Articles by Justin Niessner
Australia fintech player Finder raises $21m
Finder, an Australian financial technology start-up with a diversified suite of retail investor services, has raised A$30 million ($21.5 million) from local VC firm Future Now Capital.
Insight makes Indonesia debut in Flip's Series B
Insight Partners has made its first investment in Indonesia, co-leading a $48 million Series B round for consumer payments platform Flip alongside Sequoia Capital India and Insignia Venture Partners.
Jardine Matheson leads $37m round for Hong Kong's Pickupp
Jardine Matheson has led a $37 million Series B round for Hong Kong-based package delivery start-up Pickupp.
Circulate hits second close on climate tech fund
Circulate Capital, a Singapore-based GP dedicated to reducing plastics pollution, has reached a second close of $25 million on its second fund.
India's AgroStar raises $70m Series D
Indian agriculture industry platform provider AgroStar has raised a $70 million Series D round led by Evolvence Capital, Schroders Capital, Hero Enterprise, and CDC Group.
Fund focus: AC Ventures hits its stride early
AC Ventures rallies global investors for an Indonesia-heavy Southeast Asia thesis, more than doubling its expected corpus as pandemic disruption changes everything but the plan
Korea anti-aging polymer maker gets $22m
Dexlevo, a Korean biotech company specializing in anti-aging dermal fillers, has raised KRW26 billion ($22 million) in pre-IPO funding led by local GPs Magna Investment and Smilegate Investment.
Goldman invests $96m in Australia disability housing player
Goldman Sachs Asset Management has committed A$137 million ($96 million) to Synergis, an Australian investment platform focused on providing housing for people with disabilities.
Vision Fund backs Japan sneaker marketplace
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has made a Series D investment of undisclosed size in Japan’s Soda, operator of sneaker reselling platform Snkr Dunk, at a valuation of JPY38 billion ($336 million).
Chinese language learning platform raises $105m
Singapore’s LingoAce, a Chinese language learning app, has raised $105 million in Series C funding led by Sequoia Capital India. It comes within a year of a $55 million Series B.
India edtech start-up CollegeDekho raises $35m
Indian education technology start-up CollegeDekho has closed a Series B round of $35 million with support from a mix of global investors including Australia’s QIC and Abu Dhabi’s ADQ.
Valar, IA lead $40m Series B for India BNPL player
US-based Valar Ventures and IA Ventures have led a $40 million Series B round for Simpl, an Indian buy now, pay later (BNPL) provider focused on e-commerce.
Horizons leads Series B for Australia healthcare AI start-up
Horizons Ventures, the private investment arm of Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-Shing, has led a A$129 million ($92.3 million) Series B round for Australia’s Harrison.ai, a clinical artificial intelligence (AI) developer.
Airbus backs Australia quantum computing player
Airbus Ventures has led a $25 million Series B round for Australia’s Q-Ctrl, a quantum computing developer increasingly geared toward space tech and orbital infrastructure.
Indonesia’s AC Ventures closes debut fund at $205 million
AC Ventures, an early-stage investor created through the merger of Indonesia’s Agaeti Ventures and Convergence Ventures, has closed its debut fund at $205 million. The target was $80 million.
Australia food-ordering start-up raises $63m
Tiger Global Management has led an A$89 million ($63.4 million) Series A round for Australian food-ordering start-up Mr Yum. In the past 12 months, 44% of Australians have used the platform.
Portfolio: Dymon Asia and AMES
For all the hubbub about digital businesses taking flight during the pandemic, few categories saw as much upside as traditional medical waste disposal. Dymon Asia Private Equity is enjoying the ride
CDC expands Asia footprint
UK development finance institution CDC Group, already an active investor in South Asia, has announced a strategic pivot toward the broader region with a special interest in Southeast Asia.
Tiger Global, Insight lead $220m round for India's Slice
Tiger Global Management and Insight Partners have led a $220 million round for Indian financial technology provider Slice at a valuation of about $1 billion.
K1, Level Equity invest $350m in Australia SaaS player
US private equity firms K1 Investment Management and Level Equity have invested about $350 million in Australia’s Simpro, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider focused on field service management.
Singapore bio-plastics developer RWDC raises $95m
Singapore’s RWDC Industries, a developer of biodegradable plastics, has raised a $95.1 million round led by Temasek Holdings and Vickers Venture Partners.
Microsoft VC unit leads $22m round for India’s SalesKen
M12, Microsoft’s VC arm, has led a $22 million Series B round for SalesKen, an Indian enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) provider focused on sales-related services.
Taiwan start-ups: Leaving the factory
Taiwan’s industrials-focused venture capital and start-up ecosystem has tilted noticeably toward consumer software in the past year. Nevertheless, the traditional heavyweights are indispensable
Deal focus: Quiet confidence persists in hydrogen power
H3 Dynamics is bringing hydrogen-powered delivery drones to Asia’s crammed megacities as a steppingstone to a cleaner aviation sector. This is a sweet spot for Hong Kong’s Audacy Ventures