Technology
Japan VC draws global attention - AVCJ Forum
Japan’s venture capital market is attracting increased international attention by virtue of its relatively stable returns and a start-up-friendly policy regime, investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum Japan 2023.
Deal focus: Gitee aspires to be more than China’s Github
FutureX Capital got onto Gitee’s shareholder register by suggesting a separation from Baidu. Now, FutureX is backing the company to leverage its status as China’s dominant open-source software player
Japan M&A: Go digital, go global
Panasonic moved from hardware to software with the acquisition of Blue Yonder, a path that other Japanese corporates are expected to follow. PE investors can sell to them or work with them
Deal focus: Nothing’s swift evolution into something
A global brand developed by a European-Chinese founder, Nothing has made its presence felt on the idiosyncratic edges of the smart phone market. Investors have responded positively
Fund focus: Epiq renews brute force India tech strategy
Epiq Capital has closed its second VC fund aimed at identifying India’s future tech unicorns early and buying in when the path to a large IPO comes into focus. Access and selection are the secret sauce
Geely's China eVTOL unit gets Series A funding
Aerofugia, a subsidiary of Chinese automaker Geely that focuses on electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles, has raised a Series A round of CNY 100m (USD 13.8m) led by Tsinghua Holdings Capital.
India’s A91 invests $30m in digital consultancy
Indian VC firm A91 Partners has invested USD 30m in KaarTech, a local digital transformation consultancy looking to expand in the Middle East, EU, and North America.
Black Sesame leads surge in Hong Kong IPO filings
Black Sesame International Holding, a Chinese chipmaker specialising in autonomous driving applications, is among the highest-profile companies in the latest batch targeting IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Cathay Capital raises $262m for fourth small-cap fund
Cathay Capital Private Equity has closed its fourth small-cap fund - which will make investments across Asia, North America, and Europe - on EUR 240m (USD 262m). It takes the firm's total assets under management (AUM) past EUR 5bn.
India's Epiq raises $225m for second VC fund
India’s Epiq Capital has closed its second late-stage VC fund with USD 225m in commitments, beating a target of USD 200m.
Hong Kong's OneDegree upsizes Series B to $55m
Hong Kong insurance start-up OneDegree has raised USD 27m from a group including Gobi Partners. It is billed as an extension to a Series B round from 2021, bringing the overall total to USD 55m.
Meituan to buy Chinese AGI player Light Year
Listed Chinese consumer technology platform Meituan has agreed to acquire 100% of Light Year, a VC-backed local artificial general intelligence (AGI) business, for USD 284.3m.
India's Omnivore hits $150m first close on third fund
India agricultural technology-focused impact investor Omnivore has reached a first close of USD 150m on its third fund, beating the overall target of USD 130m. The hard cap is USD 200m.
China's GitHub substitute raises $107m
Gitee, a China-based open-source platform regarded as a domestic substitute for GitHub, has raised an extended Series B of CNY 775m (USD 107m) led by FutureX Capital.
Japan's Abies Ventures seeks $69m for Fund II, courts foreign LPs
Japanese deep-tech investor Abies Ventures has set a JPY 10bn (USD 69m) target for its second fund and is looking to tap international investors for the first time.
RTP Global collects USD 1bn for early-stage investments
RTP Global, a global early-stage venture capital firm that has made nearly 50 investments in India and Southeast Asia, has announced the launch of its fourth fund with USD 1bn in commitments.
China EV battery solutions provider raises $229m
Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery (EVB), a subsidiary of lithium-ion battery maker Sunwoda Electronic, has raised a CNY 1.65bn (USD 229m) Series B round from domestic investors.
Singapore T-cell therapist gets China government funding
Singaporean T-cell immunotherapy company Lion TCR has raised USD 40m in its second tranche of Series B funding. Guangzhou Industrial Investment and Capital Operation Holding Group led the round.
Advanced computing: Niche or indispensable?
Investors are wary of rising data processing challenges in a rapidly digitising world. They must make do with the imperfect solutions of today without failing to embrace frontier technologies
Q&A: Soul Capital’s Herry Han
Lightspeed China spinout Soul Capital is pursuing an early-stage dual-currency strategy in China. Herry Han, the firm’s founding partner and CEO, explains how and why he’s staying relevant
China ride hailing platform Ruqi Mobility secures $117m
Ruqi Mobility, a ride-hailing platform incubated by Chinese state-backed automaker GAC Group, has raised CNY 842m (USD 117m) in a Series B funding round led by Guangzhou Automobile Industry Group.
VC-backed Chinese O2O retail platform pursues HK listing
Dmall, a Chinese O2O retail platform provider for traditional retailers backed by IDG Capital among others, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
Japan SME fintech player raises $17m
Japan’s Olta, a financial technology provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has raised JPY 2.5bn (USD 17.6m) in Series B funding featuring SBI Investment, Spiral Capital, and DG Ventures.
Illuminate Financial closes $235m VC fund, targets Asia
Illuminate Financial, a UK-headquartered GP with a base in Singapore, has closed its third fintech VC fund on USD 235m amidst plans to expand activity in the region.