Funds
Venturra leads $4m round for Malaysia's Kaodim
Venturra Capital, a Southeast Asia-focused VC fund sponsored by the Lippo Group, has led a $4 million Series A round for Malaysian local services marketplace Kaodim.
Ping An Ventures leads $200m round for China’s Mogujie
Ping An Ventures, a VC arm under Ping An Insurance, has led a Series D round worth $200 million for Mogujie.com, a Chinese social networking and shopping platform.
China B2B travel site raises $78m Series B round
Lvyouquan.cn, a Chinese business-to-business (B2B) online travel platform, has raised RMB500 million ($78 million) in a Series B round of funding from a group of domestic investors.
NEA, Accel commit $12.5m to India's MindTickle
Accel Partners and New Enterprise Associates (NEA) have invested $12.5 million in a Series A round of funding for Indian business training and networking platform MindTickle.
Alibaba picks Gobi, CDIB to run HK, Taiwan entrepreneur funds
Alibaba Group has officially launched its entrepreneur funds - worth a collective $450 million - in Hong Kong and Taiwan, picking Gobi Partners and China Development Industrial Bank (CDIB) to manage the vehicles in those respective markets.
Shenzhen Qianhe leads $47m round for China education platform
Shenzhen Qianhe Capital, an investment firm set up by former leading Chinese mutual fund manager Yawei Wang, has led a RMB300 million ($47 million) Series B round for education group Uniquedu.
Bessemer leads $25m round for India's UrbanClap
Bessemer Venture Partners has led a $25 million Series B funding round for Indian local services marketplace UrbanClap.
Kalaari commits $4m to India's ScoopWhoop
Kalaari Capital has invested $4 million in Indian internet news and media outlet and production company ScoopWhoop.
India's NSR promotes Arvind Malhan to partner
Indian growth-stage private equity firm New Silk Route (NSR) has promoted Arvind Malhan to partner.
Ameba Capital closes second China VC fund at $157m
Ameba Capital, an early-stage VC firm co-founded by former executives from Alibaba Group and Kingsoft, has closed its second renminbi-denominated fund at RMB1 billion ($157 million).
Taiwan’s CDIB Capital launches cross-strait VC fund
CDIB Capital, the PE arm of Taiwan’s China Development Financial (CDF), is raising a later-stage venture fund to focus on cross-strait expansion.
CHAMP's Ferris to lead Innovation Australia
Bill Ferris, co-chairman and co-founding partner of CHAMP Private Equity, has been appointed chairman of Innovation Australia, an independent, government-established body with a mandate that includes supporting start-ups and venture capital.
China cinema ticket sales app Wepiao raises $234m
Wepiao, a Chinese mobile app specializing in movie ticket sales, has completed a Series C round of funding worth RMB1.5 billion ($234 million) led by the government-backed Beijing Cultural Assets Chinese Film & Television Fund.
CreditEase's online P2P lending unit files for US IPO
Yirendai.com, an online peer-to-peer (P2P) online platform owned by China-based micro-credit loan player CreditEase, has filed for an IPO in the US.
Sequoia, Lightspeed lead $34m round for India's Craftsvilla
Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Ventures have led a $34 million Series C round for Indian online ethnic products marketplace Craftsvilla.
Taiwan VC: Marginal gains
Taiwan’s government has announced a slew of measures to encourage global venture capital funds to invest in local start-ups. Is it doing enough to create a robust VC ecosystem?
Lyfe Capital closes debut China healthcare fund at $298m
Shanghai-based healthcare-focused PE firm Lyfe Capital has closed its debut China fund at $298 million.
Temasek, Hillhouse lead $150m round for China’s Aiwujiwu
Aiwujiwu, a Chinese rental and second-home listings portal, has completed a Series E round of funding worth $150 million round led by Temasek Holdings and Hillhouse Capital.
Taiwan's NDF joins round for smart scooter manufacturer
Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) has participated in a $130 million Series B round of funding for Gogoro, a local electric scooter manufacturer.
China’s Didi Kuaidi invests in food delivery player Ele.me
Chinese ride-hailing app operator Didi Kuaidi has invested an undisclosed amount in Ele.me, a VC-backed online food-ordering platform.
Rakuten launches $100m fund for global fintech investments
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has launched a $100 million fund for investments in financial technology start-ups worldwide.
Sequoia, Medtronic establish China medical technology fund
Sequoia Capital has partnered with global medical equipment manufacturer Medtronic to form a China-focused medical technology investment fund worth $60 million.
HarbourVest makes two promotions in Asia
HarbourVest Partners has promoted two Asia-based professionals – Minjun Chung and Kanji Takenaka, who focus on South Korea and Japan, respectively – to principal.
Formation 8's Brian Koo launches Asia-focused VC firm
Brian Koo, co-founder of Formation 8, has launched a new venture capital firm that will invest in a smaller portfolio of Asia-focused companies with a view to accelerating growth through deep operational involvement.