Early-stage
Japan biotech player raises $25m Series B
Japanese biotech developer Modulus Discovery has raised $25.5 million in Series B funding from a group of local VCs including SBI Investment.
Indian agtech start-up raises $5.9m Series A
Indian agricultural technology start-up Intello Labs has raised $5.9 million in a Series A funding round led by Saama Capital, Singapore’s Grow and SVG Ventures-Thrive.
Gaorong leads Series A for Chinese gene sequencing player
Qitan Technology, a Chinese gene sequencing company, has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series A funding led by Gaorong Capital. Other backers include Yinxinggu Capital and Yahui Preision Medical Fund.
Intel Capital backs three Chinese start-ups
Intel Capital has invested in two Chinese semiconductor suppliers and a Chinese medical technology developer as part of a $132 million commitment spread across 11 start-ups.
Deal focus: GudangAda fills FMCG distribution void
Keeping every small store in Indonesia well-stocked is a monumentally complex challenge that GudangAda tackles by bringing buyers and sellers together online.
Deal focus: RWDC's plastics replacement mission
RWDC Industries believes it has a biodegradable substitute for plastic that can be produced at scale. The Singapore and US-based company now has $133 million in VC funding to help make its case
Sequoia leads $109m round for Indonesia coffee chain
Sequoia Capital India has led a $109 million Series B round for Kopi Kenangan, an app-driven grab-and-go coffee chain based in Indonesia.
Singapore SME financing platform gets $20m
Validus, a Singapore-headquartered financing platform for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Southeast Asia, has raised $20 million in a Series B+ round co-led by Vertex Growth and Orion Fund.
Tribe Capital leads $13m round for Indian logistics aggregator
Shiprocket, an Indian logistics aggregator that primarily solves shipping needs of small businesses, has raised $13 million in a funding round led by US VC firm Tribe Capital.
AirTree backs Australia property intelligence platform
AirTree Ventures has led a A$6 million ($3.9 million) Series A round for Archistar, an Australian online property platform that allows users to click on blocks of land and see what can be built.
Hummingbird Bioscience gets $25m extended Series B
Hummingbird Bioscience, a Singapore and US-based drug developer with two cancer treatments on course to enter clinical trials, has received $25 million in an extended Series B round of funding led by the holding company of Korea’s SK Group.
Chinese enterprise start-up WakeData gets $10m Series B
Chinese digital enterprise services provider WakeData has raised $10 million in Series B funding led by Redpoint China Ventures and Sequoia Capital China. Other investors include IDG Capital.
SummitView leads $99m round for China's Enflame
Enflame Technology, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer that provides deep learning solutions for data centers, has raised RMB700 million ($99 million) in Series B funding led by Summitview Capital.
China enterprise software: PaaS vs SaaS
Platform-as-a-service has become the flavor of the month in China’s software industry, but there can be a big difference between what start-ups are and what they claim to be
Q&A: Viola Ventures' Ronen Nir
Ronen Nir is a general partner at Viola Ventures, an early-stage technology investor under Israel’s Viola Group looking to expand its presence in Asia
Singapore's RWDC Industries secures $133m Series B
RWDC Industries, a Singapore-based start-up that is developing fully biodegradable alternatives to single-use plastics, has raised $133 million in Series B funding.
Indonesia's GudangAda gets $25m Series A
Indonesian B2B e-commerce platform GudangAda has raised $25.4 million in a Series A round led by Sequoia Capital India and Alpha JWC Ventures.
Deal focus: Circulate makes early moves in a must-win battle
Specialist venture capital firm Circulate Capital is targeting overlooked start-ups with a view to stemming a global environmental crisis that puts Asia at center stage
Navegar backs Series B for Australia's Cloudstaff
Manila-based GP Navegar has joined a $20 million Series B round for Cloudstaff, an Australian staff outsourcing services player with core operations in the Philippines.
Chinese autonomous trucking start-up Inceptio raises $100m
Inceptio, a Chinese autonomous driving technology provider focusing on line-haul trucking has raised $100 million. The investors were not disclosed. Previous backers include logistics giant GLP, autonomous car maker Nio, and fleet manager G7.
Starbucks to work with Sequoia on China investments
Sequoia Capital China has teamed up with Starbucks to make strategic investments in next-generation food and retail technology companies in the country.
Singapore’s Circulate Capital makes debut investments
Circulate Capital, a Singapore investor dedicated to ocean pollution management, has made its first investments in two plastic recycling start-ups in India and Indonesia.
Indonesian insurtech player Qoala raises $13.5m Series A
Qoala, an insurance technology start-up in Indonesia, has raised $13.5 million in a Series A round led by Centauri Fund, a vehicle jointly run by KB Investment and MDI Ventures.
Chinese environmental protection business raises $16m
Addor Capital has led a RMB110 million ($15.5 million) Series A round for Shandong-based Pengda Environmental Protection Technology.