to prove this thesis
Fund focus: Northstar navigates fundraising doldrums
Like many GPs, Northstar Group found fundraising difficult but deployment fruitful during the darkest days of pandemic uncertainty. Pausing the virtual roadshow for its latest vintage proved shrewd