Early-stage
Waterbridge in first close on early-stage India fund - report
Waterbridge Ventures, an India-based VC firm founded by angel investor Manish Kheterpal, has reached a first close of $5 million on its fund targeting early and seed-stage investments.
SAIF commits $3.5m to India's FarEye
Indian logistics management software developer FarEye has raised a $3.5 million Series A round from SAIF Partners.
China co-working space operator UrWork raises $46m
VC-backed UrWork, a co-working space provider for Chinese start-ups, has completed a pre-Series B round worth RMB300 million ($46 million) from Chinese commercial property developers Yintai Land and Zhongrong International Trust.
Jafco leads $20m Series A in Singapore's Quoine
Jafco has led a $20 million Series A financing round for Quoine, a Singapore-based bitcoin trading platform.
Micro VC: Small is beautiful
Asia's micro VC segment is gaining appeal as diversity among fund managers grows
NewMargin leads $10.6m round for China's Flower Plus
NewMargin Ventures has led a RMB70 million ($10.6 million) Series A round of funding for Flower Plus, a Chinese mobile flower ordering platform.
AVCAL calls for reforms ahead of Australian election
The Australian Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (AVCAL) is urging major political parties to do more to help scale up domestic companies ahead of a federal election next month.
Tax law eased for Indian start-up investments
India's Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has implemented an exemption on income taxes for investments in some start-ups.
HighLight Capital leads $7.6m round for TCM play
Chinese healthcare-focused GP HighLight Capital has led a RMB50 million ($7.6 million) Series B round for Jun He Tang, a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) business, followed by existing investor Qiming Venture Partners.
SAIF leads $12m round for India's ClearTax
SAIF Partners has led a $12 million Series A round for Indian online tax filing website ClearTax.
Sequoia leads $20m Series B for India's Voonik
Indian personalized fashion portal Voonik has raised a $20 million Series B round of funding led by existing investor Sequoia Capital.
Pavilion invests $5.8m in Japan's Soracom
Pavilion Capital, a private equity unit of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has committed JPY600 million ($5.8 million) to Japanese internet-of-things (IoT) company Soracom.
IBM launches Asia-focused tech accelerator in Singapore
IBM has launched an accelerator in Singapore that will help Asia Pacific start-ups commercialize blockchain technology and the cognitive computing system known as Watson.
Golden Gate closes $60m SE Asia VC fund
Singapore-based Golden Gate Ventures has closed its second early-stage venture fund focused on Southeast Asia at $60 million.
Japan VC: Outbound ambition
Japanese start-ups are looking to address global markets from day one, but few domestic venture capital firms are equipped to support cross-border strategies. Corporate VCs could provide the solution
Sequoia, Unitus back $4m Series A for India's Cuemath
Sequoia Capital and Unitus Seed Fund have invested $4 million in a Series A round of funding for Indian education network operator Cuemath.
Australia's Starfish in $17.5m China push for US marketing company
Australian VC firm Starfish Ventures has joined a $17.5 million round for Aktana, a US and Japan-based marketing services provider looking to consolidate its Asian footprint.
Microsoft, Salesforce lead $23m round for India's Helpshift
Microsoft Ventures and Salesforce Ventures have led a $23 million Series B round for Indian customer service platform Helpshift.
China crowdfunding site Qingsongchou raises $20m
Beijing Qingsongchou Network Technology, a Chinese online crowdfunding operator, has raised a $20 million Series B+ round of funding from Tencent Holdings, IDG Capital Partners, DT Capital and Tongdaoo Capital.
Edelweiss invests in India's Bridgei2i
Edelweiss Private Equity has invested an undisclosed amount of Series A growth capital in India’s Bridgei2i Analytics Solutions, an enterprise services company focused on big data.
China VCs in $20m round for VR developer uSens
Fosun Kinzon Capital, the VC arm of Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, has led a $20 million Series A round for uSens, a US-based developer of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools.
VCs commit $50m to China's Codoon
A sport industry-focused fund launched by FountainVest Partners and its portfolio company Focus Media has led a $50 million Series C round for Codoon, a Chinese wearable electronic devices manufacturer.
Australia's CapitalPitch launches $7m early-stage fund
Australia-based start-up networking platform CapitalPitch has launched a fund focused on early stage investments, with a target size of at least A$10 million ($7.3 million).
Deal focus: VCs find inroad where giants prevail
A group of VCs are aiming to leverage an encouraging outlook for the autonomous vehicle industry by funding a Singapore-focused start-up that is offering significant competition to the major corporates that dominate this space