Investments
Sequoia leads $9m Series A for India's MoneyTap
Sequoia Capital India has led a $9 million Series A round for domestic financial technology start-up MoneyTap.
Japan consumer: Beyond borders
Private equity investors see an opportunity in taking advantage of the popularity of Japanese brands in other Asian markets. Making these strategies work requires patience and a tolerance for risk
VCs in $15m round for China software start-up PingCap
PingCap, a Beijing-based start-up that provides database solutions for enterprise customers, has secured a $15 million Series B round led by China Growth Capital.
Intudo closes debut Indonesia-focused VC fund
Intudo Ventures, a newly-formed Indonesia-focused VC firm, has raised $10 million for its debut fund that will co-found and invest in early-stage companies.
Nexus, Founders Fund invest $7m in India's HyperTrack
Nexus Venture Partners and Founders Fund have committed $7 million in Series A funding to Indian location-tracking tool developer HyperTrack.
Tencent-backed Futu Securities raises $146m
Tencent Holdings has re-upped in Futu Securities International, leading a $145.5 million Series C round for the Hong Kong-registered cross-border stock trading platform.
Japan technology: Light switch
OLED technology is seen as a quantum leap forward for digital panels, but VC investors are reluctant to get on board. Japan may have to overcome this hesitancy to maintain market share in high-end electronics
Japan carve-outs: Chips off the block
Divestment activity by Japanese conglomerates is finally translating into meaningful private equity deal flow, but unwinding people and assets from longstanding parents presents execution challenges
PE-owned Blue Star Sports enters Australia, New Zealand
Blue Star Sports, a US-based company controlled by Genstar Capital that provides management software to grassroots sports clubs, has entered the Australia and New Zealand market with the acquisition of SportsTG.
Australia's Rokt closes Series B at $26m
Australian digital marketing services company Rokt has closed a Series B funding round at $26 million led by Moelis Australia Asset Management.
China’s QingCloud raises $160m, prepares for onshore IPO
China-based cloud computing platform QingCloud, which is backed by several VC investors, has raised a new round of renminbi-denominated funding worth RMB1.08 billion ($160 million).
India's Lendingkart raises $7.8m growth round
Indian commercial lender Yes Bank has extended a INR500 million ($7.8 million) loan to domestic VC-backed finance platform provider Lendingkart.
IMM increases commitment to Korean shipbuilder
IMM Investment has agreed to invest another KRW100 billion ($89 million) in Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI).
Qiming’s US healthcare fund backs Harvard spin-out
Qiming US Healthcare Fund, a sector specialist vehicle launched by China’s Qiming Venture Partners, has led a $10 million Series A round for Platelet BioGenesis, a Harvard University spin-out that builds human platelets from stem cells.
Skylake invests $53m in Korean O2O services player
Skylake Investment has committed KRW60 billion ($53 million) in Yanolja, a South Korean online-to-offline (O2O) local services platform best known for providing discount hotel deals.
H&Q joins $35m round for US-based One Inc
One Inc, a US-based maker of software-as-a-service (SaaS) products for the insurance industry, has raised a $35 million funding round with participation by H&Q Asia Pacific.
Carlyle, PEP to pay $930m for Australian pharma player
The Carlyle Group and Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) have finalized an agreement to jointly acquire Australia-based iNova Pharmaceuticals for $930 million in cash.
Chinese agricultural drone platform secures Series A round
Farm Friend, a Beijing-based agricultural drone services platform, has raised a RMB50 million ($7 million) Series A round led by Gobi Partners.
GPs back $605m take-private of China's SciClone pharmaceuticals
CDH Investments and Ascendent Capital Partners have teamed up with GL Capital and a Bank of China investment unit in a $605 million bid for US-listed Chinese drug developer SciClone Pharmaceuticals.
Deal focus: CounterTack locks up funding for security
At a time when websites have never seemed more vulnerable, CounterTack has a software solution that can plug holes in online security systems. It has raised $20 million in Series D funding to support expansion
Singapore's VC-backed MoneySmart gets $10m Series B
MoneySmart, a personal finance portal backed by Golden Gate Ventures, has received a $10 million Series B funding round led by Japanese shopping price comparison site operator Kakaku.
Qualgro leads $8m Series B for Singapore's Wavecell
Singapore-based cloud communications platform Wavecell has raised an $8.2 million Series B round led by Qualgro, a VC firm active in Southeast Asia and Australia.
Blackbird joins $12m round for Australia-US marketing player
Blackbird Ventures has led a $12 million round for Sydney and San Francisco-based marketing software provider Autopilot.
Deal focus: IP Group targets tech commercialization
IP Group has built a business in the UK and US working with universities to turn academic ideas into investable business models. It has now raised $149 million for expansion in Australia and New Zealand