Funds
Facebook co-founder, Velos back India start-up Hopscotch
Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Singapore-based Velos Partners have committed $11 million in Series B funding to Indian babywear and kidswear retailer Hopscotch.
JD Capital invests in China online finance site 91Wutong
China-focused PE fund manager JD Capital, Tongxin Securities Direct Investment and Shenzhen Jidi Xintian Venture Capital have invested in a Series A round of funding for 91Wutong, a Chinese online finance platform.
PremjiInvest leads Series C round for India's Amagi Media Labs
PremjiInvest has led a Series C round of funding for Amagi Media Labs, a Bangalore-based firm that facilitates targeted television advertising based on geography.
VCs commit $100m to China app launcher Apus
Chengwei Ventures, SIG Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners have led a $100 million Series B round of funding for Apus, a Beijing-based company that has developed a suite of products intended to speed up Android operating systems.
SBCVC leads $20m in China education platform Xuexibao
SoftBank China Venture Capital (SBCVC) has led a Series B round of funding worth $20 million for Xuexibao, a Chinese online education platform. Existing investor GSR Ventures also participated.
Australian medical research fund backs antibody start-up
Solvanix, an Australian early-stage biotech company that has developed a technology for improving drug stability, has received A$2 million ($1.6 million) in seed funding from the Medical Research Commercialization Fund (MRCF).
Tiger Global leads $100m round for India’s ShopClues
Tiger Global has a led a $100 million Series C round of funding for Clues Network, the US parent of Indian e-commerce platform ShopClues.
VC-backed China group-buying site Meituan raises $700m
Meituan.com, a Chinese group-buying site backed by Alibaba Group and several venture capital firms, has raised $700 million in a new funding round from undisclosed investors.
Japanese entrepreneurs' big data start-up raises $15m
Treasure Data - a Silicon Valley-based big data start-up founded by two Japanese entrepreneurs - has raised a $15 million Series B round of funding led by Scale Venture Partners with participation from AME Cloud Ventures.
KKR’s McVey expects China restructuring, recapitalization opportunities
KKR expects to see increasing restructuring and recapitalization opportunities in China as the country’s role in the global economy adjusts, resulting in a sustained period of slower growth.
China creates $6.5b VC fund to support start-ups
China has launched a government-guided venture capital fund worth RMB40 billion ($6.5 billion) to support start-ups in emerging industries.
Co-investment deals could be the next PE bubble LPs fear
Co-investment could represent the next bubble for global private equity says Erik Hirsch, global CIO for global fund-of-funds Hamilton Lane.
Tiger Global invests in China P2P online lending site Dianrong
Tiger Global Management has invested an undisclosed sum in Dianrong.com, a Chinese VC-backed peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending service platform.
Mobile app analytics firm App Annie raises $55m from VCs
App Annie, a mobile app analytics platform that was set up in Beijing but has since expanded globally, has raised a Series D round of funding worth $55 million, led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).
Investors back WeLab’s financial innovation
For Hong Kong-based financial technology start-up WeLab, setting up a peer-to-peer lending (P2P) platform was never the priority. Rather, the company wanted to develop and leverage its capabilities in the design of internet finance products and big data...
Samurai Incubate targets Tel Aviv
When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travels to Israel later this month it will be the first time a Japanese leader has visited the country since Junichiro Koizumi in 2006.
4Q analysis: Still selling
Trade sales keep the exit market ticking over; big ticket tech deals make their presence felt, but buyouts dominate the investment environment; weakness in China pegs back Asia fundraising
Women in China VC: Gender balance
Women are still underrepresented in a male-dominated VC industry, but China is notable for having a number of female executives in senior positions. How did they break through the glass ceiling?
VC-backed 51Talk acquires education counterpart 91Waijiao
51Talk.com, a Chinese online English-learning platform backed by several VC investors, has acquired industry peer 91Waijiao.com for an undisclosed sum.
Cheetah Mobile plans fund to support Taiwan start-ups
Cheetah Mobile, formerly Kingsoft Corporation’s internet security software division, plans to set up a NT$100 million ($3.1 million) fund to invest in Taiwan-based mobile internet start-ups.
Samurai Incubate launches Japan, Israel-focused fund
Japanese incubator and early-stage investor Samurai Incubate has launched a JPY1 billion ($8.3 million) fund with a new focus on Israeli start-ups.
Japanese 3D printing start-up raises $3.6m
A consortium of venture capital investors has committed JPY400 million ($3.6 million) to JMC, a Japanese casting and 3D printing services firm.
Carlyle promotes Hiroyuki Otsuka to partner in Japan
The Carlyle Group has promoted Hiroyuki Otsuka, a member of its Japan buyout team, to partner as part of global round of 59 appointments, including five in Asia.
India’s VC-backed Zomato acquires US-based Urbanspoon
Zomato, a VC-backed restaurant search service based in India, has acquired US-based counterpart Urbanspoon as it seeks to accelerate growth in overseas markets.