Articles by Winnie Liu
Deal focus: Wish scales up cross-border e-commerce
Wish secures an extended Series F round to build out its platform that enables Chinese suppliers to sell cut-price goods to US and European consumers
Frontline BioVentures merges with WuXi Ventures
Chinese healthcare specialists Frontline BioVentures and WuXi Healthcare Ventures have merged, forming a new investment firm called 6 Dimensions Capital.
China’s Cloudwise raises $26m from VCs
CBC Capital has led a $26 million Series C round for Cloudwise, a Beijing-based application performance management (APM) solutions provider, with participation from SIG Asia and Sequoia Capital China.
Lightspeed China closes debut renminbi fund at $87m
Lightspeed China Partners has closed its first renminbi-denominated venture fund at RMB600 million ($87 million).
Arbor targets $220m for second VC fund, IFC set to invest
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering an investment of $15 million in Hong Kong-based Arbor Ventures’ second VC fund, which has an initial target of $220 million.
China aerospace player launches $22b tech fund
China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation (CASC) has launched a RMB150 billion ($22 billion) fund with a group of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to invest in new technologies.
CDH-backed Zhenghai Bio-tech jumps on Shenzhen debut
Yantai Zhenghai Bio-tech, a Chinese biotechnology company backed by CDH Investments, saw its stock gain 44.03% on its first day of trading following a RMB234 million ($34 million) IPO in Shenzhen.
Venture: Vietnam plus
Vietnam’s start-up ecosystem is gaining prominence as the diaspora community taps local tech talent to create businesses targeting global markets. Expect deal flow to increase substantially in coming years
Cross-border e-commerce site Wish raises new round
Wish, a San Francisco-based cross-border e-commerce app backed by several Asian investors, has completed a Series F round led by Everbright-IDG Industrial Fund.
CDIB hires senior team from SMC Capital
Three of the senior management team at SMC Capital China - a GP launched by Hong Kong-based Simon Murray & Company (SMC) - have left to join CDIB Capital, the PE arm of Taiwan’s China Development Financial.
Hillhouse leads $55m round for China AI developer Yitu
Hillhouse Capital has led a RMB380 million ($55 million) Series C round of funding for Yitu Technology, a Shanghai-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer.
CDB Capital leads $42m round for China fintech firm Wacai
CDB Capital, the fund management arm of China Development Bank, has led a $42 million round for Wacai, a Chinese finance management mobile app developer.
SoftBank confirms $5b investment in Didi's $5.5b round
SoftBank Group contributed $5 billion of the $5.5 billion funding round announced at the end of last month by China-based ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing – almost certainly the largest single investment in a Chinese internet company.
Qiming leads $17m round for China data storage software developer
Qiming Venture Partners has led a RMB120 million ($17 million) Series B round for XSKY Beijing Data Technology Corporation, a China-based data storage software services provider.
Maison leads round for Sino-Indonesia e-commerce site
China-focused GP Maison Capital has led a RMB150 million ($22 million) Series B round of funding for Wook, a cross-border B2B e-commerce platform that focuses on China and Indonesia markets.
Deal focus: Huochebang brings order to trucking chaos
Huochebang has raised $270 million in the last five months with a view to using its sharing economy solution to make China's trucking industry more efficient and less fragmented
China flexible display developer Royole raises $58m
Royole Corporation, a China-based flexible display technology developer, has received RMB400 million ($58 million) in Series D funding from a domestic GP Beijing Zhongtai Chuanghui Equity Investment Fund.
Pagoda leads Series A for China smart sensing player
China-focused VC firm Pagoda Investment has led a RMB110 million ($16 million) Series A round of funding for Hesai, a Shanghai-based company that develops smart sensing technology solutions.
Deal focus: WuXi NextCode eyes mass-market genomics
By acquiring NextCode Health in 2015, WuXi Pharmatech combined its gene sequencing capabilities with one of the world's largest genome datasets. PE investors are backing the business to sell genomic testing services to Chinese patients
CMB PE unit leads round for Shanghai pop group developer
Shanghai Star48 Culture & Media, a media agency that developed Chinese female pop group SNH48, has raised a Series C round of funding led by CMB International Capital, a private equity unit of China Merchants Bank.
CDIB Capital backs World Gym Taiwan
CDIB Capital, the PE arm of Taiwan's China Development Financial, has acquired a minority stake in World Gym Taiwan, the largest fitness center chain in Taiwan, alongside several co-investors. Financial terms were not disclosed.
China serviced apartment operator gets $43m
Anxin Apartment, a China-based serviced apartment operator, has raised RMB300 million ($43 million) in a Series B round spread across two tranches.
Sequoia, Banyan lead $51m round for China’s Xiaodian
Sequoia Capital China and Banyan Capital have led a RMB350 million ($51 million) Series B round of funding for Xiaodian, a Beijing-based power bank rental company.
Japan’s Orix to acquire 22% of PE-backed Ormat
Japanese financial services group Orix Corp. has agreed to buy a 22.1% stake in Israeli geothermal energy producer Ormat Technologies for $627 million from an investor group led by PE firm FIMI Opportunity Funds.