Funds
China Post Capital invests in Alibaba's Ant Financial
China Post Capital, an investment arm of postal service operator China Post Group, has purchased a minority stake in Ant Financial, Alibaba Group’s online financial services affiliate.
GGV leads $19m round for China AR toy maker
GGV Capital has led a RMB120 million ($19 million) round of funding for Neobear, a China-based company that develops interactive learning tools for children.
Tencent, Yunfeng back China social-networking site for doctors
Tencent Holdings and Yunfeng Capital have committed $40 million in a Series B round of funding to Medlinker, a Chinese social-networking platform for doctors.
Founder of Japan's Beenos launches $60m Asia VC fund
The founder of Japanese e-commerce company Beenos, Teruhide Sato, has a launched a $60 million venture capital fund that will support internet and mobile start-ups in India, Southeast Asia, Japan and the US.
Sequoia, Legend back Baidu’s education spin-out
Sequoia Capital and Legend Capital have invested an undisclosed sum in a Series A round of funding for Zuoyebang, a K-12 learning and teaching mobile app that spun-out from Chinese online search giant Baidu.
Warburg Pincus leads round for India's Capillary Technologies
Warburg Pincus has led a $45 million Series C round of funding for Capillary Technologies, an Indian cloud-based software provider that focuses on customer relationship management (CRM) solutions.
Zodius, Khazanah back India online lingerie retailer
Zodius Capital and Malaysian state-controlled investor Khazanah Nasional have committed $40 million in Series C funding to Zivame, an India-focused online lingerie retailer.
Wanda Cinemas buys stake in VC-backed online ticketing site
China’s largest cinema operator Wanda Cinemas has acquired a 20% stake in Mtime Holdings, a Chinese online movie ticketing platform backed by several VC investors.
China second-hand car trading platform Chemao raises $188m
Chemao.com, a Chinese second-hand car trading platform, has raised RMB1.2 billion ($188 million) in a Series B round of funding led by Shenzhen-listed hydropower equipment maker Zhefu Holding Group.
Riverside's NZ animal health business completes bolt-on
Simcro, a New Zealand-based animal drug delivery firm controlled by the Riverside Company, has completed two bolt-on acquisitions.
Korean start-ups: Pursuing critical mass
A handful of Korean start-ups have achieved valuations in excess of $1 billion as investors look to leverage a mobile-centric consumer base. But how many unicorns can this market accommodate?
Aspada, Qualcomm back India's Reverie with $4m
Aspada Investment Company and Qualcomm Ventures have committed $4 million in Series A funding to India-based local language software platform Reverie Language Technologies.
Q&A: Formation 8's Brian Koo
As Formation 8 prepares to launch an Asia fund, Brian Koo, co-founder of the venture capital firm, explains why the strategy has evolved from rolling out US technologies in Asia to backing local start-ups
Qiming leads Series B for China goods delivery app
Qiming Venture Partners has led a Series B round of funding for Linjia.me, a Chinese mobile app that offers last mile delivery services.
Brookfield, Kotak acquire Indian road, power projects
Brookfield Asset Management and Kotak Mahindra’s Core Infrastructure India Fund will buy six road and three power projects from Gammon Infrastructure Projects.
Tsinghua Holdings, Shengjing launch overseas VC fund-of-funds
Shengjing Group, a Chinese investment advisor, has partnered with Tsinghua Holdings to launch a $300 million fund-of-funds to invest in venture capital overseas.
VC-backed Komli to sell India business to SVG
VC-backed digital media firm Komli Media has agreed to merge its India business with that of industry peer SVG Media. This follows the sale of Komli’s Southeast Asia unit to Malaysia-based Axiata Group.
Gobi leads $5.7m Series A for Thailand's Eko
Gobi Partners has led a $5.7 million Series A round of funding for Bangkok-based Eko Communications, developer of workplace messaging app Eko.
India's StartupXSeed launches $4.5m venture fund
Indian seed-stage venture investment firm StartupXSeed has launched a VC fund, with an initial corpus of INR300 million ($4.5 million), to invest in Indian technology start-ups.
Global Brain backs Japan 3D printing start-up
Global Brain has committed JPY400 million ($3.3 million) to Japan-based Kabuku, which runs the 3D printing service Rinkak.
OCBC closes debut SME-focused PE fund at $392m
Singapore's OCBC Bank has closed its debut small and medium-sized enterprise-focused fund at S$550 million ($392 million).
Vogo buys Korean lifestyle product maker Bodyfriend
Vogo Investment has acquired a controlling stake in Bodyfriend, South Korea's largest maker of massage chairs and other lifestyle products, in a management buyout.
Denham, Nexif form SE Asia power investment platform
Denham Capital has partnered with Singapore-based power management company Nexif to form an investment platform that will commit more than $200 million to energy projects in Southeast Asia.
Asia e-commerce: The next generation
Most of emerging Asia’s e-commerce giants faced a binary choice between the asset-heavy online retail and asset-light marketplace models. Now, though, investors have a more nuanced opportunity set