Technology
AI hype: Primeval posturing
Industry attempts to contextualize the advent of artificial intelligence as a key moment in the history of humanity risk overheating a market already on fire
India’s Z3 Partners invests in cybersecurity firm
Indian technology-focused private equity firm Z3 Partners has invested in Cyfirma, an analytics platform that helps enterprise clients identify potential cyber threats.
China space tech: Aligning the stars
SpaceX-inspired global fervor about the possibilities of space technology has infiltrated China. Some start-ups appear well set for commercial lift-off, but many others will misfire
India’s Inflexor seeks $100m for debut fund
Inflexor Ventures, a recently established venture capital firm, is looking to raise $100 million for its debut fund, which will focus on early-stage deals.
GGV leads $24m round for India's Vedantu
Indian online tutoring service Vedantu raised $24 million in an extended Series C round led by GGV Capital. It is the latest example of the primarily China-focused manager's push into India.
Chinese fashion design platform raises $14m
Linctex Digital, a Shanghai-based design services platform for the fashion industry, has raised RMB100 million ($14 million) in funding led by Gaorong Capital. Shunwei Capital, Vision Plus Capital, Baidu Ventures and Yinxinggu Capital also took part.
Chinese online insurance player raises $55m in US IPO
Huize Holding, a Shanghai-based insurance platform backed by SAIF Partners, has raised about $55 million in a US IPO.
Hamilton Lane backs Legend Capital fund restructuring
Hamilton Lane has led a $200 million restructuring of a VC fund managed by China-based Legend Capital, transferring 12 investments into a new vehicle as a means of extending the holding period.
EQT-backed Nexon announces trio of Australia bolt-ons
Nexon Asia Pacific, an Australian enterprise IT services provider controlled by EQT Partners, has acquired three local IT businesses.
VC and age: No industry for old men
The trendy, shape-shifting world of venture capital is broadly seen as a young person’s game, although hard evidence to this effect remains in scarce supply
Quadrant acquires Australia enterprise IT business
Australia’s Quadrant Private Equity has agreed to acquire the enterprise services division of listed IT specialist Arq Group for A$35 million ($23.5 million).
Eight Roads invests in Indian mobile marketing platform
MoEngage, an India and US-focused business that helps corporate clients improve mobile engagement with consumers, has received $25 million in Series C funding led by Eight Roads.
China B2B platform Yijiupi raises new round, buys Zskuaixiao
Yijiupi, a Chinese B2B e-commerce platform that initially focused on liquor products, has acquired local B2B consumer goods distributor Zskuaixiao. It has also secured a new round of funding backed by several Zskuaixiao investors.
Sequoia seeks up to $1.35b for India, Southeast Asia
Sequoia Capital is looking to raise between $1.28 billion and $1.35 billion for its latest set of funds – comprising separate venture and growth vehicles – for deployment in India and Southeast Asia.
Warburg Pincus backs Singapore's Circles.Life
Warburg Pincus has invested an undisclosed sum in Circles.Life, a Singapore-based digital-only telecom operator.
General Atlantic re-ups in India’s Byju’s
General Atlantic has made another investment in India-based online learning provider Byju’s.
Chinese medical imaging business secures $86m Series B
Shanghai-based Universal Medical Imaging, China’s largest independent imaging diagnosis company has raised a RMB600 million ($86 million) Series B round led by Cathay Capital, V Star Capital and CEC Capital.
India’s Lightbox invests in agritech player
Indian agritech startup WayCool Foods raised $32 million in a Series C funding round led by Lightbox Ventures.
Schroders backs Singapore incubator Antler
Schroders has participated in a funding round for Singapore-headquartered incubator Antler that takes the company's total fundraising over the past six months to $75 million.
Australian online book retailer gets $13m
Booktopia, an Australian online retailer specializing in books, has closed a Series A round of A$20 million ($13.4 million), after 16 years of self-funding.
Northstar joins $20m round for Indonesia education start-up
Northstar Group and Beenext have joined a $20 million Series A round for Indonesia’s Zenius Education.
Deal focus: Lightspeed targets solid-state LiDAR
Having assessed some 40 autonomous driving companies globally, Lightspeed China Partners decided that Hesai - a business born in the US and raised in China - is best-placed to take the technology forwards
Japan's Global Brain invests biometric ID player
Japan’s Global Brain has led a Series B round of undisclosed size for Gtriip, a biometrics-focused identity authentication technology provider pursuing a pan-Asia expansion.
Deal focus: Navegar dips its toe in e-commerce
Navegar sees Great Deals E-commerce, a provider of delivery and digital services to traditional retailers in the Philippines, as a proxy for growth in online shopping
