Venture
US-based VC to invest $20m in Pakistan technology fund
US-based 1839 Ventures has agreed to invest $20 million in a fund launched by the Pakistan government that will invest in domestic technology start-ups.
Wavemaker closes second SE Asia VC fund at $66m
US and Singapore-based venture capital investor Wavemaker Partners has raised $66 million for its second Southeast Asia-focused fund. The target was $50 million.
AVCJ Awards 2017 - voting has closed
Voting for the 2017 AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Capital Awards has now closed. Many thanks to all those who participated.
Vickers closes fifth VC fund at $230m
Vickers Ventures Partners has closed its fifth fund, which invests in China, Southeast Asia, India and the US, at $230 million – larger than the firm’s four previous vehicles put together.
Vertex closes Southeast Asia, India fund at $210m
Vertex Ventures, the VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has closed its latest Southeast Asia and India fund at $210 million, exceeding the $150 million target.
Hony backs Hong Kong VC fund
China-focused PE firm Hony Capital has agreed to back the debut fund being raised by newly-established Hong Kong VC firm Beyond Ventures. The vehicle has a target of HK$1.2 billion ($154 million).
Hostplus commits $50m in Artesian’s China VC fund
Australian superannuation fund Hostplus has committed $50 million to a China-focused VC fund launched by Australian seed investor Artesian. The fund is targeting up to $200 million.
Drum Tower launches China VC fund
China-based Drum Tower Ventures has launched its first fund, with a view to raising $50 million for early-stage investments globally.
Asus launches $50m cross-border VC fund
Taiwan-based hardware giant Asus has launched a $50 million VC fund aimed at helping US start-ups expand in Asia.
Energy storage: Held in reserve
Energy storage has the potential to benefit Asia’s renewable power developers and traditional utilities, but regulatory obstacles must be removed first. PE can help the industry over its current hurdles
Singapore's Insignia closes first fund at $25m
Insignia Ventures Partners, a Singapore-based VC firm founded by former Sequoia Capital India venture partner Yinglan Tan, has raised $25 million for its debut fund.
Malaysia Debt Ventures tech fund to invest up to $954m
Government-owned Malaysia Debt Ventures (MDV) has launched its third fund with a view to investing up to MYR4 billion ($954 million) in technology companies across the next 20 years.
Moving time: How VCs replace start-up CEOs
From Uber to Flipkart, there are high-profile examples of founders being replaced as CEOs of their start-ups. It isn’t common practice in Asia, and for reasons of corporate culture, this isn’t likely to change
China's Withinlink seeks $30m for VC fund
China-based start-up incubator and early-stage investor Withinlink is targeting $30 million for its second venture capital fund to help US companies enter the Chinese market.
China’s Qingsong raises $129m early-stage tech fund
Qingsong Fund, a Chinese VC firm formed by Alvin Liu, an angel investor and co-founder of Tencent Holdings, has closed its third renminbi-denominated fund at RMB850 million ($129 million).
Chinese investor commits $63m to Australia incubator
Suzhou High-Tech Venture Capital Group, a Chinese state-backed investment fund, has committed A$80 million ($63 million) to a start-up incubator based in Melbourne.
China Life, Baidu launch $1b tech PE fund
China Life Insurance Group and internet search giant Baidu have agreed to form a RMB7 billion ($1 billion) private equity fund to invest in technology companies.
SparkLabs launches $50m Korea, SE Asia venture fund
SparkLabs Global Ventures has launched a $50 million venture capital fund that will make Series A and B investments in Korean and Southeast Asian start-ups.
Australia's Alium raises $79m venture fund
Australia-based Alium Capital has received A$100 million ($79 million) in commitments for its debut venture capital fund, meeting the targeted corpus.
Gobi reaches $50m first close on Southeast Asia fund
Gobi Partners, a Shanghai-based venture capital investor focused on China and Southeast Asia, has reached a first close of $50 million on its latest Southeast Asia fund.
NZVIF expands seed-stage mandate
The New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), a government-sponsored fund-of-funds, has doubled the investment cap of its seed-stage vehicle to NZ$1.5 million ($1.1 million) per company.
IFC proposes $5m commitment to Wavemaker Southeast Asia fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a commitment of up to $5 million to Wavemaker Partners’ Southeast Asia-focused venture capital fund.
Lilly Asia closes healthcare fund at $450m hard cap
China-focused Lilly Asia Ventures (LAV) has closed its fourth healthcare-focused fund at the hard cap of $450 million.
Australia’s LaunchVic terminates partnership with 500 Startups
LaunchVic, a start-up investment fund backed by the government of Victoria, has ended its planned partnership with 500 Startups in the wake of a sexual harassment scandal at the Silicon Valley-based accelerator.