Articles by Justin Niessner
Japan's JPIC backs $33m round for Atonarp
Japan Post Investment Corporation (JPIC) has backed a $33 million Series C round for Atonarp, a Tokyo-based molecular diagnostics systems developer that uses artificial intelligence (AI).
US fintech player Tala targets India with $110m Series D
Tala, a US financial technology provider looking to expand its microlending operations in India, has raised a $110 million Series D round from a group including PayPal Ventures.
India AI player Uniphor eyes post-call center world
Fresh from raising a $51 million Series C round, Uniphor's founder argues that artificial intelligence will become as much about quality of engagement as back-end efficiency
Japan edge computing specialist gets $7.8m
Global Brain has led a $7.8 million round for Idein, a Japanese technology developer focused on systems for device-level data processing, also known as edge computing.
East Ventures closes sixth fund at $75m
East Ventures has closed its sixth fund for early-stage Southeast Asian start-ups at $75 million. It had initially targeted $30 million.
China's Ping An joins $72m round for US AI player
China’s Ping An Insurance has co-led a $72.5 million Series D round alongside Goldman Sachs for US artificial intelligence (AI) developer H2O with a view to expanding its Asian operations.
Vulcan Capital expands into Asia
Vulcan Capital, a US-based venture investor set up by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has opened a Singapore office and earmarked $100 million for investment in Southeast Asia.
Sovereign investors and technology: Smart nations
Conservative sovereign wealth investors are increasingly comfortable making direct commitments to venture-oriented technology companies. The strategy appears to suit them but remains to be validated
Singapore's RedDoorz raises $70m
Singapore hotel management and booking platform RedDoorz has raised $70 million in Series C funding less than a month after closing a $45 million Series B.
PEP to acquire APAC business of US-based Horizon
Australia’s Private Equity Partners (PEP) has agreed to pay A$340 million ($230 million) for the Asia Pacific division of US automotive industry equipment supplier Horizon Global.
VinaCapital invests in Vietnam logistics tech start-up
The venture capital arm of Vietnam’s VinaCapital has invested an undisclosed sum in local logistics technology start-up An Vui.
Twitter leads $100m round for India's ShareChat
Twitter has led a $100 million round for Indian social networking platform ShareChat with support from private equity investor Trustbridge Partners.
GIC to invest in China data centers
Singapore’s GIC Private has agreed to acquire an unspecified number of data centers in China through a partnership with specialist developer GDS Holdings.
Korea's Pavilion to pay $54m for firefighting business
Korea’s Pavilion Private Equity has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in domestic firefighting equipment maker Paratech for about KRW65 billion ($54 million).
India, US-based speech AI player Uniphore raises $51m
Asian VCs have backed a $51 million Series C round for Uniphore, an India and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) developer focused on speech recognition.
Sequoia, Matrix join $20m round for Chinese fintech player
Sequoia Capital China and Matrix Partners have joined a $20 million round for Chinese financial technology provider QFPay.
China's 01VC closes second early-stage fund at $100m
China’s 01 Venture Capital (01VC) has closed its second US dollar-denominated fund for early-stage investments with $100 million in commitments.
Naspers leads $125m round for India's Meesho
Naspers has led a $125 million round for Indian e-commerce platform Meesho with support from Facebook and a number of existing VC investors.
Kleiner Perkins, Aspex lead $64m round for Korea's Viva Republica
Kleiner Perkins and Aspex Management, a pan-Asia investor founded in Hong Kong last year, have led a $64 million round for Korean financial technology start-up Viva Republica.
Partners Group invests Australian wind farm
Partners Group has made an investment of undisclosed size in an Australian wind power project. It is the firm’s fourth wind farm investment in the country in three years.
Women entrepreneurs: Tales from the coalface
Women remain underrepresented in start-up ecosystems across Asia, but for those who have taken the plunge, there is potential to make a social impact that transcends their respective target markets
Hong Kong’s AMTD trades up after US IPO
Shares in AMTD International, a PE-backed division of Hong Kong financial advisor AMTD Group, traded as much as 28% above initial pricing following a $174 million IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
Carbon recycling specialist raises $72m Series E
Novo Holdings, a Danish venture and growth equity investor focused on life sciences, has provided $72 million in Series E funding to LanzaTech, a US carbon recycling specialist with a significant Asia presence.
CDC leads $21m round for Indian fintech player
UK government-backed development finance institution CDC Group has led a $21 million round for Indifi Technologies, a company that facilitates loans for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) in India.