Funds
Kalaari, Singapore Press commit $10m to Magzter
Digital magazine store and newsstand Magzter Inc. has raised a $10 million Series B round of funding from Singapore Press Holdings and existing investor Kalaari Capital.
Unilazer leads $6m for Indian online lingerie retailer
Indian online lingerie retailer Zivame has received a round of Series B funding worth $6 million led by Unilazer Ventures. Existing backers IDG Ventures and Kalaari Capital Partners also participated.
Bain to acquire Japan's Macromill for $501m
Bain Capital is set to acquire Tokyo-listed Macromill, a Japanese online market research firm, after offering to buy all shares in the company for JPY51.4 billion ($501 million).
South Korea's Vogo raises $350m for Fund II
Vogo Investment has raised $350 million for its second South Korea-focused fund. A final close is expected early in 2014 once final negotiations on terms with a few LPs, including domestic heavyweight the National Pension Service, are completed.
Globis, Intel-backed V-Cube raises $43m in Tokyo IPO
V-Cube, a Japanese developer of web-conferencing and webinar systems backed by Intel Capital and Globis Capital Partners, saw its stock open at JPY5,010 per share - a 51% premium on the offering price - on its first day of trading. This followed a JPY4.4...
IDG leads Series A for China online finance site Tongbanjie
Tongbanjie, a Chinese online finance mobile app, has receive more than $10 million in a Series A round of funding led by IDG Capital Partners.
Profile: IDG Vietnam's Henry Nguyen
For the last 12 years IDG Ventures’ Henry Nguyen has played a role in the opening up of Vietnam, from helping launch its first VC fund to introducing an the World’s most iconic fast food brand
Q&A: Bain Capital's Dwight Poler
Dwight Poler, managing director with Bain Capital in Europe, on the openings created by economic volatility in the euro zone and supporting portfolio companies that seek expansion in Asia
Actis raises $1.15b for global energy fund
Actis has closed its third global energy fund - Actis Energy 3 - at $1.15 million, exceeding its original $750 million target by 50%.
SE Asia online retailer Lazada gets $250m in funding from Tesco, others
Rocket Internet’s Southeast Asian online shopping mall, Lazada, has raised a $250 million round of funding from Tesco, Access Industries, and return backers Investment AB Kinnevik and Verlinvest.
Australian taxi app Ingogo gets new funding, eyes listing
Ingogo, the Australian start-up behind the mobile taxi-booking app of the same name, has raised a A$3.4 million ($3.1 million) from a group of PE investors ahead of a listing on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) next year.
Legend Capital leads Series A round for VHall
Legend Capital, the VC arm of Legend Holdings, has led a Series A round of funding for Vhall, a Chinese online conference service providers. Three other domestic VC firms also participated.
Japan's VC-backed Oncolys Pharma raises $64m in Tokyo IPO
Oncolys Pharma, a VC-backed developer of drugs targeting cancer and serious infectious diseases, saw its stock open at JPY3,500 per share - a 34.6% premium on the offering price - on its first day of trading in Tokyo. This followed a JPY6.6 billion ($64.4...
Matrix provides Series A for India traffic information portal
Matrix Partners India has provided a Series A round of funding for real-time traffic and travel information platform Birds Eye Systems. The size of the investment was not disclosed but the capital will be used to expand the company’s coverage from Mumbai,...
Horizon Ventures leads $15.2m Series B for Misfit Wearables
Hong Kong-based Horizon Ventures has led a $15.2 million Series B round for Misfit Wearables, the US start-up behind the physical activity monitor Shine. Existing investors – which include Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, OATV,...
Sequoia-backed Citrus Payment raises $5.5m in Series B funding
Citrus Payment Solutions has raised a $5.5 million Series B round from Japanese investors econtext Asia, an online payments company, and Beenos. Existing investor Sequoia Capital also participated in the round.
Tokio Marine to launch $294m mezz fund
Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance is to launch a new mezzanine fund with a target of JPY 30 billion ($294 million).
BootstrapLabs launches Korea accelerator
Silicon Valley-based accelerator program BootstrapLabs, and Coolidge Corner Investment (CCVC), a Korean technology venture firm, have together formed BootstrapAccelerator Korea, a Seoul-based six-month accelerator program.
Jafco Asia leads Series B round for US games developer
Japanese venture capital investor Jafco Asia has led a Series B round of funding for US games developer Playnery. The value of the transaction was not disclosed.
EIG raises $6b for global energy fund
EIG Global Energy Partners has reached a final close of $6 billion for its Energy Fund XVI after just 10 months in the market. The fund had a target of $4.25 billion.
Japan's Ride On Express raises $23m in Tokyo IPO
Ride On Express, a Japanese food delivery franchise operator backed by Jafco Ventures, saw its stock open at JPY3105 per share - a 55% premium on the offering price - on its first day of trading. The company earlier raised JPY2.3 billion ($22 million)...
VCs to take Kingsoft across borders, platforms
Hong Kong-listed software developer Kingsoft is not in desperate need of capital. It posted a net profit of RMB466.4 million ($76.6 million) in 2012, up 39% year-on-year, and its cash reserves stood at RMB2.4 billion for the year. Furthermore, in July...
Asia Awards: VC Professional of the Year – Richard Liu
Richard Liu has spent 14 years investing in tech, media and telecom for Morningside Technologies. He has witnessed increasing competition, ups and downs in e-commerce, and the rise of the domestic super angel
Asia Awards: VC Deal of the Year – Tujia
Lightspeed China likes disruptive business models that build up traction online and then use the momentum to gain a foothold offline as well. This has worked to good effect with Meilele, an online furniture retailer that now has a network of 200 offline...