Early-stage
Southeast Asia start-ups: Connecting the dots
The start-up scene in Southeast Asia is growing apace but making the most of the region's potential is as much about having cross-border capabilities as it is about targeting the right opportunities
Japan's Jafco invests $2.5m in traffic analytics tool
Japanese venture capital firm Jafco has invested JPY3 million ($2.5 million) in Wacul, a Tokyo-based start-up that offers website improvement consulting.
SAIF Partners names former Freecharge CEO as MD
Alok Goel, former CEO for Indian mobile recharge service FreeCharge, has joined private equity firm SAIF Partners as its new managing director.
India call center software provider raises $5m Series A round
Indian call center software developer Ameyo has raised $5 million in Series A funding from PE firm Forum Synergies.
Sovereign's Capital leads Series A for Indonesia's BerryKitchen
Indonesian online catering start-up BerryKitchen has raised a $1.25 million Series A round led by Sovereign's Capital, with participation by existing investor East Ventures.
LVMH acquires Singapore VC-backed beauty e-commerce start-up
Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH has acquired Luxola, a VC-backed beauty e-commerce start-up based in Singapore, for an undisclosed sum.
Indian doctor search app Lybrate secures $10m
Tiger Global has led a $10.2 million Series B round investment in Indian doctor search app Lybrate.
Japan's Genesis Healthcare raises $5.1m from Founders Fund, Mitsui
US early stage investor Founders Fund and Japanese conglomerate Mitsui & Co have together invested JPY620 million ($5.1 million) in Genesis Healthcare, a Tokyo-based start-up that develops genetic testing kits, in exchange for a 6% stake.
Helion leads $30m round for big data start-up Axtria
Helion Venture Partners has led a $30 million investment in US-based big data analytics firm Axtria. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Gururaj Deshpande also participated in the round alongside existing angel investors Amar Sawhney, Rick Braddock and...
Tata Capital leads Series B round for Singapore's Nearex
Tata Capital has led an undisclosed Series B round investment in Singapore micro-payments start-up Nearex via its Tata Capital Growth Fund. Existing investors Beenos Asia and Xinvesco also took part in the round.
Former Cyberagent Ventures Beijing head forms $30m China fund
Joei Dai, the former general manager of CyberAgent Ventures China in Beijing, has formed a venture capital firm Gravity Venture Capital (GVC) and is looking to raise $30 million to back Chinese start-ups.
500 Start-ups, Gree lead Indonesia game studio Series C round
US early stage investor 500 Startups and Japanese gaming giant Gree have led an undisclosed Series C round investment in Indonesian game start-up Touchten Games.
Nova, Caixa lead $3m Series A for Malaysia eyewear retailer
Nova Founders Capital and Caixa Capital have led a $3 million Series A round for Malaysia-based eyewear retailer GlassesGroupGlobal.
Former Emerald Hill exec secures commitments for China fund-of-funds
Unicorn Capital Partners, a new China-focused venture capital fund-of-funds launched by Emerald Hill Capital Partners' former head of North Asia Tommy Yip, has secured initial commitments of $12 million for its maiden fund - Unicorn Partners Fund I.
Ardent invests $2.2m in Indonesia B2B portal Bizzy
Ardent Capital has committed $2.5 million to Bizzy, an Indonesian provider of business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce services.
Korean restaurant site MangoPlate raises $6.1m
South Korean restaurant discovery platform MangoPlate has raised $6.1 million from a group of corporate VC backers including Qualcomm Ventures, SoftBank Ventures Korea, and Yahoo Japan's YJ Capital.
VC-backed Housing.com fires controversial CEO
Rahul Yadav, the controversial CEO of VC-backed Indian property portal Housing.com, has been ousted from the company.
NSI Ventures, F&H lead $8m round for Singapore's Chope
NSI Ventures, the VC unit of Northstar Group, and consumer and technology sector-focused investor F&H Fund Management have led an $8 million round for Singapore online restaurant platform Chope.
SAIF, Accel commit $10m to Indian services marketplace
SAIF Partners and Accel Partners have together invested $10 million in India services marketplace UrbanClap.
Formation 8 to raise Asia VC fund
US venture capital firm Formation 8 is looking to raise a $400 million Asia fund to connect start-ups in the region with Silicon Valley.
Former Matrix China director launches RMB VC fund
Roger Hu, a director at Matrix Partners China, has teamed up with Yi Zheng, formerly vice president at Chinese dating app Momo, to launch a renminbi-denominated early-stage fund.
Sequoia, Kae lead round for India logistics marketplace
Sequoia Capital and Kae Capital have led a INR350 million ($5.5 million) Series A round for Indian online logistics marketplace Porter, with participation from three strategic angel investors.
Matrix, SAIF back India-based hotel start-up
Treebo, an Indian online budget hotel chain, has raised a $6 million Series A round led by Matrix Partners India and SAIF Partners.
Fund focus: InnoSpring builds cross-border bridges
San Francisco's Artisan State faced the classic start-up dilemma: a great idea with no way to make it happen. The firm knew there was demand for professional-quality photo books at affordable prices, but it didn’t have the facilities to produce them....