Early-stage
Chinese GPs back $120m Series B for OPay
A group of Chinese investors including Gaorong Capital and Sequoia Capital China have joined a $120 million Series B round for Nigerian logistics and payments technology company Opay.
Xiaomi-backed smart home player raises $100 million
Lumi United, a Chinese smart home appliances and internet-of-things (IoT) solutions provider backed by smart phone maker Xiaomi, has raised $100 million in the third tranche of a Series B funding round.
Pavilion, Gobi lead $18m round for Indonesia's Travelio
Pavilion Capital and Gobi Partners had co-led an $18 million Series B round for Indonesia’s Travelio, an Airbnb-style home rentals start-up.
China VCs get more selective - AVCJ Forum
Chinese venture capital firms are doubling down on areas in which they have domain expertise as the spectrum of opportunities widens, industry participants told the AVCJ Forum.
Korean mobile app market One Store gets $86m
One Store, a Korean mobile app market controlled by SK Telecom, has raised a KRW100 billion ($86 million) round led by local VC firm Kiwoom Investment.
Japan's WealthNavi secures $37m funding round
A fund launched by Sony Financial Ventures and Global Brain is among the participants in a JPY4.1 billion ($37.5 million) funding round for Japanese financial technology start-up WealthNavi.
Hillhouse, Crystal Stream invest African logistics start-up
Lori Systems, one of Africa’s largest logistics coordination platforms, has raised almost $30 million in a Series A round led by Hillhouse Capital and Crystal Stream Capital.
Pakistan’s Airlift raises $12m Series A
Pakistan’s Airlift, a bus-hailing app, has raised a $12 million Series A round led by US-based First Round Capital. It is being called the largest ever Series A in Pakistan.
Chinese antibody drug developer raises $150m
Akeso Biopharma, a Chinese biotech company specializing in antibody drugs, has raised a $150 million Series D round led by Loyal Valley Capital and Sino Biopharm.
Deal focus: China's XTransfer fills missing link in fintech
XTransfer has won backing from Alibaba and a string of venture capital investors to provide a bridge to payment services that so many small businesses in China are still forced to go without
Chinese VC in Africa: Cultural barriers
Chinese investors recognize the long-term potential in fostering technology-enabled business models in Africa, but reluctance to engage local stakeholders and develop local knowledge is holding them back
India motorcycle taxi platform Rapido gets $55m Series B
Chinese early-stage investor Shunwei Capital Partners has participated in a Series B funding round for Indian motorcycle taxi operator Rapido, drawing comparisons with the growth trajectory of Indonesia’s Go-Jek.
Singapore marketing tech player Mobikon raises $12.5m
Mobikon, a Singapore-based marketing technology provider for the restaurant industry, has received a $12.5 million Series B round led by Binny Bansal, co-founder of Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart.
China AI chatbot developer raises $45m
Emotibot, a Chinese provider of computer vision and emotional recognition solutions to e-commerce platforms, financial institutions, and call center operators, has raised $45 million in an extended Series B round of funding.
Huaxing, Hillhouse lead $50m round for China's Hetao 101
Hetao 101, a Chinese online education platform dedicated to computer programming for children, has raised $50 million in Series B funding.
Portfolio: China Everbright and Terminus
China Everbright has turned a sub-scale consumer-facing smart door lock manufacturer into an internet-of-things platform catering to enterprise customers. Terminus is now building out its product base
Consumer hardware: Some assembly required
Consumer hardware is a cratered landscape in venture capital, and the risk-reward equation is not particularly well understood. New ways of looking at a traditional industry are needed
Alibaba-backed positioning service provider raises $141m Series A
Qianxun Spacial Intelligence or Qianxun SI, a high-precision positioning services provider, has raised RMB1 billion ($141 million) in a Series A funding round, taking its valuation past RMB13 billion.
China's Qutoutiao raises $100m for e-book app
CMC Capital Partners has led a $100 million Series B round of funding round for Midu, an e-book platform operated by Chinese news aggregator Qutoutiao.
Kejora, InterVest lead $30m Series B for Malaysia's Aerodyne
Indonesia’s Kejora Ventures and Korea’s InterVest have jointly led a $30 million Series B investment in Malaysian drone technology supplier Aerodyne.
India's MyGate gets $56m Series B
Tencent Holdings, JS Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Prime Venture Partners have provided a $56 million Series B round to India’s MyGate, a security app for gated communities.
Chinese investors lead round for US influenza specialist
Ansun BioPharma, a US-based drug developer led by a former executive at healthcare-focused VC firms Caduceus Asia Partners and OrbiMed, has raised $80 million in Series B funding from a predominantly Chinese investor base.
Chinese renovation materials trading platform raises $18m
Little Bear, a Shanghai-based B2B platform that matches buyers with suppliers of renovation materials, has raised RMB130 million ($18 million) led by Immensus Capital, with participation from Matrix Partners China and Yunqi Capital.
Legend joins $70m round for China pet food producer
Gambol, a Chinese pet food producer has secured a RMB500 million ($70 million) Series B from Legend Capital and Industrial Bank.
