Early-stage
INCJ consortium invests $21m in Japan stem cell start-up
Megakaryon, a Japan-based stem cell technology developer, has raised JPY2.54 billion ($21.2 million) from a consortium of investors including existing backers Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, SMBC Venture Capital...
Chile's Grupo Arcano to invest $100m in Australian start-ups
Chilean private equity firm Grupo Arcano plans to invest up to $100 million over the next two years in Australian start-ups.
Taiwan incubator AppWorks raises $50m start-up fund
AppWorks, a Taiwanese incubator, has raised NT$1.5 billion ($50 million) for a new fund to support domestic internet start-ups.
INCJ invests in Japan laser manufacturer Spectronix
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has agreed to invest up to JPY500 million ($4.2 million) in laser manufacturer Spectronix.
VC-backed Snapdeal buys stake in logistics platform
Jasper Infotech, the VC-backed enterprise behind Indian online marketplace Snapdeal, has bought a 20% stake in QuickDel Logistics, operator of e-commerce logistics platform Gojavas.
HK's Nest appoints ex-Intel executive to set up accelerator franchise
Hong Kong-based seed investor Nest has appointed Peter Dingle, formerly of Intel Corporation, to lead its newly-established Branded Accelerators program.
Australia's VentureCrowd partners with Sydney Angels
VentureCrowd - an Australian equity crowdfunding platform - has formed a partnership with angel investor group Sydney Angels in order to allow start-ups to tap new sources of capital.
Indonesia start-ups: Growth inflection
Indonesia has relatively incubators, angels and entrepreneurs with businesses of investible quality. Does the recent large investment in Tokopedia suggest the start-up ecosystem is now coming of age?
India Value Fund commits $50m to taxi firm Meru
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has injected a fresh $50 million in radio taxi service Meru Cab, and is understood to be in talks to invest an additional $100 million in the next two months.
Japanese restaurant app Retty raises $8.2m
Fidelity Growth Partners Japan has led a JPY1 billion ($8.24 million) Series C investment in Retty, a Japanese social restaurant guide. Existing investors also took part.
Indian game developer Moonfrog raises Series A round
Indian mobile gaming start-up Moonfrog has raised $15 million in a Series A round of funding led by Tiger Global and existing investor Sequoia Capital.
Japan's Rakuten leads $530m Series E round for Lyft
Japanese e-commerce player Rakuten has led a $530 million Series E round of funding for US ride sharing app Lyft - valuing the business at $2.5 billion. Fortress Investment Group also participated.
South Korea's Memebox raises $17.5m from VCs
Beauty-focused e-commerce start-up Memebox has raised a $17.5 million Series B round of funding from a consortium of VC backers.
Matrix leads $15m round for China CRM platform Xiaoshouyi
Matrix Partners has led a $15 million Series C round of funding for Xiaoshouyi, a Chinese customer relationship management (CRM) platform, alongside Sequoia Capital.
Tiger Global, Accel commit $5m to India's ChargeBee
US-based Tiger Global has led a $5 million Series B round for India-based subscription billing system developer ChargeBee. Existing backer Accel also participated.
Lightspeed backs China's DaoCloud
Lightspeed China Partners has invested in DaoCloud, a Chinese cloud computing start-up.
China car-washing app raises $20m from Ping An VC
Ping An Ventures, a venture capital arm under Ping An Insurance, has provided $20 million in Series A funding for Exc118.com, a Chinese car-washing service mobile app.
Kalaari invests $2.5m in India-based Codigami
Kalaari Capital has committed $2.5 million to Codigami, parent company of Indian social media manager app Crowdfire, in a Series A round of funding.
Biopharma venture raises $7.3m from Korean investors
Korean healthcare-focused VC firm InterVest and tech-focused E&Investment have together invested $7.28 million in G-treeBNT, a Seoul-based diversified bio pharmaceutical business.
Mainland Chinese investors barred from owning Taiwan start-ups
Chinese groups are free to make venture capital investments in Taiwan but they will not be able to gain control over local start-ups, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA).
Korean education social network raises $3.2m
Classting, a South Korean social networking site for students and teachers, has raised a KRW3.5 billion ($3.17 million) Series B round of funding led by Partner Investment, a tech-focused PE firm based in Seoul.
VC-backed Chinese home furnishing site Jia.com raises $160m
Jia.com, a Chinese home furnishing and decoration B2C online platform backed by several VC firms, has completed a Series D round of funding worth $160 million.
Chinese parenting site Lamabang raises $100m
China online retailer Vipshop has led a $100 million Series C round of funding for Lamabang, an online social networking platform that focuses on mothers.
Singapore launches first equity crowdfunding platform
Andy Lim, co-founder of Tembusu Partners and founder financial services group MoneyWorld, has launched Singapore's first equity crowdfunding platform.