Early-stage
Sinarmas supports Ardent Capital's Southeast Asia expansion
Southeast Asia-focused e-commerce investor Ardent Capital has received $12.5 million in funding led by Indonesian conglomerate Sinarmas. Existing backers also participated.
Matrix invests in India's Red Monster
Matrix Partners India has invested an undisclosed sum in mobile game developer Red Monster Games.
India local-language media start-up gets $16m from VCs
Sequoia Capital has led a INR1 billion ($16.4 million) round of funding for Verse Innovation, owner and operator of India-based local-language mobile platform NewsHunt.
Japan learning platform Mana.bo raises $3m Series A round
Nissay Capital and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital have joined Japanese education firm Benesse in investing JPY330 million ($3 million) in online learning platform Mana.bo.
New Zealand's Shuttlerock raises $2.35m Series A
Shuttlerock, a New Zealand-based visual marketing software company, has raised $2.35 million in a Series A round of funding.
UK's Amadeus Capital to open India office
Amadeus Capital Partners, the UK-based technology venture capital firm, will open an office in India as it looks to invest up to $10 million in local start-ups.
Crowdfunding: Herd dynamics
More start-ups are tapping crowdfunding platforms for capital. How well prepared are Asian markets to accommodate the phenomenon and what does its emergence mean for venture capital investors?
India's Power2SME raises $7m Series C round
Power2SME, an Indian group buying start-up, has raised a INR420 million ($6.87 million) Series C round from existing investors Accel Partners, Kalaari Capital and Inventus Capital.
India's BigBasket raises $32.8m Series B from Helion, Zodius
Helion Venture Partners and Zodius Capital have led a INR2 billion ($32.8 million) Series B round of investment in BigBasket.com - the Indian online retailer owned by Bangalore-based SuperMarket Grocery Supplies.
Australia's Looop raises $2m
Looop, an Australian online learning platform for employees, has raised a $2 million seed round from an undisclosed education investor.
VCs back Zai Lab drug development model
Few VC firms are keen to invest in China's early-stage drug discovery space because the development cycle is long and risky. Taking a new drug from clinical testing to commercialization often takes 7-10 years and the success rate in China is less than...
Rebright leads $1m seed round for Singapore's Smove
Japanese seed investor Rebright Partners has led a $1.1 million funding round for Clean Mobility Singapore, the Singapore-based start-up behind car rental service Smove, with participation from 500 Startups and Wavemaker Pacific.
VCs take part in $2.1m round for Japan's Innova
Nippon Venture Capital, Draper Nexus and strategic investor Salesforce.com have together invested JPY220 million ($2.1 million) on Tokyo-based search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing agency Innova.
H&Q leads $16.7m round for cloud insurance software firm
H&Q Asia Pacific has led a $16.7 million Series A round for US cloud insurance software provider One Inc.; Camp One Ventures and AGI Partners also took part in the round.
Korea VC: Seoul-searching
The South Korean start-up community is flourishing as early-stage investors flock to the country in search of opportunities. What is driving this renewed interest and can it last?
Tencent pumps $70m into China healthcare networking site
Tencent Holdings has invested $70 million into dxy.com, a Chinese networking and information-sharing site for healthcare professionals
India messaging app raises $65m in Tiger Global-led round
Tiger Global has led a $65 million investment in Hike, the Indian mobile message app.
Stonebridge leads $3.5m round for Korean wearables maker
Stonebridge Capital has led a $3.5 million Series A round for Ybrain, a Korean start-up that makes wearables for Alzheimer's patients.
Australia's UOW launches $9m seed fund
Australia's University of Wollongong (UOW) has launched a A$10 million ($9 million) seed fund to support domestic start-ups.
Softbank, Pantera lead $3m Series A for Korean bitcoin exchange
SoftBank Ventures Korea and Pantera Capital have led a $3 million Series A round of funding for Korean bitcoin exchange, wallet and merchant processor, Korbit.
GoGoVan eyes regional expansion
Three Hong Kong youngsters came up with an idea to supply disposable lunchboxes to local restaurants for free and make a return by selling display advertising on the products.
China regulation: Circular progress
China’s foreign exchange regulator has issued new rules simplifying the use of offshore special purpose vehicles for investment purposes. It’s good news for VCs but questions remain about implementation
Alibaba backs Chinese Wi-Fi operator
Alibaba Group has invested an undisclosed sum in Witown, a Chinese Wi-Fi solutions provider.
Jafco invests $2m in Japan surgical robot maker
Jafco Ventures has invested JPY200 million ($2 million) in Riverfield, a Japanese start-up that develops robotic technology for use in the healthcare sector.