Greater China
Deal focus: Vision Fund bets on service robots
COVID-19 crippled demand for restaurant service robots, so China’s Keenon Robotics pivoted towards hospitals. It has $200 million in Series D funding to target new application scenarios
Fund focus: Lever leverages spiking food tech appetite
The debut fund from Hong Kong’s Lever VC has tapped an infection point in global demand for food innovation. A mix of motivators for entering this space makes the hype feel less like a bubble
Deal focus: Deeproute founder jumps at second chance
Deeproute.ai has risen from the ashes of China-based autonomous driving specialist Roadstar.ai, backed by some of the same investors. Now Alibaba Group has given the company its endorsement
Eight Roads' China hospital wins backing from Swire
DeltaHealth, a China-based cardiovascular care chain established by Eight Roads, has raised $100 million in funding led by Hong Kong-listed conglomerate Swire Pacific.
D1 Capital leads $138m round for China's Xtransfer
XTransfer, a China-based cross-border payment services provider, has raised $138 million in Series D funding led by US-based D1 Capital Partners. Existing investors also took part in the round.
Hong Kong outlines plans for local SPAC listings
Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing (HKEx) has proposed rules for IPOs by special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), admitting they are more stringent than the US system, but noting the need for more safeguards in a relatively retail investor-heavy market....
Taiwan's Gogoro set for $2.3b SPAC merger
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) backed by Homer Sun, former CIO of Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA), has agreed a $2.35 billion merger with Taiwan-based electric scooter manufacturer Gogoro.
SoftBank leads $200m round for China's Keenon Robotics
China-based service robot manufacturer Keenon Robotics has raised $200 million in a Series D round led by Softbank Vision Fund 2.
Hong Kong's Prenetics agrees $1.25b SPAC merger
Hong Kong-based genetic testing business Prenetics has agreed to merge with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Adrian Cheng, scion of local property developer New World Development and managing partner of C Ventures, at an enterprise...
Profile: Vision Knight Capital's David Wei
Drawing on his experiences as a top executive at Alibaba Group, David Wei fashioned Vision Knight Capital into a China-focused private equity firm that aims to be both consultant and capital provider
Hong Kong's Lever VC closes food fund at $80m
Hong Kong-based food tech investor Lever VC has reached a final close of $80 million on its debut fund, which launched in August last year with a target of $50 million.
Alibaba leads $300m round for China's DeepRoute.ai
Alibaba Group has led a $300 million Series B round for DeepRoute.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving technology developer currently running a robotaxi program in downtown Shenzhen.
Warburg Pincus leads $93m round for China's Terminus
Warburg Pincus has led a RMB600 million ($93 million) Series B round for Hangzhou-based enterprise software company Terminus.
China's Agile Robots raises $220m
Agile Robots, a Germany and China-based industrial robotics company, has raised a $220 million Series C round led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
Fund focus: AGIC sticks to cross-border growth thesis
Having found its sweet spot bridging the middle markets of Asia and Europe, AGIC Capital plans to stay there – although Fund II will move earlier to capture technology hardware post-commercialization
IDG, Sequoia, Hidden Hill lead Series E for China's eSign
China-based electronic signature service provider eSign has raised RMB1.2 billion ($186 million) in Series E funding led by IDG Capital, Sequoia Capital China, and Hidden Hill Capital, an investment arm of logistics platform and fund manager GLP.
China's Future Capital closes debut growth fund
Chinese early-stage tech investor Future Capital has broadened its scope with the closing of its first growth fund at $108 million.
China's Ximalaya abandons US IPO
Ximalaya, a Chinese online audio platform backed by the likes of Tencent Holdings, General Atlantic, and Goldman Sachs, has canceled its planned IPO.
China wafer maker Zhongxin Jingyuan raises $511m
Zhongxin Jingyuan Semiconductor - a China-based silicon wafer manufacturer also known as CCMC - has raised RMB3.3 billion ($511 million) in a Series B funding round led by Capital Operation, an investment arm of the Zhejiang provincial government, and...
China ride-hailing app Caocao raises $588m
Caocao Chuxing, the ride-hailing arm of Chinese automaker Geely, has raised a RMB3.8 billion ($588 million) Series B round from five state-backed investors.
DST leads Series B for China cross-border brand Cider
Guangzhou-based cross-border fashion brand Cider has raised a $130 million Series B round led by DST Global with support from Greenoaks Capital and Andreessen Horowitz.
Deal focus: Vision Fund throws its weight behind Opay
An introduction from SoftBank Ventures Asia prompted Vision Fund 2 to lead a $400 million Series C for Nigeria-based Opay, creating Africa’s newest technology unicorn in the process
China take-privates: Holding pattern
Pressure is mounting on Chinese companies listed in New York, from domestic and US regulators. Is another wave of PE-backed take-privates imminent?
Q&A: C Ventures' Ben Cheng
Ben Cheng, a managing partner of C Ventures, mixes lifestyle trends and corporate VC as he helps Adrian Cheng, scion of Hong Kong’s New World Development, usher the family empire into a digital future