Softbank
Deal focus: Family offices flock to FirstCry
FirstCry’s USD 52m funding round underscores the willingness of certain Indian family offices to lead sizeable technology deals and the importance attached by companies to investor base diversification
Indian family offices invest $52m in FirstCry
Three Indian family offices have committed INR 4.35bn (USD 52.7m) to domestic mother-and-baby retailer FirstCry through a secondary transaction that facilitated a partial exit for SoftBank Vision Fund, among others.
Legal action accuses investors of aiding and abetting FTX fraud
Temasek Holdings and SoftBank Group are named in a US class-action lawsuit that claims investors aided and abetted fraud at collapsed crypto exchange FTX.
Deal focus: Telexistence’s nimble robots target retail, logistics
Japan’s Telexistence appears to be on the cusp of a significant milestone in retail automation. Local logistics tech investor Monoful is hoping to take that promise to the warehouse
China's Keep raises $40m in Hong Kong IPO
Keep, a China-focused fitness app operator backed by the likes of GGV Capital, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and 5Y Capital, traded up slightly on debut after raising HKD 313.5m (USD 40m) in a smaller-than-anticipated Hong Kong IPO.
Indonesia's eFishery closes $200m Series D
Indonesian aquaculture start-up eFishery has closed a USD 200m Series D round led by Abu Dhabi-based 42XFund and featuring Northstar Group and 500 Global.
Japan's Telexistence gets $170m Series B
Japanese connected robotics start-up Telexistence has raised USD 170m in Series B funding featuring SoftBank Group, Foxconn, Airbus, and Globis Capital Partners.
Deal focus: The SoftBank effect, one step removed
The new owners of SoftBank Ventures Asia are cut from the same cloth – and even come from the same family – as the VC firm’s corporate parent. They aspire to reconfigure Asia’s tech ecosystem
China HR SaaS player Beisen completes $30m HK IPO
Beisen Holding, a China-based human resources software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform backed by the likes of SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Goldman Sachs, Matrix Partners China, and Sequoia Capital China, fell 12% on debut following a HKD 238.9m (USD 30m) Hong...
Mistletoe founders to acquire SoftBank Ventures Asia
SoftBank Group has agreed to sell its captive VC unit, SoftBank Ventures Asia (SBVA), to a newly formed entity led by the team behind Japan-headquartered start-up incubation and investment platform Mistletoe.
Vision Fund leads Series D for China dental 3D printing player
SprintRay, a China-based 3D printing company that specialises in orthodontics, has raised a USD 100m Series D round led by Softbank Vision Fund 2.
China fitness app Keep pursues Hong Kong listing
Keep, a China-focused fitness app operator backed by the likes of GGV Capital, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and 5Y Capital, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Tech sector troubles hit Vision Fund performance
Valuation corrections across the technology sector globally continue to undermine the Vision Fund series, resulting in parent company SoftBank Group posting its second consecutive quarterly loss and founder Masayoshi Son professing shame at hyping up...
China's Jaka Robotics raises $150m Series D
Prosperity7 Ventures, a USD 1bn venture capital fund established by Saudi Arabia state oil giant Saudi Aramco, has continued its run of robotics investments in Asia by joining a USD 150m Series D for China’s Jaka Robotics.
India's Zomato buys PE-backed Blinkit for $567m
India-based online food services platform Zomato has agreed to acquire Blinkit – a private equity-backed quick commerce start-up formerly known as Grofers – for INR 44.5bn (USD 567m).
Australia's Go1 raises $100m at $2b valuation
Australia-based workforce training platform Go1 has raised a USD 100m growth round featuring AirTree Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a valuation of USD 2bn.
Vision Fund, GGV back China blockchain infrastructure player
China-based blockchain infrastructure developer InfStones has received USD 66m in funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and GGV Capital. Ince Capital, 10T Fund, SNZ Holding, and A&T Capital also participated.
India's Delhivery completes $674m IPO
Indian e-commerce logistics provider Delhivery raised INR 52.4bn (USD 674m) in a domestic IPO but was unable to sustain first-day price gains with the stock sliding towards the offering price by May 26.
General Atlantic leads $300m Series D for Biofourmis
Biofourmis, a Singapore founded and now US-based operator of a health analytics platform, has achieved unicorn status with the closing of a USD 300m Series D round led by General Atlantic.
Vision Fund backs Japan's AI Medical Service
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a JPY 8bn (USD 70m) Series C funding round for AI Medical Service, a Tokyo-based medical technology company that has developed an artificial intelligence-enabled (AI) endoscopy diagnostic solution.
China metaverse infrastructure start-up raises $130m
Chinese metaverse start-up Xmov has raised USD 130m in Series B and Series C funding featuring SoftBank Vision Fund, Sequoia Capital China, Northern Light Capital, and Index Ventures.