Venture
Fund focus: China’s Glory wins VC backing
Glory Ventures counts several larger Chinese peers among the LPs in its latest renminbi and US dollar-denominated funds. They all want a glimpse of the firm’s deep technology pipeline
IFC set to back Endiya's second India fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to invest $10 million in the second fund raised by Endiya Partners, an early-stage venture capital investor based in India.
B Capital forms partnership with Singapore incubator Antler
B Capital Group, a global growth-stage investor active in Southeast Asia, has formed a partnership with Singapore-based start-up incubator Antler.
Profile: Qiming Venture Partners' Duane Kuang
Having spent years as an IT advocate in a world obsessed with consumer internet start-ups, Duane Kuang of China-focused Qiming Venture Partners is seeing the tables gradually turn
Glory closes third renminbi fund at $96m
Chinese early-stage investor Glory Ventures has closed its third renminbi-denominated fund at RMB682 million ($96 million) and also reached a first close of its second US dollar vehicle.
ESG and VC: Deferred dialogue
Institutional LPs are traditionally less engaged with VC versus PE when it comes to responsible investment standards. A multitude of drivers are changing this, but not quickly
Iron Pillar adds $45m to debut India fund
Indian venture capital firm Iron Pillar Capital Management has added $45 million to its maiden fund to support the capital needs of existing portfolio companies.
China's Oceanpine reaches $200m first close on Fund II
Oceanpine Capital has reached a first close of $200 million on its second fund, 30% of which was committed by the GP. The target is $400 million.
India-China regulation: Punching bag
Chinese venture capital investors have become an increasingly significant presence in India’s venture capital ecosystem, but a recent regulatory reform calls their participation into question
KDB, K-Growth commit $2b to Korea VC ecosystem
State-owned Korea Development Bank (KDB) and Korea Growth Investment (K-Growth), a fund-of-funds, have jointly committed KRW2.5 trillion ($2 billion) to the local VC ecosystem.
Q&A: Viola Ventures' Ronen Nir
Ronen Nir is a general partner at Viola Ventures, an early-stage technology investor under Israel’s Viola Group looking to expand its presence in Asia
Indian industry body proposes $3.3b state VC fund for start-ups
The Startup Association of India (SAI) has called on the government to bolster an existing state-backed venture capital fund and commit INR250 billion ($3.3 billion) to local companies.
Japan's Jafco raises $67m for debut Taiwan fund
Japanese VC firm Jafco has closed its debut Taiwan fund at approximately NT$2 billion ($67 million) with backing from the National Development Fund of Taiwan and several financial institutions.
Fund focus: Coral targets Japan’s Series B gap
Having previously raised dedicated vehicles to support follow-on rounds for Japanese start-ups, Coral Capital has gone a step further with a fund dedicated to the strategy
Fund focus: Qiming’s triumph of quick thinking
Having overcome coronavirus disruption to close its seventh fund at $1.1 billion, Qiming Venture Partners is ready to go bigger on China healthcare
Coronavirus & Australia VC: In SaaS we trust
Enterprise services start-ups with recurring revenue are well positioned, but mid-cap players could become vulnerable
Coronavirus & Southeast Asia VC: Unpleasant surprises
Start-ups in Southeast Asia have few capital sources, so it helps that the region’s VCs are well-funded – assuming they are ready to invest
Coronavirus & North Asia VC: Diverging fortunes
Speed of response to COVID-19 has led to differing outcomes for VC investment in Korea and Japan. But structural issues are also a factor
ADB Ventures raises $50m for debut fund
ADB Ventures, a VC unit of the Asian Development Bank launched earlier this year, is set to begin investment after raising $50 million for its debut impact fund.
Coronavirus & India VC: Struggling to work
Investors don’t expect business activity in India to resume until the second half. Many start-ups will be desperate for capital before then
Coronavirus & China VC: Bifurcation point
China might be emerging from the grip of COVID-19, but many start-ups face a long battle. This is when VCs find out who the winners are
Singapore GP launches $500m Japan-Israel tech fund
Singapore private equity firm Chartered Group has teamed up with Israel’s Ministry of Defense to launch a Japan-Israel cross-border technology fund targeting $500 million.
Lightspeed completes $4b global fundraising effort
Lightspeed Venture Partners has raised $4 billion across early and growth-stage funds, including $1.5 billion for an opportunity fund that will support breakout companies in global markets such as China, India and Southeast Asia.
Japan's Hiroshima Venture launches start-up, SME fund
Japan’s Hiroshima Venture Capital has established a JPY1 billion ($9.3 million) fund that will invest in local start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).