South Asia
India's Pine Labs buys VC-backed Setu
Indian financial technology company Pine Labs, which has raised more than USD 1.5bn in private funding, has acquired VC-backed counterpart Setu.
Carlyle makes growth investment in India's Varmora Granito
The Carlyle Group has acquired a significant minority stake in Varmora Granito, an India-based manufacturer of tiles, bathware, and sanitaryware products, for an undisclosed sum.
India's Zomato buys PE-backed Blinkit for $567m
India-based online food services platform Zomato has agreed to acquire Blinkit – a private equity-backed quick commerce start-up formerly known as Grofers – for INR 44.5bn (USD 567m).
India's Fundamental VC launches debut fund
Fundamental VC, an early-stage investor set up by two Indian angel investors and start-up ecosystem professionals, has launched its debut fund with a target of USD 130m.
NewQuest, Prosus lead $90m Series E for India's Cashify
NewQuest Capital Partners and Prosus Ventures have led a USD 90m Series E round for India’s Cashify, a marketplace for used smart phones and gadgets.
Matrix seeks $450m for fourth India fund
Matrix Partners has launched its fourth India venture capital fund with a target of USD 450m.
India-focused neobank Stashfin raises $270m
Stashfin, a Singapore-based neobank that primarily operates in India, has raised USD 70m in equity funding – and secured a further USD 200m in debt – as part of a Series C round.
India's LeadSquared raises $153m Series C
Indian customer relationship management software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider LeadSquared has raised a USD 153m Series C round led by WestBridge Capital at a post-money valuation of USD 1bn.
Placement agents: Asian entries
Asia’s sparse placement agent scene is fleshing itself out despite macro headwinds, but the model is being revised to adapt to a changing market. This appears irreversible
Deal focus: Pakistan's Dastgyr aspires to emulate Alibaba
SOSV sees parallels between the e-commerce awakenings in Pakistan and China, though 20 years apart. Dastgyr has positioned itself at the fore, but it wants to be asset-light rather than asset-heavy
Alpha Wave backs India e-sports platform FanClash
Alpha Wave Global has led a USD 40m Series B round for Indian e-sports platform FanClash with support from Sequoia Capital India, Info Edge Ventures, and web3 platform Polygon Technology.
India's ShareChat closes $520m round, hits $5b valuation
Indian social media platform ShareChat has raised USD 255m from Google, Times Group, and Temasek Holdings, capping a USD 520m Series G round at a valuation of USD 5bn.
India payments player Innoviti expands Series D to $22m
India-based financial technology start-up Innoviti Payment Solutions has doubled the size of its ongoing Series D round to more than INR 1.6bn (USD 22.5m). The overall target is USD 3bn.
India's 8i Ventures seeks $50m for Fund II
8i Ventures, an India-based early-stage venture capital firm that recently made a partial exit from software supplier M2P Fintech with a 36x return, is targeting USD 50m for its second fund.
Pakistan B2B marketplace Dastgyr secures $37m Series A
Dastgyr, a Pakistan-based B2B e-commerce marketplace, has raised USD 37m in Series A funding led by Veon, an Amsterdam-listed telecom provider that owns Pakistan’s largest mobile network.
Sequoia raises $2.85b for India, Southeast Asia
Sequoia Capital has raised USD 2.85bn for its latest set of India and Southeast Asia-focused funds, which includes the firm’s first-ever dedicated Southeast Asia vehicle.
India's 8i Ventures gets 36x return on M2P Fintech
Indian early-stage investor 8i Ventures has made a partial exit of its seed shares in local banking software supplier M2P Fintech, generating a 36x multiple and an IRR of 415% after two years.
Crypto: Something for everyone?
Traditional VCs are becoming more active in Asia’s blockchain and web3 space, despite structural and philosophical obstacles to participation. Can they withstand the crypto winter?
India payments player Kissht closes $80m Series E
Indian payments start-up Kissht has raised a USD 80m Series E round led by Temasek Holdings-owned Vertex Ventures and Brunei Investment Agency.
India beauty e-commerce player Purplle achieves unicorn status
India-focused beauty e-commerce platform Purplle has raised USD 33m in funding at a valuation of USD 1.1bn – nearly twice what it was worth about seven months ago.
India edtech start-up gets unicorn status on Series A
PhysicsWallah, an India-based online education platform focused on engineering and medicine, has achieved unicorn status at the Series A stage after raising USD 100m at a post-deal valuation of USD 1.1bn.
India's Anicut Capital hits first close on VC fund
Indian early-stage investor Anicut Capital has achieved a first close of INR 1.1bn (USD 14.2m) on its latest VC fund, which is targeting INR 5bn. It coincides with the nomination of a new partner.
Q&A: Jungle Ventures' Amit Anand
Singapore’s Jungle Ventures has closed its fourth early-stage tech fund on USD 600m, shattering an initial target of USD 350m. Amit Anand, a founding partner at the firm, unpacks the achievement
Alpha Wave leads $57m round for India's Cuemath
Alpha Wave Global, formerly Falcon Edge Capital, has led a USD 57m investment in Indian one-on-one online math tutoring platform Cuemath.