Expansion
Tencent injects $150m into China's VIPKid
VIPKid, China-based English language learning platform, has announced the completion of a Series E funding round led by Tencent Holdings.
Family offices: The IT crowd
Asia's family offices have benefited by going big on growth capital and venture, leveraging technology trends in the region. However, not all family money is smart money
Southeast Asia's internet economy to be worth $100b in 2019
The gross merchandise value (GMV) of Southeast Asia’s internet economy will surpass $100 billion this year and hit $300 billion by 2025, according to a report by Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Company.
India's Udaan closes Series D at $585m
India’s Udaan has closed its Series D round at $585 million, with the latest contribution featuring Tencent Holdings and the VC arm of Citi. It values the B2B online marketplace at $2.5-3 billion.
CDC names Bangladeshi head, invests local bank
UK-based development finance institution CDC Group has cemented its presence in Bangladesh through an investment in local lender BRAC Bank and the naming of a country director.
India SME platform OfBusiness raises $35m Series D
OfBusiness, an Indian smart financing services provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) has received an INR2.5 billion ($35 million) Series D round led by Norwest Venture Partners.
Singapore's Advance.AI gets $80m Series C
Advance.AI, a Singapore-based start-up focused on financial technology applications of big data, has raised an $80 million Series C round led by Gaorong Capital and Pavilion Capital.
CDH joins Series D for Chinese AI truck player
CDH Investments has participated in the $120 million second tranche of a Series D round for TuSimple, a China and US-based developer of autonomous driving technology for trucks.
OPIC commits $185m to India SME sector
The Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), a development finance arm of the US government, will invest $185 million in India’s small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector.
Thailand's Pomelo gets $52m Series C
Thailand-based fashion retailer Pomelo has raised a $52 million Series C round from a group including Hong Kong’s Provident Growth. It is being called the first-ever Series C for a Thai start-up.
Deal focus: Jingling seeks to stand out from the crowd
China’s Jingling contemplates an expansion of its social e-commerce strategy after securing a $100 million Series C round and de-risking its business model
PAG commits $300m to China's LexinFintech
PAG has agreed to invest $300 million in LexinFintech, a US-listed financial technology platform provider based in China.
Mithril Capital invests $45m in India's Glance
Mithril Capital, a US-based VC firm launched by PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel, has invested $45 million in Glance, an Indian smart phone media service provider.
GIC leads $500m investment in Vietnam's VCM Services
A consortium led by Singapore’s GIC Private has agreed to invest $500 million in VCM Services, a consumer retail division of Vingroup, Vietnam’s largest conglomerate.
Alibaba, Yunfeng invest $700m in NetEase Cloud Music
NetEase Cloud Music, one of China's largest music streaming platforms, has secured a $700 million investment from Alibaba Group and Yunfeng Capital, a private equity firm established by Alibaba founder Jack Ma.
Sequoia leads $82m Series E for Australia's Culture Amp
Sequoia Capital China has led an $82 million Series E round for Culture Amp, an Australian enterprise technology provider focused on human resources (HR).
Deal focus: Gong Cha's global push pays off for Unison
Unison Capital achieves a rare feat in helping the Korea franchise of bubble tea retailer Gong Cha take over its Taiwanese parent before facilitating a sale to TA Associates. Entering Japan has been a key value-add
Temasek, EV Growth lead $40m round for Indonesia's Social Bella
Temasek Holdings and EV Growth have led a $40 million Series D investment in Social Bella, an Indonesian online services provider for the beauty and lifestyle industry.
India's Udaan raises $300m in Series D round
Indian B2B online marketplace Udaan has raised more than $300 million as part of an ongoing Series D round from investors including GGV Capital, Hillhouse Capital, and Silicon Valley-based Altimeter Capital.
CDPQ joins Brookfield buyout of Australia's Healthscope
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ) has agreed to join Brookfield Asset Management in its buyout of Australian hospital operator Healthscope, taking a significant minority stake for a consideration of more than A$300 million ($202 million)....
Steadview leads $14m Series D for India's Chargebee
Steadview Capital has led a $14 million Series D round for Chargebee, a developer of a platform for online payments based in India and the US.
India's VC-backed Vedantu raises $42m Series C
Indian online tutoring service Vedantu has raised $42 million in a Series C round led by Tiger Global Management and WestBridge Capital.
HiFiBiO Therapeutics receives $67m in Series C funding
HiFiBiO Therapeutics, a drug developer led by the former head of Asian cancer research at Sanofi, has completed a $67 million Series C funding round.
Tencent invests $125m in Chinese online comic platform
Tencent has invested $125 million in Kuaikanmanhua, a China-based publishing platform for comics. This is the company’s fifth round of funding in four years.