Early-stage

BVCF supports anti-viral drug innovation

Since the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), a natural mechanism for regulating gene expression, in the 1990s, billions of dollars have been invested by the world’s pharmaceutical giants in using this technology to develop therapeutic drugs. A particular...

BVCF leads $7.5m Series A for Quark Pharma China JV

China-focused life sciences and healthcare investor BVCF has led a RMB45 million ($7.5 million) Series A round of funding for Kunshan RiboQuark Pharmaceutical Technology, a joint venture established by Quark Pharmaceuticals and Suzhou Ribo Life Science....

SAIF leads $30m round for battery maker Amprius

SAIF Partners has led a Series C round of funding worth $30 million for Amprius, a lithium-ion battery manufacturer headquartered in the US but with production lines in China. All of the company’s existing investors also participated.

NLVC backs Chinese P2P lending platform Dianrong

Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC) has led a Series A round of funding for Chinese P2P lending service Dianrong. The specific investment amount was not disclosed but the company said it was tens of millions of dollars.

Baidu, VCs provide $15m round for fashion site Yoka

Baidu has led a $15 million round of funding for Yoka, a Chinese fashion website. Fidelity Growth Partners also participated in the round alongside existing investors IDG Capital Partners, Matrix Partners and Hearst Corporation.

Intel Capital backs Sanjet's wearable video technology

Intel Capital has committed an undisclosed sum to Sanjet Technology Corp, a Taiwan-based manufacturer of portable multi-purpose video cameras. The funding will be used to support the development of cameras that can be worn on the body or placed inside...

Matrix provides Series A for India traffic information portal

Matrix Partners India has provided a Series A round of funding for real-time traffic and travel information platform Birds Eye Systems. The size of the investment was not disclosed but the capital will be used to expand the company’s coverage from Mumbai,...

BootstrapLabs launches Korea accelerator

Silicon Valley-based accelerator program BootstrapLabs, and Coolidge Corner Investment (CCVC), a Korean technology venture firm, have together formed BootstrapAccelerator Korea, a Seoul-based six-month accelerator program.

VCs to take Kingsoft across borders, platforms

Hong Kong-listed software developer Kingsoft is not in desperate need of capital. It posted a net profit of RMB466.4 million ($76.6 million) in 2012, up 39% year-on-year, and its cash reserves stood at RMB2.4 billion for the year. Furthermore, in July...

Asia Awards: VC Deal of the Year – Tujia

Lightspeed China likes disruptive business models that build up traction online and then use the momentum to gain a foothold offline as well. This has worked to good effect with Meilele, an online furniture retailer that now has a network of 200 offline...

Singapore's Coda Payments gets Series A round

Carrier billing provider Coda Payments has raised $2.3 million in Series A funding from GMO Global Payment Fund, Rakuten Ventures, CyberAgent Ventures, and return backers Golden Gate Ventures and Skype co-founder Toivo Annus.

Blackbird leads round for Australian bitcoin start-up

Blackbird Ventures has invested A$250,000 ($227,645) to lead a A$500,000 round of funding for Melbourne-based CoinJar, a bitcoin wallet and exchange provider. Angel investors in the round include RetailMeNot founders Guy King and Bevan Clark and game...