Articles by Larissa Ku
Xiaomi hits $1.3b second close on semiconductor fund
Xiaomi Private Equity Fund Management, a unit of Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi, has achieved a second close of CNY 9bn (USD 1.29bn) on a semiconductor fund targeting CNY 10bn.
Deal focus: Tiamat innovates around words and pictures
Tiamat originated from a Chinese college student’s experimentation with nascent text-to-image artificial intelligence technology. DCM China and VitalBridge Capital believe it will cut through the industry hype
China VCs back semiconductor start-up InventChip
InventChip Technology, a semiconductor start-up focused on silicon carbide design and fabrication, has raised hundreds of millions of renminbi in Series B funding from several local VC investors.
CDB leads $72m round for China RPA provider Kingsware
CDB Capital has led a CNY 500m (USD 72m) Series C round for Zhuhai-based robotic process automation (RPA) services provider Kingsware Information Technology.
Qiming, Matrix back Chinese AI start-up Frontis
Chinese artificial intelligence generated content (AIGC) start-up Frontis.ai has raised a round of hundreds of millions of renminbi led by Qiming Venture Partners with support from Matrix Partners China.
China vaccine developer Immorna raises $100m
Immorna, a China-based biotech start-up focused on RNA-based therapeutics and vaccines, has raised about USD 100m across two Series A extensions.
China VCs back local automotive chip developer
SiEngine Technology, a China-based developer of chips for smart cars, has raised CNY 500m (USD 73m) in an extended Series A round featuring several local VC firms.
China chatbot developer raises funding to ride ChatGPT wave
Emotibot, a China-based chatbot developer, has raised a Series D extension of undisclosed size from GP Capital, KYMCO Capital, Jiangsu Cultural Investment, and Junci Investment.
China edtech player Nowcoder raises $50m
Beijing-based Nowcoder Technology, a Chinese campus recruitment platform also known as Niuke, has raised USD 50m in Series B funding from Sequoia Capital China, Shunwei Capital, 5Y Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Pegasus Capital.
Regulator raises the qualification bar for Chinese GPs
China has introduced minimum paid-up capital requirements for local private equity firms that could force smaller, less sophisticated players out of the market.
Fan Bao cooperating with investigation - China Renaissance
Fan Bao, group chairman of China Renaissance, is “cooperating in an investigation being carried out by certain authorities” in China, the firm has announced.
AVCJ Awards 2022: Deal of the Year – Mid Cap: Honour Line Shipping
Nexus Point Capital secured the acquisition of Honour Line Shipping despite higher offers from rival bidders because it did its homework on the industry and established good relations with the founders
Fengyuan leads Series A for China battery components maker
Fengyuang Capital has led a CNY 150m (USD 22m) Series A round for Haodyne Technology, a China-based battery materials supplier.
L Catterton re-ups in Australian kombucha brand
Remedy Drinks, an Australia-based healthy beverage brand, has raised a Series B round from existing investors L Catterton and Kin Group.
Guangzhou government commits $29bn to fund-of-funds
The Guangzhou provincial government has established two fund-of-funds (FoFs) with a combined scale of CNY 200bn (USD 29bn).
China distributed power specialist PCG raises $73m
PCG Power, a Chinese energy management services provider incubated by property developers China Poly Group and Country Garden, has raised CNY 500m (USD 73m) in Series A funding.
Profile: Lightspeed China Partners' James Mi
Rejecting a life-changing job offer from Google and overseeing a failed start-up are two of James Mi’s mistakes. He learned from them and then made a success of Lightspeed China Partners
Deal focus: Affine builds software for an office beyond Office
Affine is one of many start-ups working on a set of collaborative tools to replace Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Its open-source model struck a chord with investors at a time when capital is scarce
China rolls out guidelines for offshore IPOs
China has sought to facilitate overseas IPOs by local companies through the introduction of a new regulatory regime to guide the process.
China biosynthesis start-up Bluepha raises $58m
Bluepha, a Chinese start-up focused on bio-based chemicals, has raised CNY 400m (USD 58m) in a fourth tranche of Series B funding.
China GPs back pre-Series A for software start-up Affine
Affine, a Chinese-founded and Singapore-based collaborative software start-up, has raised USD 10m in pre-Series A funding led by Redpoint China, China Growth Capital, and Sinovation Ventures.
China Renaissance founder Fan Bao goes missing
China Renaissance has confirmed it is unable to contact Fan Bao, the group’s chairman, executive director, CEO, and controlling shareholder.
Primavera targets onshore China deals
Primavera Capital Group has established a fund under China's Qualified Foreign Limited Partnership (QFLP) regime, underlining interest in onshore investments among managers with US dollar-denominated pools of capital.
China medical device manufacturer gets Series D backing
China-based medical device manufacturer Hygea Medical Technology has raised more than CNY 100m (USD 15m) in Series D funding led by healthcare-focused In Capital.