Venture
VCs commit $100m to China app launcher Apus
Chengwei Ventures, SIG Ventures and Qiming Venture Partners have led a $100 million Series B round of funding for Apus, a Beijing-based company that has developed a suite of products intended to speed up Android operating systems.
SBCVC leads $20m in China education platform Xuexibao
SoftBank China Venture Capital (SBCVC) has led a Series B round of funding worth $20 million for Xuexibao, a Chinese online education platform. Existing investor GSR Ventures also participated.
Australian medical research fund backs antibody start-up
Solvanix, an Australian early-stage biotech company that has developed a technology for improving drug stability, has received A$2 million ($1.6 million) in seed funding from the Medical Research Commercialization Fund (MRCF).
Tiger Global leads $100m round for India’s ShopClues
Tiger Global has a led a $100 million Series C round of funding for Clues Network, the US parent of Indian e-commerce platform ShopClues.
VC-backed China group-buying site Meituan raises $700m
Meituan.com, a Chinese group-buying site backed by Alibaba Group and several venture capital firms, has raised $700 million in a new funding round from undisclosed investors.
Japanese entrepreneurs' big data start-up raises $15m
Treasure Data - a Silicon Valley-based big data start-up founded by two Japanese entrepreneurs - has raised a $15 million Series B round of funding led by Scale Venture Partners with participation from AME Cloud Ventures.
China creates $6.5b VC fund to support start-ups
China has launched a government-guided venture capital fund worth RMB40 billion ($6.5 billion) to support start-ups in emerging industries.
Tiger Global invests in China P2P online lending site Dianrong
Tiger Global Management has invested an undisclosed sum in Dianrong.com, a Chinese VC-backed peer-to-peer (P2P) online lending service platform.
Mobile app analytics firm App Annie raises $55m from VCs
App Annie, a mobile app analytics platform that was set up in Beijing but has since expanded globally, has raised a Series D round of funding worth $55 million, led by Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).
Investors back WeLab’s financial innovation
For Hong Kong-based financial technology start-up WeLab, setting up a peer-to-peer lending (P2P) platform was never the priority. Rather, the company wanted to develop and leverage its capabilities in the design of internet finance products and big data...
Samurai Incubate targets Tel Aviv
When Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travels to Israel later this month it will be the first time a Japanese leader has visited the country since Junichiro Koizumi in 2006.
4Q analysis: Still selling
Trade sales keep the exit market ticking over; big ticket tech deals make their presence felt, but buyouts dominate the investment environment; weakness in China pegs back Asia fundraising
Women in China VC: Gender balance
Women are still underrepresented in a male-dominated VC industry, but China is notable for having a number of female executives in senior positions. How did they break through the glass ceiling?
VC-backed 51Talk acquires education counterpart 91Waijiao
51Talk.com, a Chinese online English-learning platform backed by several VC investors, has acquired industry peer 91Waijiao.com for an undisclosed sum.
Cheetah Mobile plans fund to support Taiwan start-ups
Cheetah Mobile, formerly Kingsoft Corporation’s internet security software division, plans to set up a NT$100 million ($3.1 million) fund to invest in Taiwan-based mobile internet start-ups.
Samurai Incubate launches Japan, Israel-focused fund
Japanese incubator and early-stage investor Samurai Incubate has launched a JPY1 billion ($8.3 million) fund with a new focus on Israeli start-ups.
Japanese 3D printing start-up raises $3.6m
A consortium of venture capital investors has committed JPY400 million ($3.6 million) to JMC, a Japanese casting and 3D printing services firm.
India’s VC-backed Zomato acquires US-based Urbanspoon
Zomato, a VC-backed restaurant search service based in India, has acquired US-based counterpart Urbanspoon as it seeks to accelerate growth in overseas markets.
China online payment site Aixuedai raises $40m Series A round
Aixuedai, a Chinese online payment platform that finances purchases of consumer electronics, has completed a $40 million Series A round of funding.
Infosys expands Innovation Fund five-fold to $500m
Indian IT and business consulting firm Infosys has expanded its early-stage investment vehicle - Innovation Fund - from its original $100 million corpus to $500 million.
Alibaba to invest in Indian e-commerce, payments platform
Alibaba Group has agreed to invest at least $550 million in One97 Communications, owner of India-based mobile commerce platform and payments solution provider Paytm, which has several venture capital backers.
Google Capital backs India real estate platform CommonFloor
Google Capital has provided a new round of funding for CommonFloor.com, an India-based property listings website.
Ally Bridge leads $25m round for Shanghai Hua Medicine
Ally Bridge Group, a healthcare-focused PE firm, has led a $25 million Series B round of funding for Hua Medicine, a Shanghai-based clinical-stage biotech company.
Japan’s NTT Docomo Ventures backs France-based Sunpartner
NTT Docomo Ventures, the corporate VC arm of the eponymous Japanese telecom giant, has taken part in a EUR4 million ($4.7 million) round for Sunpartner Technologies, a French solar panel manufacturer.