Early-stage
Korean metaverse player closes Series A, hits $807m valuation
VA Corporation, a Korean virtual content provider that is positioning itself as a metaverse platform, has achieved a valuation of KRW 1trn (USD 807m) on closing a KRW 100bn Series A round.
Tiger Global leads Series A for New Zealand's ArchiPro
Tiger Global Management has led a NZD 35m (USD 24m) Series A round for New Zealand’s ArchiPro, a platform that connects homeowners with interior design and construction professionals.
Singapore financial crime AI start-up gets $40m
Singapore’s Silent Eight, a compliance and financial crime risk investigation platform, has raised a USD 40m Series B round led by US-based TYH Ventures.
East leads $20m round for Singapore's Mighty Jaxx
Singapore-based toy figurine manufacturer Mighty Jaxx has raised USD 20m in an extended Series A led by East Ventures. Crypto specialist Mirana Ventures also participated.
Tiger Global, Coatue lead Series B for Singapore's AI Rudder
Tiger Global Management and Coatue Management have led a USD 50m Series B round for Singapore-based voice artificial intelligence start-up AI Rudder.
Deal focus: Faux fowl fast-forwards
Next Gen Foods is pushing hard to popularise its meatless chicken brand Tindle in the name of climate action. The largest-ever Series A round in alternative protein is jumpstarting the campaign
China cancer drug developer InxMed raises $50m
InxMed, a China-based biotech company focused on oncology treatments, has raised a USD 50m Series B round led by SDIC China Merchants Investment.
Australia's Saluda Medical raises $125m
US-based healthcare investor Redmile Group has led a USD 125m round for Australia’s Saluda Medical, a devices company focused on spinal cord stimulation.
India edtech player Filo gets $23m Series A
Filos, an India-based instant live-tutoring platform, has raised USD 23m in Series A funding led by US investor Anthos Capital. It is said to be the largest-ever Series A in India’s education technology space.
Headline leads Series B for Australian payments start-up Zeller
Australian payments provider Zeller has closed an AUD 100m (USD 73m) Series B round led by Headline, a US venture capital firm, and supported by domestic superannuation fund Hostplus.
China logistics player Jumeng raises $100m
Fortuna Capital has led a USD 100m investment in Shanghai truck-based logistics platform Jumeng Logistcs, described as the third tranche in a Series B round. IDG Capital also took part.
China VC: Funding puzzles
Late-stage investors are appearing in earlier funding rounds in China, offering premium valuations but potentially leaving start-ups in situations where they have too much too soon
China 5G chip designer Cygnus raises $100m
Chinese 5G chip design company Cygnus Semiconductor has raised USD 100m in Series A funding and an extended pre-Series A round led by Matrix Partners China and Wofo Capital.
Singapore's Volopay gets $29m Series A
Singapore’s Volopay, a B2B financial technology provider specialising in cross-border transactions, has raised USD 29m in Series A funding led by Justin Mateen, co-founder of Tinder.
Deal focus: Affirma sees promise in Asia e-scooters
Affirma Capital has led a USD 93m Series B round for Singapore-based e-scooter provider Beam, citing its ability to internationalise a locally-focused and increasingly popular business model
Pakistan fintech player NayaPay gets $13m seed round
NayaPay, a Pakistan-based financial technology start-up has secured USD 13m in what is claimed to be one of the country’s largest-ever seed rounds.
China cross-border fintech start-up secures $20m
Dowsure, a Shenzhen-based financial technology start-up that has developed credit-checking software that enables banks to lend to small-scale e-commerce vendors, has secured USD 20m in Series B funding.
ZWC, IDG back China social CRM service provider
Wshoto – a Chinese social customer relationship management (SCRM) service provider that focuses on the WeChat ecosystem - has raised a CNY 300m (USD 47m) Series B round across two tranches.
A91, Z3Partners lead Series B for India's Shipsy
A91 Partners and Z3 Partners have led a USD 25m Series B round for India-based Shipsy, an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that helps companies automate logistics.
Deal focus: Tapping a soft spot for Asian VCs
Investment professionals in Asia know on a personal level exactly what education technology provider Cialfo is doing and why the service is a big help. Now they’re taking it to the next level
New Zealand's Soul Machines raises $70m
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has led a USD 70m round for New Zealand-based Soul Machines, which specialises in creating lifelike digital employees for customer engagement.
Singapore's Next Gen Foods raises $100m Series A
Singapore-based Next Gen Foods, maker of vegetarian chicken brand Tindle, has raised a USD 100m Series A round featuring GGV Capital and Temasek Holdings’ Asia Sustainable Foods Platform.
Deal focus: Proterra's alternative take on incubation
Early-stage bets on oat milk and healthy beverages in Asia by Proterra Investment Partners reflect a willingness to back nascent brands, but in doing so, the firm believes it is dialling down the risk
Deal focus: Indonesia's fintech plumber
Brick is developing backend digital infrastructure so that financial technology start-ups in Southeast Asia can provide seamless services. Priorities include deepening functionality and geographic expansion