Technology
Polaris to acquire Japan's O-Net from Rakuten
Polaris Capital has agreed to acquire Japanese online marriage services and event planning business O-net from e-commerce giant Rakuten for an undisclosed amount.
Cocoon launches $20m Southeast Asia VC fund
Singapore-based VC investor Cocoon Capital has launched its second early-stage fund with a target of $20 million.
Asia fintech player Oriente raises $105m in seed funding
Oriente, a Hong Kong financial technology company backed by local investor BlackPine Private Equity, has raised $105 million in seed funding from a group of family offices.
IFC invests $40m in Filipino fintech player
International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IFC Emerging Asia Fund have agreed to invest $40 million in Voyager Innovations, a financial technology unit of Filipino telecom giant PLDT.
Singapore medical tech player Ark raises $40m Series A
Ark, a new Singapore-based cancer detection technology company, has received a $40 million Series A round backed by Gaorong Capital and shareholders of medical-focused investor Venturecraft.
PE-backed BabyTree raises $217m in Hong Kong IPO
BabyTree, a Chinese parent-focused social networking platform that engaged in a corporate restructuring intended to facilitate an onshore listing but then 12 months later decided to go public in Hong Kong, has raised HK$1.7 billion ($217.3 million) in...
Tencent-backed Tongcheng-Elong gains 26% on HK debut
Tongcheng-Elong, a Chinese online travel services company backed by Tencent Holdings, Ctrip and local PE player Ocean Link, surged on its Hong Kong trading debut following a HK$1.62 billion ($207 million) IPO.
Square Peg leads $18m round for Australian lender
Australian online mortgage marketplace Athena Home Loans has raised a A$25 million ($18 million) Series B round led by existing backer Square Peg Capital, with participation by new investors Hostplus and Airtree Ventures.
Omidyar leads $11m Series B for India's Vedantu
Omidyar Network has led an $11 million Series B funding round for Indian educational technology start-up Vedantu.
China's Data Grand raises $23m Series B round
Data Grand, a Chinese natural language processing (NLP) solution developer, has raised RMB160 million ($23.1 million) in a Series B round of funding led by Chenshan Asset Management, an arm of Chinese venture capital firm China Broadband Capital.
India's CropIn gets $8m Series B
CropIn, an Indian developer of cloud technology for agricultural applications, has received INR580 million ($8.1 million) from Chiratae Ventures, formerly IDG Ventures India, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Singapore's InstaRem raises $20m
Singapore-based financial technology start-up InstaRem has raised $20 million in Series C funding led by Telkom Indonesia and Thailand’s Kasikornbank.
China car group buying platform raises $20m in US IPO
Tuanche, a VC-backed Chinese online auto services platform that specializes in group buying, raised $20.3 million in its US IPO after pricing its shares towards the low end of the indicative range.
Chinese electric car maker LeapMotor raises $288m
Hangzhou-based electric car maker LeapMotor has raised RMB2 billion ($288 million) in a Series A round of funding led by Shanghai Electric - a Hong Kong-listed Chinese power generation and electrical equipment manufacturer.
China's Geek+ closes Series B round at $150m
Geek+, a Chinese manufacturer of robots for use in logistics and warehousing, has closed its Series B round with $150 million in commitments. It is claimed to be the largest financing globally in the logistics robotics space and it takes Geek+’s valuation...
Deal focus: Investors bring new lift to Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab's latest funding round is aimed at helping the New Zealand-founded company grow into new markets and target new business opportunities
Coatue leads $70m round for China, US-based Agora
Agora.io, a real-time voice and video communication platform established by Tony Zhao, formerly CTO of Chinese social networking player YY.com, has received $70 million in Series C funding led by Coatue Management.
Vision Fund invests $2b in Korea's Coupang
SoftBank Vision Fund has committed $2 billion to South Korean e-commerce business Coupang, reportedly valuing the company at $9 billion.
China tech IPOs: Battle of the bourses
China has rolled out another proposal for a start-up friendly listing regime in Shanghai, this time with presidential imprimatur. PE investors are skeptical as to how quickly it could challenge Hong Kong
Chinese financial education business receives $115m Series C
Golden Education, which claims to be China’s largest professional financial education provider, has received RMB800 million ($115 million) in Series C funding led by Hillhouse Capital and Morgan Stanley.
China's Alphamab gets $100m Series A
China’s Alphamab Oncology has completed a $100 million Series A funding round from a group of investors including PAG Growth Capital, Advantech Capital, and OrbiMed.
IDG, Matrix back $20m round for Singapore's KuCoin
IDG Capital, Matrix Partners, and Neo Global Capital have jointly invested $20 million in Singapore-based cryptocurrency services company KuCoin.
Australia's Future Fund leads $140m round for Rocket Lab
Australia’s Future Fund has led a $140 million Series E round for Rocket Lab, a US-based space technology company that operates primarily in New Zealand.
Investors seek new openings as China tech matures – AVCJ Forum
Investors in China’s technology space must learn to play contrarian angles as consumer-facing segments become increasingly difficult to penetrate.