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Helion Venture Partners Leads a US$19 Million Financing Round for Housing.com (Asia)
Venture capital firm Helion Venture Partners has led an INR1.15 billion (approximately US$19 million) financing round for India-based Locon Solutions, owner of real estate portal Housing.com, with participation from venture capital firm Nexus Venture Partners and Qualcomm’s investment arm Qualcomm Ventures. Helion invested INR480 million (approximately US$8 million) in the round, while Nexus and Qualcomm put in INR430 million (approximately… Read More
Morningside Venture Capital Invests in Yooli.com (Asia)
Private equity and venture capital firm Morningside Venture Capital has invested more than US$50 million in China-based peer-to-peer lending website Yooli.com. Yooli, which reportedly has around 760,000 users, intends to use the investment for product development, technology upgrades and improving its credit rating system. The company previously raised US$10 million from venture capital firm SB China Venture Capital in November… Read More
The Abraaj Group Submits Tender Offer for Egypt-listed Cairo Medical Center (MENA)
Global growth markets investor The Abraaj Group has submitted a mandatory tender offer to acquire up to 100 percent of Egypt-listed private hospital Cairo Medical Center. The Abraaj Group plans to undertake a capital expenditure program at Cairo Medical Center with the objective of upgrading the medical facilities, installing new equipment throughout the hospital and investing in staff training. The… Read More
CDH Investments Participates in a US$100 Million Series C Financing Round for Tujia.com (Asia)
China-based vacation rental website Tujia.com has raised a US$100 million Series C financing round from existing investors venture capital firms CDH Investments, Lightspeed China Partners, GGV Capital, Qiming Venture Partners and CBC Capital, as well as from vacation rental companies HomeAway and Ctrip. New investor China-focused investment bank China Renaissance Capital also participated. Tujia operates a platform on which owners… Read More
SAIF Partners, Accel Partners and Network18 Invest INR1.5 Billion in Bigtree Entertainment (Asia)
India-based Bigtree Entertainment, which owns online entertainment ticketing website BookMyShow, has raised INR1.5 billion (approximately US$25 million) from venture capital firms SAIF Partners and Accel Partners and media company Network18. The transaction valued the company at more than INR10 billion (approximately US$166 million). Accel Partners previously invested INR1 billion (approximately US$18 million) in 2012. Bigtree Entertainment intends to use the… Read More
BlueRun Ventures, Northern Light Venture Capital and Heli Capital Invest US$30 Million in Taodangpu (Asia)
China-based online pawn shop Taodangpu has raised US$30 million in a Series B financing round from venture capital firms BlueRun Ventures, Northern Light Venture Capital and Heli Capital. Taodangpu runs two interconnected websites: online pawn shop Taodangpu.com and peer-to-peer lending platform 51dang.com. The start-up plans to use the investment to expand to cities beyond Beijing and Shanghai. Read More
8 Miles Invests in Biyinzika Poultry International (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Africa-focused private equity firm 8 Miles has purchased a stake in Uganda-based Biyinzika Poultry International, a company that sells day-old chicks and poultry feed. The company has 21 outlets in Uganda and intends to use the funding to scale its product offerings. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Read More
Suryoday Microfinance Raises US$4.5 Million from IFC, Aavishkaar Goodwell and Lok Capital (Asia)
Pan-emerging markets private equity firm Actis has sold a 6.7 percent stake in Uganda-based electricity distribution company Umeme to Ugandan retail investors and Umeme management and directors for US$13 million. This is the second part of a two-part transaction in which Actis has sold a total of a 45.7 percent stake in Umeme for US$98 million. In May 2014, Actis… Read More
NBK Capital Completes Sale of Nayifat Instalment Company (MENA)
NBK Capital’s Alternative Investments Group, a private equity and mezzanine fund manager in the Middle East and North Africa, has completed the sale of a 38 percent stake in Saudi Arabia-based consumer finance company Nayifat Instalment Company to Falcom Financial Services, a Saudi Arabia-based investment bank. The transaction was structured through NBK Capital Equity Partners Fund I. NBK Capital originally… Read More
Samena Capital Acquires a Stake in RAK Ceramics (MENA)
Investment group Samena Capital has acquired more than a 30 percent stake in United Arab Emirates-listed ceramics manufacturer Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) Ceramics from the firm’s founding shareholder. The acquisition was structured through Samena Capital’s subsidiary, Samena Limestone Holdings, and was made with a consortium of international investors including two Gulf sovereign wealth funds. RAK Ceramics exports tiles and other… Read More
GP Investments to Sell Its Stake in BR Towers for Around US$250 Million (Latin America)
Latin America-focused alternative investment company GP Investments has signed definitive agreements to sell its stake in Brazil-based cellphone tower management company BR Towers to a subsidiary of United States-based wireless communications provider American Tower Corporation. The transaction will be structured through GP Investments’ GP Capital Partners V and GPCP5 I Fundo de Investimento em Participações (jointly GPCPV). The enterprise value… Read More
3TS Capital Partners Invests US$7.2 Million in Visual Unity (CEE and CIS)
Central and Eastern Europe-focused private equity firm 3TS Capital Partners has invested US$7.2 million in Czech Republic-based multiscreen solution provider Visual Unity. The transaction was structured through 3TS-Cisco Growth Fund III. The company intends to use the funding to increase its sales efforts with the aim of expanding its international customer based. Read More