Consumer
Japan's KDDI buys majority stake in VC-backed Luxa
Japanese telecom giant KDDI has acquired a majority stake in VC-backed premium group-buying site Luxa.
Q&A: Hera Capital's Thierry Panafieu
In six years of operation, Singapore’s Hera Capital has pursued a strategy focusing on small funds and quick deployment. Managing Partner Thierry Panafieu explains the virtues of staying small
Dianping secures $850m pre-IPO round
Having raised $850 million - the largest disclosed round for a Chinese tech start-up so far this year – in a matter of months, Dianping is now thought to be nearing an IPO. The investment values the 12-year-old company, described as a Chinese version...
VC-backed Sungy receives management take-private offer
The chairman of Chinese app developer Sungy Mobile has submitted an offer to take the VC-backed company private less than 18 months after it went public on NASDAQ.
CMC, FremantleMedia, SMG create China TV JV
China Media Capital (CMC) has teamed up with London-headquartered TV producer FremantleMedia and Shanghai Media Group (SMG) to create a joint venture that will develop entertainment content for the China market.
Templeton leads $15m Series C for Vietnam restaurant operator
Vietnamese restaurant operator Huy Vietnam has raised a $15 million Series C round of funding led by Templeton Asset Management. Hong Kong-based firms Welkin Capital and Prosperous Alliance also took part in the round.
China's Renren leads $70m round for US mortgage marketplace
Chinese social networking platform Renren has led a $70 million Series C round for US-based mortgage marketplace LendingHome, bringing the total raised by the company to $109.3 million.
Dragoneer leads $10m round for India's ZopNow
Dragoneer Investment Group has led $10 million funding round for Indian online grocery retailer ZopNow. Existing investors Accel Partners, Qualcomm Ventures and Times Internet also participated.
SoftBank joins $13.3m Series B for Japan e-commerce app
Japanese tech giant SoftBank Group, credit card firm Credit Saison, and Makoto Takaono - editor-in-chief of Forbes Japan - have invested JPY 1.6 billion ($13.3 million) in Origami, a Tokyo-based mobile commerce platform.
GGV leads $10m Series B for China home decoration site Kujiale
GGV Capital has led a $10 million Series B round of funding for Kujiale, a Chinese interior decoration services platform.
India's Zomato raises $50m from Info Edge
Indian online restaurant and event guide Zomato has raised INR3.11 billion ($50 million) in a funding round led by existing investor Info Edge.
Sequoia, TR lead $50m Series C for India’s Urban Ladder
Urban Ladder, which claims to be India’s leading furniture-focused online retailer, has received $50 million in a Series C round of funding led by Sequoia Capital and TR Capital.
India digital wallet app MobiKwik gets $25m Series C round
India-based digital wallet app developer MobiKwik has raised $25 million in a Series C round led by Tree Line Asia.
Kinnevik re-ups in Rocket-backed emerging markets fashion group
Sweden's Investment AB Kinnevik has invested an additional EUR32 million ($34.4 million) in Global Fashion Group (GFG), an emerging markets fashion e-commerce group developed by Germany's Rocket Internet.
India's Snapdeal acquires VC-backed FreeCharge
Indian online marketplace Snapdeal has acquired venture capital-backed online bill payment service FreeCharge in a deal said to be worth as much as $450 million.
Dianping leads round for China food ordering platform Meican
Chinese restaurant reviews and group-buying specialist Dianping has led a RMB140 million ($23 million) Series C round of funding for Meican.com, a local online food-ordering platform.
VC-backed WoWo jumps 2.85% on debut after $40m US IPO
WoWo, the Chinese entertainment-focused e-commerce platform that started out as operator of group-buying site 55tuan, jumped 2.95% on its NASDAQ debut after raising $40 million through its IPO.
Investors commit $850m to China’s Dianping
Dianping, one of China’s most popular sites for restaurant reviews and group-buying services, has received a $850 million round of investment that values the start-up at $4.05 billion.
India classifieds site Quikr raises $150m
Indian classifieds site Quikr has raised a $150 million in a round of funding led by existing investor Tiger Global Management.
PE-backed Prabhat Dairy, Dilip Buildcon file for India IPOs
India's Prabhat Dairy and Dilip Buildcon have filed for IPOs, providing an opportunity for their private equity backers to make partial exits.
PE-backed Red Star Macalline files for HK IPO
Red Star Macalline Group, a private equity-backed shopping mall operator in China, has filed to list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
India's AppsDaily raises 16m Series C from Zodius, others
Zodius Capital has led a $16 million Series C round for Indian mobile app developer and distributor AppsDaily, with participation by current investors Kalaari Capital, ru-Net Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures.
Japan's Beenos leads $2.5m Series A for flea market app
Japanese e-commerce incubator Beenos has led a $2.5 million Series A round of funding for Southeast Asian flea market app Duriana. Existing investors also took part in the round.
Mayfield, Kalaari back India-based travel itinerary site
Kalaari Capital and Mayfield have committed $3 million in Series B funding to Indian travel planning site TripHobo.