Southeast Asia
Dymon makes $145m take-private offer for Singapore's Challenger
Dymon Asia Private Equity (DAPE) has submitted a take-private offer for Singapore-listed digital marketing services provider Challenger Technologies that values the company at about S$195 million ($145 million).
East Ventures backs Indonesia auto platform
East Ventures has joined a Series A investment of undisclosed size in Indonesian car sales platform operator Mobilkamu.
Sequoia leads $7.6m round for Indonesia's Kargo
Sequoia Capital India has led a $7.6 million round for Indonesian logistics services provider Kargo Technologies.
Malaysia's Ekuinas buys 40% stake in local cloud player
Malaysian government-backed private equity firm Ekuinas has acquired a 40% stake in domestic cloud services provider Exabytes Capital Group for MYR44 million ($10.8 million).
VCs, strategics support $41m round for Singapore's InstaRem
Singapore-based digital payments service provider InstaRem has closed its Series C round with $41 million from a group of investors including Vertex Growth Fund and South Korea’s Atinum Investment.
Singapore's Tookitaki raises $7.5m Series A
Tookitaki, a Singaporean technology provider that helps institutions develop regulatory compliance programs, has raised a $7.5 million Series A from a group of investors including Jungle Ventures.
Vietnam's VinaCapital backs two local tech start-ups
Vietnam’s VinaCapital has made investments of undisclosed size in two local start-ups - financial technology provider Wee Digital and marketing services player UrBox.
Singapore's VisVires backs domestic food tech player
VisVires New Protein, a Singapore-based VC firm specializing in food technology has led a $5 million round for Nutrition Innovation, a domestic start-up focused on healthier sugar production.
HSBC, Singtel join $25m round for Singapore's CXA
Singapore-based digital health start-up CXA Group has raised $25 million in funding from a string of strategic backers, including HSBC and the Asia investment arms of Singtel and Sumitomo Corporation.
Southeast Asia tech: Strategic incursions
Strategic investors are jockeying for position in Southeast Asia's blossoming technology space, hoping to gain a foothold with local start-ups before the market reaches a saturation point
Deal focus: 90 Seconds simplifies complex video variables
Singapore-based 90 Seconds raises $20 million to expand its online video production networking marketplace
Deal focus: Google offers AI expertise to Elsa
Google brings technological expertise as well as financial backing to its investment in Vietnam-based English education provider Elsa
SoftBank Vision Fund invests $1.5b in SE Asia's Grab
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has secured a $1.46 billion investment from SoftBank Vision Fund. The commitment brings the capital raised in its ongoing Series H to over $4.5 billion.
Astra commits $100m to Go-Jek's Series F
Astra International, an Indonesian conglomerate that controls the country’s largest automotive distributor, has agreed to invest $100 million in the first tranche of a Series F round for ride-hailing and delivery platform Go-Jek.
UOB leads $65m Series B for Indonesia's Halodoc
Singapore-based United Overseas Bank (UOB) has led a $65 million Series B round for Indonesian healthcare technology provider Halodoc.
AirAsia sets up venture capital fund
Malaysia’s AirAsia has launched a venture capital fund in partnership with US-based 500 Startups that will focus on digital Southeast Asian businesses in travel, logistics and financial technology.
Singapore investors launch $100m fintech fund
Singapore-based investors Quantum Energy Asset Management and RE Lee International Capital have launched a fund targeting $100 million for early to growth-stage financial technology start-ups.
Google joins $7m round for Vietnam's Elsa
Gradient Ventures, a VC arm of Google focused on artificial intelligence (AI), has led a $7 million Series A round for Vietnam-based English language education technology provider Elsa.
Navegar seeks $150m for second Philippines PE fund
Philippines private equity firm Navegar has launched its second growth fund focused exclusively on its home market with a target of $150 million.
Singapore's 90 Seconds raises $20m Series B round
Singapore video platform operator 90 Seconds has raised a $20 million Series B from a group including Susquehanna International Group (SIG), Australia’s AirTree Ventures, and Sequoia Capital India.
Deal focus: Zilingo builds full-service fashion platform
Zilingo has secured $226 million in Series D funding to take its end-to-end online retail service to more small-scale fashion merchants across Southeast Asia
Singapore AI start-up raises $20m
ViSenze, a Singaporean artificial intelligence (AI) provider focused on e-commerce has received a $20 million Series C round led by China’s Gobi Ventures and the VC arm of Portuguese retail and technology group Sonae.
Fund focus: Intudo proves a tight focus has broad appeal
Intudo Ventures has raised $50 million for its second Indonesia-focused fund, drawing on strong support from international investors such as Founders Fund
Hong Kong tax: Playing catch-up
Hong Kong is introducing various initiatives intended to encourage private equity firms to bring more of their operations onshore. A failure to act may see Singapore emerge as Asia’s jurisdiction of choice