Southeast Asia
500 Global adds three partners in Southeast Asia
500 Global has named three new partners to invest in Southeast Asia as it looks to deepen coverage of a region it entered a decade ago and where it has backed more than 340 start-ups.
Deal focus: Affine builds software for an office beyond Office
Affine is one of many start-ups working on a set of collaborative tools to replace Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Its open-source model struck a chord with investors at a time when capital is scarce
Data sovereignty: Compliance complex
Deglobalisation is broadening the concept of cyber risk management from simply preventing attacks to navigating a minefield of data regulations. The pressure on PE spans investment, operations, and exits
Gobi-Core named partner for Philippines start-up fund
A Philippines-focused fund supported by Gobi Partners has been selected as a co-investment partner for the government’s Startup Venture Fund (SVF), which was launched in 2021 to support early-stage investment.
China GPs back pre-Series A for software start-up Affine
Affine, a Chinese-founded and Singapore-based collaborative software start-up, has raised USD 10m in pre-Series A funding led by Redpoint China, China Growth Capital, and Sinovation Ventures.
Rise Fund buys Malaysian university from KV Asia
The Rise Fund, TPG’s global impact investment platform, has agreed to acquire a controlling stake in Malaysia-based Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU) from KV Asia.
Sequoia Southeast Asia leads Series C for Australia's Shift
Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia has led a Series C round of AUD 27m (USD 18.5m) for Australia-based credit and payments platform Shift.
Singapore to top-up SME co-investment programme
Singapore has earmarked an additional SGD 150m (USD 112m) for a co-investment fund that will invest in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as part of efforts to help local companies scale and become globally competitive.
Alibaba-backed eWTP pursues $1bn in VC fundraise
EWTP Arabia Capital, an investment arm of the Electronic World Trade Platform (eWTP) backed by Alibaba Group and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, has raised nearly USD 1bn for an Asia-Middle East fund.
Singapore's Aspire closes Series C on $100m
Singapore-based B2B banking platform Aspire has closed an oversubscribed Series C round with USD 100m in commitments. Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia took the lead.
Temasek's Fullerton recruits ex-Asia head of Eurazeo
Eddie Chen, formerly head of Asia at Europe-headquartered investment firm Eurazeo, has joined Temasek Holdings-owned Fullerton Fund Management as a managing director.
Novo Tellus seeks $375m for third industrial tech fund
Novo Tellus Capital Partners, a Singapore-based private equity firm that invests in industrial technology assets across the Indo-Pacific region, has set a target of USD 375m for its third fund.
Sequoia leads $17m round for Singapore's Tazapay
Sequoia Capital Southeast Asia has led a USD 16.9m Series A round for Singaporean cross-border payments start-up Tazapay.
AIIB launches $160m to cleantech VC strategy
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has committed USD 160m to a plan to back small-scale venture capital funds targeting cleantech and technology-enabled sustainable infrastructure.
AI: Asia awakens to ChatGPT
ChatGPT has sent shockwaves through the technology sector globally. Asia is no exception as investors look for ways to leverage the platform and China contemplates a standard of its own
AVCJ Awards 2022: Exit of the Year – IPO: GoTo
GoTo’s rocky start on the Indonesia Stock Exchange betrays the pioneering nature of the listing and cements a legacy as an ecosystem lynchpin. Long-time backer Openspace Ventures reflects
Deal focus: EdenFarm rethinks Indonesian agriculture
EdenFarm is tackling Indonesia’s fragmented agribusiness space with a B2B fresh produce marketplace that not only helps distribute crops, but helps them grow in the first place
Singapore accelerator targets packaging industry
Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) and US packaging giant Avery Dennison are bankrolling a start-up accelerator that will explore everything from new boxing materials to tech-enabled tags.
AVCJ Awards 2022: Responsible Investment: Sido Muncul
Affinity Equity Partners leveraged a minority position to exert significant influence on the growth of Sido Mucul, an Indonesian herbal wellness brand with a complex, fragmented operating model
Southeast Asia's Openspace seeks $650m for latest vintage
Southeast Asia-focused Openspace Ventures is targeting USD 300m for its fourth venture capital fund and USD 350m for its second growth vehicle.
Creador, Navegar back Philippines supermarket chain
Creador and Navegar have invested an undisclosed sum in the Philippines business of Switzerland-based discount grocery and supermarkets operator Dali.
Mitsubishi UFJ launches $100m Indonesia fund
MUFG Innovation Partners, a VC arm of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, has launched its third fund alongside Bank Danamon Indonesia with a corpus of USD 100m. The fund will focus on Indonesia.
TMI Ventures leads $13.5m round for Indonesia's EdenFarm
Indonesian agriculture technology start-up EdenFarm has raised a USD 13.5m round led by TMI Ventures, the investment arm of local wireless network operator Telkomsel.
Indonesia fintech start-up iSeller gets $12m
Indonesia financial technology start-up iSeller, which helps businesses to digitise sales and operations, has raised USD 12m in Series B funding led by Intudo Ventures.