GPCA covers the latest fund, investment and industry news across our markets in two newsletters: NewsWatch is a weekly round-up of key transactions across asset classes; the Global Tech Brief is a bi-weekly review of tech transactions and innovations with cross-border applications. Subscribe in the left-hand sidebar.
Access past editions of NewsWatch here.
VestedWorld Leads USD1.6m Seed Round for Nigeria’s Shuttlers
VestedWorld led a USD1.6m seed round for Shuttlers, a Nigeria-based, tech-enabled scheduled bus sharing company, with participation from EchoVC, Interswitch, Rising Tide Africa, Launch Africa, CMC 21 & Alsa, ShEquity, Five35, Consonance Investment, CcHub Syndicate, Sakore and Nikky Taurus. Read More
MassMutual Ventures Leads USD4m Pre-Series A for India’s Clinikk
MassMutual Ventures led a USD4m pre-Series A for India-based healthtech Clinikk, with participation from Kunal Shah (Cred), Rohit M.A. (Cloudnine Hospitals), Anjali Bansal (Avaana Capital) and Stanford Angels.Existing investors Times Internet Group, EMVC, 500 Global and WEH Ventures followed on. Read More
Amethis Acquires Minority Stake in Jordan’s Tarjama
Amethis, through its Amethis MENA Fund II, acquired a minority stake in Jordan-based language technology and services provider Tarjama for an undisclosed amount. Read More
TPG, QIA and Mastercard Invest Additional USD125m in Africa’s Airtel Mobile Commerce
TPG Capital’s Rise Fund, the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and Mastercard invested an additional USD125m in Airtel Mobile Commerce, an Airtel Africa subsidiary and the holding company for several of Airtel Africa’s mobile money operations across 14 African countries. TPG and QIA each invested USD50m and Mastercard invested USD25m. Read More
Falcon Edge Leads USD135m Series B for India’s Mensa Brands
Falcon Edge Capital’s Alpha Wave Ventures led a USD135m Series B for Mensa Brands, an India-based e-commerce brand aggregator, with participation from Prosus Ventures and follow-on from Accel Partners, Norwest Venture Partners and Tiger Global, at a reported USD1b valuation. Read More
DX Ventures and Delivery Hero Lead USD250m Series D for Brazil’s Facily
DX Ventures and Delivery Hero led a USD250m Series D for Facily, a Brazil-based social commerce marketplace, with participation from Citius, at a reported USD850m valuation. Read More
Softbank Acquires 20% Stake in Bangladesh’s bKash
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 acquired a 20% stake in Bangladesh-based payments app bKash at a reported USD2b valuation. Read More
Africa HealthCare Master Fund Leads USD4.4m Series A for Nigeria’s DrugStoc
Africa HealthCare Master Fund led a USD4.4m Series A for Nigeria-based drug procurement platform DrugStoc, with participation from DEG and Vested World. Read More
BECO Capital Leads USD20m Series A for Jordan’s Abwaab
BECO Capital led a USD20m Series A for Jordan-based edtech Abwaab, with participation from 4DX Ventures, GSV Ventures, Watar Partners and others. Read More
TVM Exits UAE’s Bourn Hall to Mediclinic
TVM Capital Healthcare exited Bourn Hall International MENA, the holding company for the Bourn Hall Fertility Centre in the UAE, via a sale to private hospital group Mediclinic Middle East for an undisclosed amount. Read More
CPP Investments Commits ~USD1.6b to Six PE Funds
CPP Investments committed USD1.6b to six private equity funds: USD200m to Clearlake Capital Partners VII; USD325m to Anchor Equity Partners Fund IV; USD600m to Baring Asia Private Equity Fund VIII; USD350m to Carlyle Partners VIII; USD100m to Kainos Partners III; and USD57m to Summa Equity Fund III. Read more here and h Read More
A91 Partners Reaches USD550m Final Close for Fund II
A91 Partners reached a USD550m final close for its second fund. The vehicle will invest in 15 to 17 established Indian companies or those with a presence in the country in sectors including consumer goods and services, financial services, healthcare and technology. Read More