Venture
Chinese online lender FirstP2P secures $70m
FirstP2P, a Chinese online peer-to-peer (P2P) financing site, has raised a $70 million Series C round led by existing investor CCB International.
Fund focus: Sinovation gets new firepower
Innovation Works changes its name, but plans to keep focusing on China's growing tech talent
Northern Light leads Series B for China's TenNor Therapeutics
Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC) has led a $25 million Series B funding round for TenNor Therapeutics, a Chinese drug developer specializing in infectious diseases.
Bessemer leads $15m round for India's Swiggy
Bessemer Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series D round for Indian online food delivery start-up Swiggy.
China LeEco's smart car unit raises $1b
Leshi Internet Information and Technology, also known as LeEco, has raised $1.08 billion for its self-driving electric car project.
Linear Venture closes $70m China early-stage VC fund
Linear Venture, a Chinese early-stage VC firm founded by former Facebook and JD.com employees, has closed its second fund – which comprises US dollar and renminbi-denominated tranches – with approximately $70 million in aggregate commitments.
Singapore's JFDI abandons accelerator program
Singapore-based Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) has closed its pioneering accelerator program as part of a corporate restructuring.
Deal focus: InnoVen targets India-Southeast Asia angle
Having gained traction with its venture debt proposition in India, Innoven Capital is now following those same portfolio companies as they expand into Southeast Asia
Taiwan regulation: Forward views, sideways moves
The Taiwan government is attempting to reconcile its conservative tendencies with a need for innovation as the local venture capital industry marks mixed progress in filling an early-stage vacuum
VC value-add: Operational gambit
As competition for VC deals intensifies in Asia and capital becomes commoditized, GPs are stressing their value-add credentials. Should we believe the hype?
Baidu launches $200m VC fund to invest in AR, VR
Chinese search engine Baidu has launched a $200 million venture fund that will focus on next-generation technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR).
Australia VC: Interesting times
AirTree Ventures' successful fundraise underlines the growth interest in Australian venture capital, but the superannuation funds have yet to prove themselves to be a consistent source of capital
Australia's AirTree raises $188m VC fund
AirTree Ventures claims to have raised Australia's largest-ever venture capital fund, having closed its latest vehicle at A$250 million ($188 million)
China's Sinovation Ventures raises $674m across two funds
Chinese early-stage VC firm Sinovation Ventures, formerly Innovation Works, has closed its third US dollar-denominated fund and second renminbi fund, with more than $674 million in aggregate commitments.
Innovation Works launches fund with China's Zall Group
China-based early-stage investor Innovation Works, which was founded by former Google China head Kai-Fu Lee, has teamed up with Hong Kong-listed real estate developer Zall Group to launch a private equity fund.
China logistics software start-up raises $25m Series B round
OTMS, a China-based logistics software developer, has raised a $25 million Series B round led by Weixing Chen, founder of local ride-hailing app operator Kuaidi Dache.
Ex-JP Morgan China president joins local VC firm
Brett Krause, former president of J.P. Morgan Chase China, has joined PurpleSky Capital as managing partner with a view to helping the local early-stage VC firm launch a debut US dollar-denominated fund.
China local supermarket O2O player raises $195m
Huimin, a Chinese B2B e-commerce platform that focuses on small-scale supermarkets, has raised a RMB1.3 billion ($195 million) Series B round from a group of renminbi fund managers including Fortune Capital.
China online used car marketplace Renrenche raises $150m
Renrenche, a Chinese peer-to-peer second-hand car trading platform, has raised $150 million in the initial tranche of its ongoing Series D round of funding.
Temasek, GDP, Mistletoe in fresh round for Singapore's Garena
Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform Garena has raised a fresh round of funding from a unit of Temasek Holdings, Indonesia's Global Digital Prima (GDP) Venture, and Japanese impact investor Mistletoe.
Singapore's Venturecraft launches $37m tech fund
Venturecraft, a Singapore-based VC investor and accelerator, has launched a new S$50 million ($37 million) investment fund aimed at early and growth stage medical technology (medtech) and internet start-ups in Asia.
China's State Council proposes better deal for foreign VC firms
Foreign venture capital investors will receive equal treatment to their domestic counterparts as part of efforts to boost funding for start-ups, according to the Chinese government.
VC-backed Berry Genomics to list in Shenzhen via reverse merger
Berry Genomics, a Chinese genetic test developer backed by Qiming Venture Partners and Legend Capital, is looking to list in Shenzhen through a reverse merger.
Accel invests $7m in India's Mihup
Accel Partners has invested over INR450 million ($6.7 million) in Indian artificial intelligence-enabled personal assistant app developer Mihup Communications.