Articles by Larissa Ku
Local turbulence drives China tech players abroad - AVCJ Forum
Regulatory uncertainty in China has encouraged local technology companies to go global rather than rely on a single market, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
Xiaomi invests $70m in China LiDAR specialist Hesai
Xiaomi Industrial Investment Fund, a vehicle controlled by smart devices brand Xiaomi, has invested $70 million in Hesai Technology, a China-based developer of sensors used in autonomous driving.
Investors get tough on diversity - AVCJ Forum
Investors are pressing GPs and portfolio companies to do more on gender and cultural diversity, pointing to evidence that greater parity boosts performance, the AVCJ ESG Forum heard.
CMC, Goldman lead $150m round for China's Cyclone Robotics
Cyclone Robotics, a Shanghai-based robotic process automation (RPA) start-up, has raised $150 million in a Series C round led by CMC Capital Group and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Vision Fund backs China cleaning robot maker
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Capital Today have led a RMB1.2 billion ($188 million) Series C round for Chinese cleaning robot maker Gaussian Robotics.
Centurium invests $100m in China caterer Meican
Centurium Capital has provided a $100 million Series E round for Meican, a Chinese corporate food services company.
China's Red raises $500m at $20b valuation
Chinese social e-commerce app Xiaohongshu, also known as Red, has raised a $500 million round led by Temasek Holdings and Tencent Holdings at a valuation of $20 billion, up from $3 billion in 2018.
China regulation: Shock and awe
A raft of rules, largely targeting the technology sector, has challenged business cases and thwarted exits in China. It is also contributing to tweaks in investment strategy
GL Capital leads $125m round for Hzymes Biotechnology
Wuhan-based Hzymes Biotechnology, a specialized enzymes developer, has raised RMB800 million ($125 million) in Series C funding led by healthcare specialist GL Capital
China CRO Tripod raises $156m
Tripod Preclinical Research Laboratories, a China-based contract research organization (CRO) based in Nanjing, has raised RMB1 billion ($156 million) led by Ruihua Capital, Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) and GL Ventures.
Tiger Global leads $100m round for China HR SaaS player
Moka, a Chinese software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specializing in human resources services, has raised a $100 million Series C led by Tiger Global Management.
China's Momenta adds $500m to Series C round
Strategic and financial investors have put another $500 million into Chinese autonomous driving technology developer Momenta, endorsing the company's two-legged approach to commercialization
Cross-currency restructuring underpins Ameba's VC fund
China-focused VC firm Ameba Capital has closed its debut US dollar-denominated fund at $265 million, supported by a renminbi-to-US dollar secondary restructuring and a primary staple.
KKR, 5Y lead Series C for China contact lens brand
Moody, a China-based cosmetic contact lens brand, has raised RMB1 billion ($156 million) in a Series C funding round led by KKR and 5Y Capital. Source Code Capital re-upped.
China e-commerce: Chaos in the community
With investor sentiment on China’s technology sector cooling, community group buying platforms are battling to conserve cash. This has done little for the government’s anti-monopoly drive
China smart home specialist Aqara raises $156m
Aqara, a China-based provider of smart home appliances and internet-of-things (IoT) solutions, has raised RMB1 billion ($156 million) in Series C funding.
Qihoo leads $630m round for China EV maker Hozon
China security software provider Qihoo 360 Technology has led a RMB4 billion ($630 million) round for Hozon Auto, a local electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturer, making an individual contribution of RMB2 billion.
China ride-hailing app T3 Go raises $1.2b
T3 Go, a Nanjing-based ride-hailing platform, has raised a RMB7.7 billion ($1.2 billion) Series A round led by CITIC Investments. Redview Capital and Virtue Capital also took part.
China e-commerce SaaS player Huice raises $312m
Huice, a China-based provider of software for e-commerce retailers, has raised $312 million in a Series D round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. This is the largest single round in China’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry year-to-date.
Chinese collaboration software provider Lanhu raises $157m
Chinese collaboration software company Lanhu has raised RMB1 billion ($157 million) in an extended Series C round led by GGV Capital, reaching a valuation of $1 billion.
China networking chip specialist Clounix raises $63m
China-based networking chip manufacturer Clounix has raised approximately RMB400 million ($63 million) across angel and pre-Series A rounds.
China vacuum cleaner brand Dreame raises $563m
Dreame, a Beijing-headquartered vacuum cleaner maker backed by smart phone and consumer electronics giant Xiaomi, has raised RMB3.6 billion ($563 million) in Series C funding.
China flying vehicle developer HT Aero raises $500m
HT Aero, an urban air mobility (UAM) company affiliated with Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Xpeng, has raised a $500 million Series A round led by Xpeng, IDG Capital, and 5Y Capital.
Alibaba leads Series D for China cancer test kit business
Guangzhou-based Creative Biosciences, which manufacturers kits that test for colon cancer, has raised a RMB560 million ($88 million) Series D led by Alibaba Group.