Stay informed about global developments in the VC/LP sphere.
Pragmatics: the world’s 3rd largest startup ecosystem!
The Indian venture capital and startup ecosystem is going through a transformative phase. While we face many challenges, we also possess the resources and determination to achieve great heights. If you’re someone who wants to delve into the depths of the VC industry, then this…
Venture Capital as a new Asset Class: Pros & Cons with Excluto
Venture capital (VC) investing has emerged as a dynamic asset class, offering both opportunities and challenges for investors seeking higher returns and involvement in cutting-edge startups. It is a passive investment strategy and involves less time involvement. In this blog, we delve into the pros…
The Globalization of Venture Capital: Opportunities and Risks
Venture capital, once confined to Silicon Valley, has evolved into a global phenomenon. The proliferation of startups and the democratisation of innovation have spurred venture capital to transcend geographical boundaries. This globalisation brings with it a host of opportunities, but not without its fair share…
PE Slowdown Could Lead to Lower Returns for PNB in Short Term, but Company Confident in Long-Term Prospects
The slowdown in private equity (PE) fundraising and dealmaking is giving Malaysia’s Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) some room to breathe. PNB is the country’s largest state-backed investment company with over $100 billion in assets under management. The company has been a major investor in PE…
Entrepreneurial Lessons from Mission Chandrayaan
“Space, the final frontier,” as the tagline of Star Trek series suggests, has always captivated humanity’s imagination. India’s recent achievement of landing a rover on the south pole of the Moon is a testament to the power of ingenuity, audacity, and the willingness to take…
Korea’s $1.3 Billion Startup Fund to Invest in AI, Big Data, and IoT
The Korean government has selected Greyhound Capital and Headline Asia as venture fund managers for its new $1.3 billion global fund. The fund, which is managed by the Korea Venture Investment Corporation (KVIC), aims to invest in early-stage startups in the United States, Europe, and…
Gulf Startups Need to Find New Ways to Attract Funding
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has seen a significant decline in venture capital funding in recent months. According to data from Magnitt, a venture capital database, the region raised just $1.1 billion in funds raised across 193 deals in the first half…
SPV-Driven Funds: A New Way to Invest in Venture Capital
Venture capital (VC) has traditionally been an exclusive club, with limited access for individual investors. However, the rise of SPV-driven funds is changing the game, making VC more accessible and transparent. An SPV, or special purpose vehicle, is a legal entity that is created for…
South Korean Investment Firm Bets on Sunoco LP
Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd., a South Korean investment management firm, has purchased 315 shares of Sunoco LP (NYSE:SUN). The shares were purchased on August 22, 2023, at an average price of $34.20 per share. Sunoco LP is a midstream energy company that operates…
Farmland LP Launches $250m Fund to Invest in Organic Farmland
Farmland LP, a leading fund manager specializing in organic farmland, has launched its third fund, Vital Farmland Fund III. The fund has a target size of $250 million and is expected to be fully subscribed by the end of the year. Vital Farmland Fund III…
LPs Can Now Get More Transparency and Control Over CRE Investments with Gparency’s New Program
Commercial brokerage company Gparency has launched a new program for limited partners (LPs) to track deal activity and investment returns in the commercial real estate (CRE) market. The program, called LP Investment Tracker, provides LPs with a single platform to view all of their CRE…
Limited Partners: Get Ready to Negotiate with More Power Thanks to SEC’s New Rules
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is proposing sweeping new disclosure rules for private funds. These rules would require funds to provide more information to investors about their fees, expenses, and risks. The proposed rules are a major win for limited partners, who have long…
The Future of VC: How Two Reverse Trends are Reshaping the Industry
The venture capital (VC) and startup ecosystem is constantly evolving. In recent years, there have been a number of trends that have reshaped the way VC firms invest in and support startups. Two of the most notable reverse trends are: These two trends are having…
China Investment Risks Under New Scrutiny as Biden Administration Cracks Down
On August 9, 2023, President Biden issued an executive order that sets the stage for increased regulation of U.S. investments in China. The order directs the Department of the Treasury to develop new rules that will require U.S. investors to assess the risks of investing…
Restrictions Impacting Private Equity and Venture Capital Funding in Chinese Tech Firms, Imposed by the US
President Joe Biden has issued an executive order with far-reaching implications, aiming to curtail fresh U.S. investments in China’s sensitive technological sectors. This move includes a requirement for governmental notification in certain tech domains. The focus is on safeguarding national security by obstructing the flow…
Venture capitalists turn to small checks as market conditions tighten
Despite having record levels of dry powder, venture capital firms are still writing small checks. According to a report by PitchBook, the average venture capital deal size in the first quarter of 2023 was $12.4 million, down from $13.8 million in the fourth quarter of…
Quest Global back in Carlyle’s hands as private equity firms exit tech
Carlyle Group has agreed to buy back a majority stake in Quest Global, a provider of engineering and IT services, from Bain Capital and Advent International. The deal is reportedly valued at $2 billion. Quest Global was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Bangalore,…
ASRS’s exit market recovery a sign of things to come for private equity
The Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) is seeing early signs of a recovery in the exit market, with the value of its portfolio of private equity investments increasing by 10.4% in the first quarter of 2023. The ASRS’s private equity portfolio is valued at $36.4…
