Early-stage
IMJ's Koichi Saito launches new VC fund
Koichi Saito, a former partner at Japanese venture capital firm IMJ Investment Partners, has launched his own VC outfit - KK Fund.
Sydney launches financial technology start-up hub
Sydney has launched a hub for financial technology start-ups, supported by initial funding of A$2 million ($1.6 million) from a string of Australian banks, property and technology firms in collaboration with the New South Wales government.
Taiwan's MediaTek launches $300m corporate VC fund
MediaTek, a leading Taiwanese fabless chipmaker, has launched a $300 million venture fund that will invest in global start-ups.
CIMB, Mitsubishi in $130m first close on SE Asia-focused fund
Malaysian financial services provider CIMB Group and Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation have announced a first close of $130 million on their ASEAN Industrial Growth Fund (AIGF).
China gold rush: Venture in bloom
Flipping through the pages of a men's magazine in an airport lounge, I can't help but notice that double-breasted suits being hailed as one of the next big trends in menswear. Yes, the Gordon Gekko look, with some updates, is back. And like the fashion...
Big data: Number crunchers
Already an established investment trend, big data is becoming increasingly mainstream. From a VC perspective, the money will be made by going specialist and helping clients turn numbers into commercial action
Maverick commits $15m to India adtech start-up
Maverick Capital Venture - the venture capital affiliate of hedge fund Maverick Capital - has led a $15 million round of funding for India and Southeast Asia-focused mobile marketing data platform Vserv.
Fenox invests $2m in Japan solar energy marketplace
Fenox Venture Capital has invested $2 million in I AND C-Cruise (IACC), the Japanese start-up behind solar power web portal Green-EnergyNavi.com.
Alibaba to launch $316m non-profit fund for Taiwan start-ups
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has earmarked NT$100 billion ($316 million) for a not-for-profit fund that will be used to boost entrepreneurship among young people in Taiwan.
OTPP commits funding to Singapore mobile platform Garena
Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) has led a new round of funding for Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform Garena. Existing shareholders also participated.
VC-backed Ola acquires smaller rival TaxiForSure
India's largest VC-backed taxi-booking service Ola has acquired its smaller rival TaxiForSure for $200 million in a cash and stock deal.
China's N5 Capital launches $200m debut VC fund
N5 Capital, a Beijing-based venture capital firm, has launched its debut US dollar-denominated fund.
Indian food ordering service TinyOwl raises $16m
Indian food ordering service TinyOwl has managed to raise a $16 million Series B round of funding led by Matrix Partners. Existing investors Sequoia Capital and Nexus Venture Partners also took part.
India home delivery service Grofers raises $10m
India grocery delivery service Grofers has raised a $10 million Series A round of funding from Tiger Global management and existing investor Sequoia Capital.
US-based 500 Startups unveils $15m South Korea fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has launched another $15 million Asian satellite fund in Korea - called 500 Kimchi - a little over a week after it announced a similar vehicle in Thailand.
Singapore space junk start-up raises $7.7m Series A
Astronscale, a Singapore-based start-up that develops satellites to remove space debris, has raised $7.7 million in a Series A round of funding from JAFCO and nine entrepreneurs from Japan.
Helion leads $5m round for Indian shopping app
Indian fashion discovery and shopping app Wooplr has managed to raise $5 million in a Series A round of funding led by Helion Venture Partners.
US accelerator 500 Startups launches $10m Thai fund
Silicon Valley-based accelerator and early stage investor 500 Startups is understood to be launching a new $10 million micro-fund for Thailand.
VCs invest $34m in Japan online printing start-up
Japanese online printing service Raksul has managed to raise JPY4 billion ($33.7 million) from a slew of local venture capital investors.
Tiger Global leads $4m Series A round for India news app
Tiger Global has led a $4 million Series A round investment in India's News In Shorts (NIS), a mobile-based service that aggregates shortened news stories.
NSI Ventures leads round for Singapore insurance marketplace
NSI Ventures, the VC unit of Northstar Group, has led Series A round of funding worth $8 million for Asian insurance and wellness marketplace CXA, alongside consumer and technology fund F&H and healthcare investor BioVeda.
YJ Capital invests $3.4m in Japanese online laundry service
WhitePlus - the Japanese start-up behind an online laundry service called Lenet - has managed to raise JPY408 million ($3.4 million) from Yahoo! Japan's corporate investment arm, YJ Capital.
Singapore start-ups: Another option
The Singapore Exchange and Clearbridge Accelerator are launching a capital-raising platform for Asian start-ups. Does it represent a much-needed stepping stone between private and public markets?
Australian biotech start-up raises $20m Series B round
Vaxxas, an Australian biotechnology start-up developing a novel vaccination platform, has raised a A$25 million ($20 million) Series B round of funding from a group of new and existing investors led by OneVentures.