Financials
Deal focus: Opportunities at the end
TR Capital takes secondary stakes in Indian eyewear chain Lenskart and microfinance specialist Arohan Financial Services
India's VC-backed True Balance raises $23m
True Balance, an Indian digital payments services provider whose backers include SoftBank Ventures Korea, has raised a $23 million bridge round from a group of Japanese and Korean investors.
IFC co-leads $22m Series C for India's Coverfox
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, has co-led a $22 million Series C round for Indian online insurance marketplace Coverfox.
Softbank leads $25m round for Singapore fintech player
Softbank Ventures Korea has led a $25 million Series B round for Funding Societies, a Singapore-based financial technology company focused on crowdfunding and peer-to-peer (P2P) lending.
Chinese fintech start-up raises $159m Series C
China Reform Holdings Corporation (CRHC), a Chinese state-owned asset manager, has led a RMB1 billion ($159 million) Series C round for 100Credit, a financial technology start-up that uses big data to provide credit services.
TR Capital completes two India direct secondary deals
TR Capital has completed secondary direct investments in two India-based businesses, microfinance specialist Arohan Financial Services and eyewear chain Lenskart Solutions.
Q&A: 500 Startups' Khailee Ng
Khailee Ng, a managing partner with 500 Startups in Southeast Asia, discusses the rising demand for start-up exposure in Indonesia, the prospects for the country’s four unicorns, and exit opportunities
Lone Star, India's Rattan to launch NBFC
Lone Star Funds and the RattanIndia Group will jointly invest INR26 billion ($400 million) to launch a new non-banking financial company (NBFC).
China's Meiliche Jinrong raises another $38m
Meiliche Jinrong, the online auto finance unit of Chinese consumer loans site Meili Jinrong, has raised an additional RMB239 million ($37.88 million) for its Series B round.
ChrysCapital leads $55m round for Indian education NBFC
ChrysCapital has led a INR3.5 billion ($55 million) Series C round for Varthana, an education-focused non-banking finance company (NBFC) based in India.
Victory Park, IFC launch emerging markets fintech fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has committed $25 million to a fund that it will co-manage with US-based Victory Park Capital. The fund will improve access to debt capital for financial technology companies in emerging markets, including Asia....
Insight leads $18m round for India's Chargebee
Insight Venture Partners has led an $18 million Series C funding round for US and India-based financial technology company Chargebee.
Singapore's GTR Ventures invests five fintech companies
GTR Ventures, a Singapore-headquartered VC firm launched last September, has made its debut investments in five financial technology companies.
Actis leads $82m round for India's Pine Labs
Emerging markets-focused private equity firm Actis has led an $82 million funding round for Indian financial technology company Pine Labs.
Warburg Pincus to invest $370m in Vietnamese lender
Warburg Pincus is set to make another substantial investment in Vietnam, having agreed to inject $370 million into Vietnam Technological & Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank, TCB).
Global Brain backs $30m investment in Singapore's Electrify
Japan’s Global Brain has participated in a token sale that raised $30 million for Electrify, a Singaporean electricity marketplace using blockchain technology. The company claims the sale received offers in excess of $1.3 billion.
Q&A: Dianrong's Soul Htite
Soul Htite, executive chairman of China’s Dianrong and a veteran of the US financial services market, contemplates peer-to-peer (P2P) lending opportunities after raising $70 million from Japan’s Orix Asia Capital and CITIC Securities-owned CLSA
Demonetization drives surge in Indian fintech investment
India’s demonetization policy has been the principal driver for a surge in financial technology investment in the country, according to research by Accenture and CB Insights.
China credit assessment player gets $160m Series D
Chinese financial technology company Wecash has closed a $160 million Series D round led by Orix Asia Capital and Hong Kong-based property investment and development firm SEA Group.
Cerberus buys Bluestone's Australasia operations
Cerberus Capital Management has agreed to acquire the Australasian division of international financial services company Bluestone Group in an all-cash transaction. It will facilitate an exit for a PE unit of Lloyds Bank.
NAB Ventures backs $7m round for Australia's BrickX
NAB Ventures, a unit of National Australia Bank (NAB), has joined a A$9 million ($7 million) Series A funding round for BrickX, a domestic financial technology start-up focused on the real estate sector.
PE-backed NBFC Indostar files for India IPO
Indostar Capital Finance (ICF), an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) backed by Everstone Capital and other PE investors, has filed for an IPO.
Fullerton leads $87m round for India's Lendingkart
Fullerton Financial Holdings has led an $87 million Series C round for Indian financial technology platform Lendingkart.
VCs back $41m investment in Japan's WealthNavi
Japanese financial technology company WealthNavi has raised JPY4.5 billion ($41.3 million) through a combination of domestic venture capital funding and loans from financial institutions.