Venture
VCs back Zai Lab drug development model
Few VC firms are keen to invest in China's early-stage drug discovery space because the development cycle is long and risky. Taking a new drug from clinical testing to commercialization often takes 7-10 years and the success rate in China is less than...
Portfolio: YPX and China casual dining
YPX Cayman was born out of an idea for a tech-style start-up in China's casual dining space. Backed by a string of investors, the firm is making headway with Cloud 9 and preparing to launch new concepts
GenNext Ventures, Microsoft India launch tech accelerator
GenNext Ventures, the VC arm of Reliance Industries, has tied up with Microsoft Ventures India to launch an accelerator program, with a view to catalyzing the Indian technology start-up ecosystem.
Japan’s Relux raises $3.1m from Recruit Holdings, others
Japanese luxury hotel booking site Relux has raised JPY330 million ($3.1 million) from Recruit Holdings and other undisclosed investors.
Gobi invests in China second-hand car trading site Mychebao
Gobi Partners has invested in a Series A round of funding for Mychebao.com, a Chinese online trading platform for second-hand cars.
Rebright leads $1m seed round for Singapore’s Smove
Japanese seed investor Rebright Partners has led a $1.1 million funding round for Clean Mobility Singapore, the Singapore-based start-up behind car rental service Smove, with participation from 500 Startups and Wavemaker Pacific.
Foxconn invests $2m in Taiwan’s AirSig
Electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group has invested $2 million for a 10% stake in AirSig, a Taiwan-based mobile authentication start-up.
Rocket, Kinnevik to form emerging market fashion e-commerce giant
German start-up incubator Rocket Internet and Investment AB Kinnevik, Rocket's biggest backer, are to consolidate five emerging market fashion e-commerce brands into a single global company with a combined valuation of EUR2.7 billion ($3.5 billion).
Shunwei, Angelvest back English evaluation firm Vericant
Shunwei Capital Partners and Anglevest have led a Series A round of funding for Vericant, a Chinese company that provides a third-party English evaluation services to North American universities.
Tencent invests $20m in Korea’s PATI Games
China’s Tencent Holdings has invested KRW20 billion ($20 million) in Korean mobile game developer PATI Games.
Korea VC: Seoul-searching
The South Korean start-up community is flourishing as early-stage investors flock to the country in search of opportunities. What is driving this renewed interest and can it last?
VC-backed Xunlei to buy storage business from Kingsoft
Xunlei, a Chinese file-sharing service backed by a string of VC firms, will pay $33 million to acquire a personal storage business unit owned by Kingsoft Corporation.
Tencent pumps $70m into China healthcare networking site
Tencent Holdings has invested $70 million into dxy.com, a Chinese networking and information-sharing site for healthcare professionals
China's Baidu backs Finland-based indoor mapping start-up
Chinese internet giant Baidu has agreed to invest $10 million in IndoorAtlas, a VC-backed Finnish software developer that specializes in indoor mapping.
Chengwei invests $20m in Chinese drone manufacturer
Chengwei Capital Partners has invested $20 million in a Series A round of funding for XAircraft Aerial Solutions, a Chinese multi-rotor and drone maker.
Fosun VC provides Series B for Chinese personal finance app
Fosun Venture Capital Investment, a VC arm of Fosun Group, has invested in a Series B round of funding for Feidee.com, Beijing-based personal finance management website, with participation from existing investor Sequoia Capital.
Banyan Capital invests $10m in Chinese air purifier firm
Banyan Capital has committed $10 million in Series A funding to Three Daddies, a Chinese air purifier maker.
Taiwan's Acer to launch $34m VC fund
Taiwanese computer maker Acer has established a NT$1 billion ($33.5 million) venture capital fund to invest in start-ups, with a view to strengthening the group’s technology development as well as generating financial returns.
India messaging app raises $65m in Tiger Global-led round
Tiger Global has led a $65 million investment in Hike, the Indian mobile message app.
China's Zai Lab raises $30m Series A round
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $30 million Series A round of funding for Zai Lab, a Shanghai-based biotech drug developer, with participation from KPCB, Sequoia Capital and TF Capital.
Forum Syneriges leads Series C round for India’s Attero
Forum Synergies has led a $15 million Series C round of funding for Attero, India’s largest electronic asset management company.
GoGoVan eyes regional expansion
Three Hong Kong youngsters came up with an idea to supply disposable lunchboxes to local restaurants for free and make a return by selling display advertising on the products.
China regulation: Circular progress
China’s foreign exchange regulator has issued new rules simplifying the use of offshore special purpose vehicles for investment purposes. It’s good news for VCs but questions remain about implementation
Alibaba backs Chinese Wi-Fi operator
Alibaba Group has invested an undisclosed sum in Witown, a Chinese Wi-Fi solutions provider.