Early-stage
Tiger Global leads Series A extension for Singapore's Intellect
Tiger Global Management has led a USD 10m Series A extension for Singapore-based mental health start-up Intellect, demonstrating its willingness to reach more deeply into early-stage deals in Asia.
Deal focus: Dayone champions lithium-ion alternative
In throwing its support behind Enpower Greentech, Dayone Capital hopes the Chinese company can turn solid-state batteries into a commercially viable reality for electric vehicles
Deal focus: GPs go big on China biosynthesis
Advances in synthetic biology and China’s carbon-neutral ambitions have prompted investors to re-examine bio-manufacturing plays. Mojia Biotech is among the beneficiaries
Indonesia B2B agriculture marketplace gets $35m Series A
AgriAku, an Indonesia-based B2B marketplace that looks to improve agriculture supply chain efficiency for retailers of agricultural inputs, has raised USD 35m in Series A funding led by Alpha JWC Ventures.
Prosus leads $25m Series B for India's Vegrow
Prosus Ventures, a technology investment business controlled by Naspers, has led a USD 25m Series B round for Vegrow, an India-based marketplace that helps farmers sell their fruit crops into organised distribution channels.
China medical big data player Aden secures $30m
Aden Technology, a China-based medical big data company specialising in insurance, has raised an extended Series B round of CNY 200m (USD 30m) led by Haier Capital with participation from Xingtuo Capital.
Singapore blockchain gaming start-up gets $20m
Singapore’s Oasys, a blockchain technology developer focused on web3 gaming, has raised USD 20m from several specialist crypto investors.
Australian start-up wins backing for spider venom drug
Infensa Bioscience, a newly established Brisbane-based drug developer, has raised AUD 23m (USD 15.6m) in funding to support the licensing of a nascent treatment that uses spider venom to mitigate heart attacks and strokes.
Australia tech: Valuation conundrum
Valuation adjustments and down rounds are expected to proliferate in Australia’s technology sector in the next 12 months. Investors are busy scrutinising business models for signs of vulnerability
Sequoia, Dayone back China solid state battery developer
China-based Enpower Greentech, which claims to be a pioneer in next-generation all-solid-state batteries (ASSBs), has raised more than USD 20m in an extended Series A round led by Sequoia Capital China and Dayone Capital.
India start-up financier GetVantage raises $36m
GetVantage, a provider of revenue-based financing to Indian start-ups, has secured USD 36m in funding led by Varanium Nexgen Fintech Fund, DMI Sparkle Fund, Chiratae Ventures, and Dream Incubator Japan.
Tough funding terms can hinder start-up growth - forum
Imposing punitive terms on founders in response to governance concerns can prove counterproductive to long-term growth as start-ups move through funding rounds and stipulations intensify, a Singapore Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (SVCA)...
China biotech: End of the boom
PE investment in China biotech has collapsed amid failed IPO processes and disputed valuations. Pockets of activity remain, though questions around commercialisation have yet to be answered
SeaTown invests $50m in Vietnam e-commerce enabler
SeaTown Holdings International, an alternatives manager owned by Temasek Holdings, has provided a USD 50m Series B round for Vietnamese e-commerce enabler OnPoint.
China RNA vaccine developer raises $42m
Therorna, a China-based biotech company specializing in vaccines and drugs based on circular RNA technology, has raised USD 42m in Series A funding.
China bio-manufacturing start-up Mojia raises $80m
Temasek Holdings has led a USD 80m Series B round for Shanghai-based bio-manufacturing start-up Mojia Biotech.
5Y leads $74m round for China AI drug developer
Beijing-based HeliXon, an artificial intelligence-enabled developer of protein-based drugs, has raised CNY 500m (USD 75m) in Series A funding led by 5Y Capital. Other investors include Gaorong Capital and Neumann Capital.
Openspace, VI Group lead $25m round for Vietnam's Finhay
Openspace Ventures and VI Group have led a USD 25m Series B round for Vietnamese digital investment platform Finhay.
Malaysia's RPG Commerce raises $29m Series B
East Ventures has led a USD 29m Series B round for Malaysia-based direct-to-consumer (DTC) social e-commerce company RPG Commerce.
Singapore e-commerce aggregator gets $45m
Singapore’s Rainforest, an aggregator of Amazon marketplace sellers, has raised a USD 45m round led by Southern Capital, which provided USD 15m.
Deal focus: TH Capital identifies key niche in energy storage
Zhongchu Guoneng Technology is leading China’s push into compressed air energy storage as a means of harnessing fast-rising yet unstable wind and solar capacity. Tsinghua Holdings Capital is among the backers
Deal focus: Pakistan’s Dastgyr aspires to emulate Alibaba
SOSV sees parallels between the e-commerce awakenings in Pakistan and China, though 20 years apart. Dastgyr has positioned itself at the fore, but it wants to be asset-light rather than asset-heavy
Indonesia blockchain player Ekta raises $60m
Indonesia’s Ekta, a blockchain ecosystem operator with a non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace and eponymous cryptocurrency, has raised USD 60m from US-based Global Emerging Markets (GEM).
Vulcan leads $10.5m Series A for Singapore's Amili
Vulcan Capital, an investment vehicle established by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, has led a USD 10.5m Series A round for Singapore-based microbe analytics start-up Amili.