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ChrysCapital Picks Up 10 Percent in Au Financiers for INR1.2 Billion (Asia)
Indian private equity firm ChrysCapital has invested INR1.2 billion (approximately US$22.1 million) in Indian non-banking finance company Au Financiers for a 10 percent stake. ChrysCapital acquired 7 percent from Indian private equity firm Motilal Oswal Private Equity and the remaining 3 percent from the company’s founders, the Agarwal family. Au Financiers provides loans for personal and commercial vehicles, businesses and… Read More
Mobile Payment Startup uBank Raises US$8 Million from Runa Capital (CEE and CIS)
Russian venture capital firm Runa Capital has invested US$8 million in Series A funding in uBank, a Russian developer of payment services for mobile devices. The service allows users to pay bills and transfer funds from smartphones or personal computers. uBank plans to expand its coverage to other CIS countries and to support international payments; the funding will be used… Read More
WestBridge, TA Associates Invest in Dr. Lal PathLabs (Asia)
India-focused private investment firm WestBridge Capital and U.S.-based private equity firm TA Associates have together invested US$44 million in Dr. Lal PathLabs, an Indian pathology and diagnostics company. WestBridge invested US$35 million from its evergreen fund WestBridge Crossover Fund, with TA Associates contributing US$9 million. Under the terms of the transaction, part of the stake acquired by the two firms… Read More
Elbrus Capital to Acquire OSG Records Management (CEE and CIS)
Russia and CIS-focused private equity firm Elbrus Capital has agreed to purchase Russia-based document storage and records management company OSG Records Management from private equity investor Aurora Russia. OSG Records Management operates in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Poland and other countries in Eastern Europe. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Read More
CMIA China, China Merchants Technology Back China Farm Equipment (Asia)
Singapore-based private equity firm CMIA Capital Partners has invested US$23 million in the privatization of Singapore Stock Exchange-listed China Farm Equipment. The transaction was structured through CMIA China Fund IV, a private equity fund jointly managed by CMIA and China Merchants Technology Holdings, the venture capital arm of state-owned enterprise China Merchants Group. Read More
ADM Capital, Chagala Group Purchase Office Building in Kazakhstan (CEE and CIS)
Chagala Group, a service provider for oil and gas companies operating in Kazakhstan, has purchased an office building in Almaty in partnership with investment management firm ADM Capital’s Kazakhstan Capital Restructuring Fund. Chagala will manage the office building on behalf of the joint venture. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Read More
TPG in Partial Exit from Shriram Transport (Asia)
Global private investment firm TPG has partially exited its investment in Indian logistics financier Shriram Transport Finance. TPG sold 23.15 million shares, representing an approximate 10 percent stake in Shriram, on the National Stock Exchange for INR16.6 billion (approximately US$303 million). Following the sale, TPG retains an ownership stake of over 10 percent in the company. Read More
Intaj II Takes a Strategic Equity Stake in Orchidia (MENA)
Swicorp, an investment firm focused on the Middle East, North Africa and Turkey, has invested in Egyptian ophthalmological pharmaceuticals manufacturer Orchidia Pharmaceutical Industries. The investment, structured through Swicorp’s Intaj II investment fund, is intended to enable Orchidia to accelerate growth through the launch of new products and expansion to new markets, such as Saudi Arabia. Financial details of the transaction… Read More
LifeCell Raises INR350 Million from Helion Venture Partners (Asia)
India-focused venture capital firm Helion Venture Partners has invested INR350 million (approximately US$6.5 million) in LifeCell International, an India-based stem cell bank. LifeCell preserves stem cells from various human tissues and provides services including bedside stem cell processing and newborn screening at 110 locations in India and abroad. Helion’s investment is intended to increase LifeCell’s market penetration in India and… Read More
EuroMena II Acquires 20 Percent in Egypt’s Easy Group (MENA)
EuroMena II, a MENA-focused private equity fund managed by Capital Trust Group, has acquired a 20 percent stake in Egyptian personal care products manufacturer Easy Group. The investment is intended to help Easy Group strengthen its market position in Egypt and expand into other countries within the MENA region. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Read More
After Mobile Banking, Mobile Insurance (Pan-Emerging Markets)
LeapFrog Investments, a private investment firm focused on the insurance sector in Asia and Africa, has invested US$4.25 million in Bima, a Sweden-based micro-insurance company that provides coverage in Asia and Africa. Bima markets its insurance products over mobile phone networks in Ghana, Tanzania, Senegal, Mauritius, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and plans to expand operations to Nigeria. Read More
Moscow Exchange Holds US$500 Million Initial Public Offering (CEE and CIS)
Russia’s Moscow Exchange (MICEX-RTS) began trading its shares at the initial public offering price of RUB55 (approximately US$1.82), raising a total of RUB15 billion (approximately US$500 million). The exchange, which will only be listed in Moscow, was backed by the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), China Investment Corporation (CIC), and private investment… Read More