Early-stage
Deal focus: Legend backs Mancando’s offline network
Legend Capital sees Mancando's extensive network of brick-and-mortar outlets as the key to bringing greater supply chain efficiency to the Chinese auto parts industry
Thailand's Beacon leads $6.5m round for local fintech player
Beacon Venture Capital, the VC unit of Thailand’s Kasikornbank, has led a $6.5 million investment in Jitta, a local financial technology provider and stock analysis platform operator.
Legend leads $29m round for Chinese biotech player
Sciwind Biosciences, a Chinese drug developer focused on treating metabolic disorders, has raised RMB200 million ($29 million) in Series A funding led by Legend Capital, with participation from existing investors Shiyu Capital and Beijing-based biotech...
Deal focus: From space food to sustainable food
Sustainable Bioproducts left stealth mode to raise a $33 million Series A round as it targets commercialization for an edible protein technology that won early backing from NASA
VC documentation: Standardizing small print
The rapid growth of venture capital in Southeast Asia has fostered the emergence of varied working practices. Singapore’s model investment agreements are intended to help bring order to chaos
Indonesia’s BeliMobilGue raises $10m Series A
Indonesia’s BeliMobilGue, a used car trading platform backed by a number of VCs, has raised $10 million in a Series A round led by parent company Frontier Car Group with participation from Toyota Tunas Indonesia.
Chinese auto parts supplier raises $25m in Series A
Mancando, an automotive parts supplier based in Guangdong province, has raised RMB170 million ($25 million) in Series A funding led by Eastern Bell Venture Capital, with participation from Legend Capital.
1955 Capital leads Series A for sustainable foods specialist
1955 Capital, a cross-border PE firm that invests in US and European technologies with application potential in Asia, has led a $33 million Series A round for edible protein developer Sustainable Bioproducts.
IDG, Lilly join $10m round for China’s EdiGene
IDG Capital and Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) have joined a $10 million investment in EdiGene, a developer of genetics-based therapies based in Beijing.
Eight Roads leads $6.3m round for India pharma player
Ashish Life Science, an Indian producer of generic pharmaceuticals for the international veterinary market, has raised a INR450 million ($6.3 million) Series A round led by Eight Roads Ventures India.
Chinese industrial waste processor raises $37m Series A
Ningbo-based industrial hazardous waste processor Nuoke Huanjing Keji has raised RMB250 million ($37.2 million) in a Series A round of funding participated by US-China Green Fund and Avic Trust.
Australian courier services player Sendle gets Series B
Federation Asset Management – a group headed by the former head of Macquarie Capital’s principal investment division in Australia and New Zealand – has led a A$20 million ($14.5 million) Series B for Australian courier services player Sendle.
Chinese satellite developer receives $37m angel round
Chang Guang Satellite Technology, a China-based commercial satellite developer, has raised RMB250 million ($37 million) in angel funding, underlining growing investor interest in space-related technology.
Internal affairs: China VCs and relationship management
Recent troubles in China’s autonomous driving space highlight the challenges venture capital investors face in picking the right founders to back and then managing those relationships in a productive way
China supply chain solutions provider gets $356m Series A
Shenzhen-based Zhunshida, or Jusida, a logistics spin-out from Foxconn International, has raised RMB2.4 billion ($355.8 million) in Series A funding led by China Life Insurance.
Hong Kong's Integrated leads $10m round for India's Rapido
Hong Kong-based investment firm Integrated Capital has led a $10 million Series A round for Indian motor scooter taxi start-up Rapido.
VCs commit $15m to Japanese AI specialist
A group of venture capital firms, including SBI Investment, have invested $15 million in a Series B round for Cinnamon, a Japanese artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on office automation.
Asia start-ups: Global reach
Asian start-ups are under increasing pressure to head off competition by pursuing global expansion agendas in their earliest stages of development. They must pay careful attention to social disparities
Sequoia launches accelerator for India, Southeast Asia start-ups
Sequoia Capital has launched Surge, an accelerator program aimed at start-ups that are either based in or targeting India and Southeast Asia.
BP Ventures backs China EV player
BP Ventures, the venture capital arm of BP, has made its first investment in China, leading a Series A round for electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider PowerShare.
Chinese AI start-up AInnovation raises $59m
Beijing-based artificial intelligence (AI) solutions provider AInnovation has raised RMB400 million ($58.9 million) in Series A funding led by CICC Alpha, a subsidiary of China International Capital Corporation.
Deal focus: Singapore Life delivers insurance update
Singapore Life has accelerated plans to digitize the insurance and wealth management industry following a $33 million Series B from Aberdeen Standard Investments and Aflac
Malaysia's OSK invests Singapore's Blue Planet
Malaysian private equity firm OSK Ventures International has made an investment of undisclosed size in Singapore waste management company Blue Planet Environmental Solutions.
China's Gobi makes its first two Philippines investments
China’s Gobi Partners has made its first investments in the Philippines with early-stage commitments of undisclosed size for online healthcare services provider Maria Health and student portal operator Edukasyon.
