Venture
INCJ leads $11m investment in Japan blood biotech venture
The Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led a JPY1.16 billion ($11.7 million) investment in Megakaryon Corp, which is developing technology to produce blood platelets using reprogrammed stem cells.
China-focused BVCF leads $25m round for MicuRx Pharma
BVCF, a China-focused private equity growth fund specializing in life sciences, has a led a $25 million Series B round for MicuRX Paharmaceuticals, a biopaharma firm developing next generation antibiotics. The round also includes existing backers Morningside...
Nippon Venture Capital invests $1.7m in internet start-up Volare
Nippon Venture Capital has invested JPY170 million ($1.7 million) in Japanese web solutions start-up Volare.
Aavishkaar backs Indian ATM outsourcing company EPS
Indian VC firm Aavishkaar has invested another $6 million in Electronic Payments and Services (EPS), after putting $4 million in the company last year.
Profile: 500 Startups' Dave McClure
A Silicon Valley veteran of nearly 25 years standing, 500 Startups founder Dave McClure has worked for PayPal and sold a software firm to Intel. Now he is bringing his own brand of angel investing to Asia
China mobile gaming: Buy your way
China's online gaming companies are trying to extend their dominance to the growing mobile segment. Cash-rich and often publicly listed, the strategy is inorganic expansion, both at home and abroad
CyberAgent, Gree, GMO invest in Japan's Kaizen platform
CyberAgent Ventures, Gree Ventures and GMO Venture Partners have together invested $800,000 in Kaizen platform, the Japanese start-up behind website service planBCD.
Australia's Starfish Ventures scales back team
Malcolm Thornton and Nick Peace are set to leave Australian VC firm Starfish Ventures, having converted from investment directors to venture partners. They will continue to work with existing portfolio companies until exit at which point the two are expected...
Japan's Alt Plus buys stake in VC-backed Korean mobile game developer
Japanese mobile game developer Alt Plus, has acquired a 10% stake in Emagine, a Korean mobile game start-up backed by Lead Capital Management and Ant Capital Partners. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Sequoia raises $370m for China VC fund
Sequoia Capital has raised $370 million for its latest China-focused venture capital fund.
China's NetEase Capital invests in S-Game Series A round
China’s NetEase Capital has invested in a Series A round of funding for S-Game, a Chinese gaming developer, also known as Beijing Lingyoufang Network Technology. Details of the investment were not disclosed but it reportedly amounts to several million...
Japan's Globis invests $4.2m in news aggregator
Globis Capital Partners has invested JPY420 million ($4.29 million) in Tokyo-based Gocro, the start-up behind news aggregation app SmartNews.
Intel Capital commits $8.8m to Indian big data firm NxtGen
Intel Capital, global chipmaker Intel’s corporate VC arm, has invested $8.8 million in NxtGen Datacenter & Cloud Technologies, a Bangalore-based IT infrastructure services provider. The capital will primarily be used to complete NxtGen’s large high-density...
Zodius seed funding supports Antuit's US acquisition
Zodius Capital provided $3 million in seed funding to Antuit, a Singapore-headquartered big data and analytics company. A portion of the capital will be used to finance the purchase of Marketwell, giving the company a readymade footprint in the US market....
Australian VCs merge to form Square Peg Capital
Early-stage investment fund Square Peg Ventures and Victoria Capital have merged to form the new investment platform, which will work with investors on a deal-by-deal basis.
Scentan Ventures takes part in $2m round for Japanese curation app Antenna
Singapore's Scentan Ventures has joined Tokyo-based strategic investor Macromill in investing JPY1.5 billion ($15.5 million) in Glider Associates, the Japanese startup behind smartphone curation app Antenna, for a 25.6% stake.
Australia's RecruitLoop secures seed funding
Australian recruitment marketplace RecruitLoop (RL) has raised $500,000 from Russian firm The Untitled VC, Microsoft executive Todd Forest and a Middle East-based recruiter to fund its expansion in the US.
Draper Nexus leads $2m round for Japan travel site startup Trippiece
Draper Nexus Venture Partners has led a JPY200 million ($2 million) round of investment in Tokyo-based travel site startup Trippiece.
Q&A: Rocket Internet's Tito Costa
Rocket Internet, which has raised more than $1 billion in funding in the last year, is known for launching copycats of successful sites. Tito Costa, managing director for Southeast Asia, outlines a different strategy for the region
Car Clubs enters the fast lane
Bicycles are thje kings of the road in Hangzhou. Following a program that was successfully introduced in Paris, the city in China's Zhejiang province has made a stock of about 66,500 bicycles available for hire. Journeys begin at one of 2,700 stations...
Jafco invests $10m in lunch box delivery start-up
Japanese VC firm Jafco Ventures has invested JPY1 billion ($10 million) in Star Festival, the start-up behind lunchbox delivery and catering site Gochikuru.com.
Chinese VCs join funding round for gesture-based technology developer
Shunwei Capital Partners and CTQuan joined Chinese mobile handset maker Xiaomi in a Series B funding round for Israel’s Pebbles Interfaces worth $11 million.
SingTel Innov8 invests $10m in Fab.com
SingTel Innov8 has invested $10 million in online lifestyle store Fab.com as part of an ongoing Series D round of financing. It joins a list of strategic Asian backers as the company plans expansion in the region.
China's Zhonglu VC invests in five start-ups
A venture capital arm of Shanghai Zhonglu Group, a Chinese bicycle manufacturer, has invested a total of RMB36.4 million ($5.9 million) in five online technology start-ups. Zhonglu VC will take a 20% stake in each company.