Japan-based car Isuzu Motors is reportedly planning to more than double its minority investment in India-based bus maker Swaraj Mazda.
News provider Dealcurry said emerging markets private equity firm Actis was in talks with Isuzu about selling its 5.6% stake in Swaraj, as well as the further 6.7% owned by UK state-backed development company CDC.
Japanese conglomerate Sumitomo owns 55% of Swaraj with Isuzu 4%.
8D World, a China and US-based developer of website to teach English, has raised $5.25m in its series B round with Japan-based bank Mizuho Financial Group joining the consortium as a new investor.
Mizuho Capital joined venture capital firms Spark Capital and Gobi Partners in backing the creator of Wiz World Online.
Akira Sakai, executive officer of Mizuho Capital, which has backed 663 companies with Y33.8bn ($bn), said: "8D World has already established partnerships outside China. With its innovative English education platform and scalable business model, we look forward to helping 8D World expand into many markets in Asia."
Lawrence Tse, general partner and cofounder at Gobi, added: "We have been very pleased with our investment in 8D World as the company has hit all of its milestones."
Founded in 2002, Gobi is based in Shanghai, China, managing $300m in four funds with its limited partners including computer group IBM, publisher McGraw-Hill, phone operators Nokia and NTT Docomo, venture capital firm Sierra Ventures, and media group Disney’s Steamboat Ventures. Government partners include the Shanghai Pudong Science and Technology Investment Company, the Tianjin Hi-Tech Group, and the Singapore Media Development Authority (MDA).
8D’s $7m series A round closed in mid-2008, according to news provider VentureWire.