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KKR to Invest up to US$366 Million in V3 Group (Asia)
Global alternative asset manager KKR has agreed to invest up to SGD500 million (approximately US$366 million) in Singapore-based specialty retailer V3 Group through KKR Asian Fund III. The company owns and develops various luxury and wellness consumer brands across 26 countries, with a primary focus on Asia. V3 will partner with KKR to continue to grow the business and expand… Read More
Värde Partners Raises US$400 Million for Debut Asia Fund (Asia)
Global alternative investment manager Värde Partners has announced the final close of Värde Asia Credit Fund with US$400 million in capital commitments. Investors in the fund include institutions from Asia, Europe and the United States. The fund will invest in corporate credit, special situations and stressed and distressed real estate debt in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on Australia, Indonesia, India… Read More
Lufax Raises US$1.33 Billion from Primavera-led Consortium (Asia)
China-based financial services company Lufax has raised US$1.33 billion in a funding round led by China-focused private investment firm Primavera Capital Group. Other investors participating in the round include Qatar Investment Authority, All-Stars Investment, SBI Holdings, J.P. Morgan, Macquarie Group, UBS, UOB, Goldman Sachs, LionRock Capital, Hedosophia and Hermitage Capital. Lufax is an online marketplace for financial products and services,… Read More
WuXi AppTec Raises US$1 Billion in Hong Kong Stock Exchange Listing (Asia)
Global alternative investment manager Värde Partners has announced the final close of Värde Asia Credit Fund with US$400 million in capital commitments. Investors in the fund include institutions from Asia, Europe and the United States. The fund will invest in corporate credit, special situations and stressed and distressed real estate debt in the Asia-Pacific region, focusing on Australia, Indonesia, India… Read More
Catalyst Principal Partners Reaches US$155 Million Final Close for Second Fund (Africa)
East Africa-focused private equity fund manager Catalyst Principal Partners has reached a final close for Catalyst Fund II with US$155 million in capital commitments. Investors in the fund include development finance institutions EIB, IFC, AfDB and SIFEM. Catalyst Fund II will invest between US$7.5 million and US$22.5 million in consumer-focused companies in East Africa, focusing on Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia,… Read More
AfricInvest Invests US$51 Million in iSON Xperiences with Gulf Capital, Commits US$14 Million to Les Centaures Routiers (Africa)
Alternative investment fund managers AfricInvest and Gulf Capital have invested US$51 million in iSON Xperiences, a Kenya-based outsourcing and customer service company. Through AfricInvest III and Gulf Credit Opportunities Fund II, the firms each provided US$25.5 million in structured debt and equity financing to support iSON’s growth and acquire shares from an existing investor. iSON serves clients across a range… Read More
Topica Edtech Group Raises US$50 Million in Series D Round Led by Northstar Group (Asia)
Topica Edtech Group, a Vietnam-based online education company, has raised US$50 million in a Series D round led by Southeast Asia-focused private equity firm Northstar Group. Topica provides a suite of online educational products, including live tutoring courses led by native English speakers from the United States, Australia and other countries. The company plans to use the funds to develop… Read More
SCPE Acquires Sunwoo for US$90 Million (Asia)
Emerging markets-focused principal investor Standard Chartered Private Equity (SCPE) has acquired a controlling stake in Sunwoo, a South Korea-based meat importer, for US$90 million. The company sources meat from international suppliers, including U.S.-based Cargill and Brazil-based JBS, and distributes it to domestic restaurants, wholesalers and meat processors. Read More
Warburg Pincus Leads Series B Round of US$150 Million for Geek+ (Asia)
Global private equity fund manager Warburg Pincus has led a Series B round of US$150 million for Geek+, a China-based artificial intelligence-enabled robotics developer. Vertex Ventures and Volcanics Venture also participated in the round. Geek+ provides warehousing, logistics and manufacturing automation solutions to Australia-, Asia-, Europe- and U.S.-based corporations. Read More
Value4Capital Acquires Kom-Eko from Royalton Partners (CEE and CIS)
Poland- and Central Europe-focused mid-market buyout firm Value4Capital has acquired Kom-Eko, a Poland-based municipal and commercial waste collection, sorting and processing company. Value4Capital acquired the company through V4C Poland Plus Fund from CEE-focused alternative asset manager Royalton Partners. The transaction includes co-investments from the European Investment Bank (EIB Group) and Alpha Associates, which invested through regional fund of funds Alpha… Read More
CropIn Raises US$8 Million in Series B from Chiratae Ventures and the Gates Foundation (Asia)
CropIn Technology Solutions, an India-based agribusiness software developer, has raised US$8 million in a Series B round from India-focused venture capital firm Chiratae Ventures and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Strategic Investment Fund. CropIn provides cloud-based farm management and yield prediction products to farmers, agricultural processors and distributors, lenders and insurers in 29 countries. The company intends to use… Read More
PAG Raises US$6 Billion for Third Asia Buyout Fund (Asia)
Asia-focused alternative investment manager PAG has reached a final close for its third pan-Asia buyout fund with US$6 billion in capital commitments. Investors in the fund, which reportedly launched in June 2018 with a target of US$4.5 billion, include U.S.-based pension funds and Kuwaiti and Singaporean sovereign wealth funds. Read More