Early-stage
Japan's WealthNavi secures $37m funding round
A fund launched by Sony Financial Ventures and Global Brain is among the participants in a JPY4.1 billion ($37.5 million) funding round for Japanese financial technology start-up WealthNavi.
Hillhouse, Crystal Stream invest African logistics start-up
Lori Systems, one of Africa’s largest logistics coordination platforms, has raised almost $30 million in a Series A round led by Hillhouse Capital and Crystal Stream Capital.
Pakistan’s Airlift raises $12m Series A
Pakistan’s Airlift, a bus-hailing app, has raised a $12 million Series A round led by US-based First Round Capital. It is being called the largest ever Series A in Pakistan.
Chinese antibody drug developer raises $150m
Akeso Biopharma, a Chinese biotech company specializing in antibody drugs, has raised a $150 million Series D round led by Loyal Valley Capital and Sino Biopharm.
Deal focus: China's XTransfer fills missing link in fintech
XTransfer has won backing from Alibaba and a string of venture capital investors to provide a bridge to payment services that so many small businesses in China are still forced to go without
Chinese VC in Africa: Cultural barriers
Chinese investors recognize the long-term potential in fostering technology-enabled business models in Africa, but reluctance to engage local stakeholders and develop local knowledge is holding them back
India motorcycle taxi platform Rapido gets $55m Series B
Chinese early-stage investor Shunwei Capital Partners has participated in a Series B funding round for Indian motorcycle taxi operator Rapido, drawing comparisons with the growth trajectory of Indonesia’s Go-Jek.
Singapore marketing tech player Mobikon raises $12.5m
Mobikon, a Singapore-based marketing technology provider for the restaurant industry, has received a $12.5 million Series B round led by Binny Bansal, co-founder of Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart.
China AI chatbot developer raises $45m
Emotibot, a Chinese provider of computer vision and emotional recognition solutions to e-commerce platforms, financial institutions, and call center operators, has raised $45 million in an extended Series B round of funding.
Huaxing, Hillhouse lead $50m round for China's Hetao 101
Hetao 101, a Chinese online education platform dedicated to computer programming for children, has raised $50 million in Series B funding.
Portfolio: China Everbright and Terminus
China Everbright has turned a sub-scale consumer-facing smart door lock manufacturer into an internet-of-things platform catering to enterprise customers. Terminus is now building out its product base
Consumer hardware: Some assembly required
Consumer hardware is a cratered landscape in venture capital, and the risk-reward equation is not particularly well understood. New ways of looking at a traditional industry are needed
Alibaba-backed positioning service provider raises $141m Series A
Qianxun Spacial Intelligence or Qianxun SI, a high-precision positioning services provider, has raised RMB1 billion ($141 million) in a Series A funding round, taking its valuation past RMB13 billion.
China's Qutoutiao raises $100m for e-book app
CMC Capital Partners has led a $100 million Series B round of funding round for Midu, an e-book platform operated by Chinese news aggregator Qutoutiao.
Kejora, InterVest lead $30m Series B for Malaysia's Aerodyne
Indonesia’s Kejora Ventures and Korea’s InterVest have jointly led a $30 million Series B investment in Malaysian drone technology supplier Aerodyne.
India's MyGate gets $56m Series B
Tencent Holdings, JS Capital, Tiger Global Management, and Prime Venture Partners have provided a $56 million Series B round to India’s MyGate, a security app for gated communities.
Chinese investors lead round for US influenza specialist
Ansun BioPharma, a US-based drug developer led by a former executive at healthcare-focused VC firms Caduceus Asia Partners and OrbiMed, has raised $80 million in Series B funding from a predominantly Chinese investor base.
Chinese renovation materials trading platform raises $18m
Little Bear, a Shanghai-based B2B platform that matches buyers with suppliers of renovation materials, has raised RMB130 million ($18 million) led by Immensus Capital, with participation from Matrix Partners China and Yunqi Capital.
Legend joins $70m round for China pet food producer
Gambol, a Chinese pet food producer has secured a RMB500 million ($70 million) Series B from Legend Capital and Industrial Bank.
China apartment rental platforms: Illogical letting
Qingke, a Chinese long-term apartment rental operator, is looking to go public at a time when many of its peers are going out of business. Pursuing scale at the expense of sustainability is the core problem
Chinese medical SaaS platform raises $14m Series B
Mingyi Zhonghe, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform serving China’s rural clinics, has secured a RMB100 million ($14 million) Series B round led by Sinovation Ventures. Existing investor Yijing Capital re-upped.
Indonesia advertising tech supplier gets $5.5m
East Ventures and Sinar Mas Digital Ventures (SMDV) have co-led a $5.5 million Series A round for StickEarn, an Indonesian advertising technology supplier.
GGV backs Singapore dental 3D printing company
GGV Capital has joined a group of investors in a venture round of undisclosed size for Structo, a Singapore-based 3D printing company focused on the dental industry.
Korea blockchain developer Iconloop gets $8m
Iconloop, a Seoul-based blockchain technology developer focused on digital currency services, has raised a KRW10 billion ($8 million) Series A round led by Korea Technology Finance Corporation (KOTEC).