Middle East Venture Capital (VC) Sector Faces Substantial Downturn
Venture capital dealmaking in the Middle East is likely to fall back to pre-pandemic levels in 2023 since activity has dropped significantly in the region in recent months. So far this year, $3.2 billion has been invested across 580 deals, according to PitchBook data, with…
Gutter’s Data Infrastructure Gains Traction, Secures $50m Series B Funding
Gutter, a provider of data infrastructure for the construction industry, has closed a $50m Series B funding round led by Tiger Global Management. The round also included participation from existing investors Accel, Operator Collective, and BoxGroup.The funding will be used to accelerate Gutter’s growth, expand…
Straighter Teeth Are in Demand, and LightForce is Answering the Call with $80m in Funding
LightForce Orthodontics, a provider of clear aligners, has closed a $80m Series D funding round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. The round also included participation from existing investors Accel, GV, and Khosla Ventures. The funding will be used to accelerate LightForce’s growth, expand its…
State Street’s India Acquisition Signals Commitment to Growth Market
State Street Corporation (STT), a leading global financial services company, has announced that it will acquire full ownership of its India venture, State Street Syntel (SSTI). The acquisition will be completed through a cash purchase of the remaining 49% stake in SSTI that State Street…
Prateekk Agarwaal’s GrowthCap Ventures to Invest in 15 Startups in Next Two Years
Pratekk Agarwaal, the former Chief Business Officer at BharatPe, has launched his maiden operator VC fund, GrowthCap Ventures. The fund will focus on early-stage investments, from seed to pre-Series A rounds, in fintech, SaaS, and deep-tech startups. Agrawala has over 15 years of experience in…
NAIC and U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance Partner to Increase Access to Capital for Underserved Communities
The National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC) has announced an agreement with U.S. Bancorp Impact Finance to increase the flow of capital to diverse-owned alternative investment managers. The agreement will provide $100 million in funding to NAIC’s Diversity Capital Fund, which invests in private equity,…
Private Equity Firms Adapt to Slow Deal Market by Getting Creative with Cash Raising
The private equity deal market has been on a slowdown in recent months, as investors have become more cautious about making new investments. This has led some private equity firms to get creative about how they raise cash. One way that private equity firms are…
Cedar Fair Off to a Great Start in Third Quarter, Attendance Up 19.3%
Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: FUN), a leading amusement park company, today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2023. Key Highlights: Net revenues of $506.3 million, an increase of 20.3% compared to the second quarter of 2022.Net income of $140.1 million,…
New Fund and Venture Studio Provides $50 Million in Support for Metaverse Startups
The co-founders of Futureverse, Shara Senderoff and Aaron McDonald, have launched a new $50 million fund and venture studio called Born Ready. The fund will invest in early-stage Web3 and metaverse startups, and the venture studio will provide hands-on support to help these companies grow…
VCs and LPs, Take Note: Local Logic’s Location Intelligence Platform is a Must-Read
Local Logic, a location intelligence insights provider, has secured $13m in Series B funding led by GroundBreak Ventures and Investissement Québec. The round also included participation from Band Capital Partners, an affiliate of Triovest Realty Advisors, Cycle Capital, Desjardins Group, Jones Boys Ventures, Second Century…
Invest in Startups with as Little as $100 with Sweater’s Public VC Funds
Venture capital (VC) funding has long been the domain of the wealthy and well-connected. But a new platform called Sweater is making it possible for anyone to invest in startups, regardless of their financial status. Sweater’s new “Public VC Funds” allow anyone to create a…
Indian companies to get permission for direct overseas share listing: Sitharaman.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that Indian companies will now have the opportunity to directly list on foreign exchanges and the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Ahmedabad. This provision, part of the Covid relief package introduced in May 2020, has been approved by…
According to an Entrackr Report, startup funding in India dropped below the $500 million mark in July.
Startup funding in India has taken a hit, and the monsoons haven’t brought any relief. The data speaks for itself. In July, the lack of growth stage deals, limited support from large funds, ongoing layoffs, and uncertainty surrounding future funding rounds have caused trouble for…
Limited partners’ flight to quality causes private equity megadeals to decline.
Amidst a challenging fundraising market, signs of a “flight-to-quality” phenomenon have emerged in the private equity sector. Second-quarter fundraising fell 17.4% YoY to $241.58 billion, while the number of funds in the market dropped 50.3% YoY in Q2. These stats indicate that limited partners, facing…
Amidst the AI boom, venture capital firms are cutting back on ‘megafunds’.
According to a recent report from The Wall Street Journal, venture capital firms are reducing the size of their megafunds, signaling a shift in their investment strategies despite the ongoing AI boom and tech stock rebound. The report highlights that many opportunities in the AI…
Decline in venture capital investments, amounting to $77.4 billion: KPMG Report
In the Venture Pulse Q2 2023 report, a comprehensive analysis of global venture funding, KPMG revealed that venture capital investment remained relatively stable during the period of April to June. Noteworthy contributions to this stability were the significant raises achieved by companies like Stripe, Shein,…
Venture Capitalists hoped that AI would reverse the global funding slowdown in Q2, but it was not enough to stop the decline
Global venture funding fell 18% in Q2 2023 to $65 billion, according to Crunchbase data. This is a 49% decrease from the second quarter of 2022, when investors spent $127 billion. The first half of 2023 was also down significantly, with total funding reaching $144…