Technology
SBI leads $15m Series A for Singapore's AntWorks
SBI Investment has led a $15 million Series A funding round for AntWorks, a Singapore-based supplier of enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) and smart automation products.
Back office technology: Clearing cobwebs
Technologies credited with completely transforming the financial sector have yet to make a dent on day-to-day operations in private equity. The status quo, however, will not last
Q&A: Future Fund's Raphael Arndt
Australia’s Future Fund is responding to disruption by investing in venture capital, factoring technology risk into investment decision making, and upgrading internal systems. CIO Raphael Arndt explains the rationale behind this approach
PE and tech investment: Forward planning
The growing influence of technology across every industry is forcing PE firms to review approaches to investment. Ensuring the right people have the right information sits at the heart of these efforts
VCs invest $20m in China's Ultrain
A group of VCs including CDC Capital, Morningside Ventures, and Draper Dragon have backed a $20 million round for Ultrain that values the Chinese blockchain technology provider at $200 million.
Chinese cosmetic surgery app raises $50m Series D1 round
Hong Kong-listed photo editing and social networking app Meitu and a fund-of-funds managed by Shenzhen-based DH Fund have committed $50 million in Series D1 funding to Gengmei, a Chinese information platform that focuses on cosmetic surgery.
Singapore’s C88 gets $28m Series C round
Data and financial services company Experian has led a group of investors, including Monk’s Hill Ventures and Telstra Ventures, in a $28 million Series C round for Singapore’s C88 Financial Technologies.
Blackbird hits $193m final close on Australia VC fund
Blackbird Ventures has closed its third Australian VC fund with A$261 million ($193 million) in commitments, split between a core investment vehicle and a top-up fund.
Gaja invests $25m in India's Educational Initiatives
Gaja Capital has made a commitment of $25 million to Educational Initiatives (EI), an India-based developer of educational technology and assessment tools.
Singapore VC-backed hotel chain gains $15m strategic investment
Zen Rooms, a budget hotel operator and online booking platform based in Singapore, has raised a $15 million from Korean online-to-offline (O2O) local services platform Yanolja.
WeWork raises $500m for China unit
Trustbridge Partners, Temasek Holdings, SoftBank Group and the SoftBank Vision Fund, and Hony Capital have led a $500 million Series B round for the China branch of US-based co-working space operator WeWork.
Singapore blockchain-based data marketplace gets $60m
Open Data Exchange (ODX), a Singapore-based decentralized marketplace developer has raised $60 million from a group of investors, including Hong Kong blockchain specialist Kenetic Capital and US-Korea firm Strong Ventures.
Pinduoduo gains 40% on debut after $1.63b US IPO
Chinese social e-commerce platform Pinduoduo – which is backed by Gaorong Capital, Sequoia Capital, and Tencent Holdings, among others – saw its shares gain 40% on debut following a $1.63 billion IPO.
Deal focus: OfBusiness helps Indian SMEs find their feet
Creation Investments backs Indian financial technology start-up OfBusiness to meet the financing needs of underserved small businesses
Square Peg leads $30m Series B for Indonesia's FinAccel
Square Peg Capital has led a $30 million Series B round for Indonesian financial technology start-up FinAccel to support its national and regional expansion.
Lightspeed, Blue Run back Chinese mapping player Wayz.ai
Lightspeed China Partners and Blue Run Ventures have participated in an $80 million Series A funding round for Wayz.ai, a Chinese smart mapping service provider.
Fund focus: LPs queue up for a piece of Long Hill
China’s Long Hill Capital scales up with its latest VC fund with strong support from new and existing LPs. Sector specialization has helped underpin much of the progress
China AI start-up DeePhi Tech sold to Xilinx
DeePhi Tech, a Beijing-based start-up focused on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning with backing from several VC investors, has been acquired by US-based computer processor developer Xilinx.
Beyond named as partner for Hong Kong venture fund
Beyond Ventures has been named as a co-investment partner for the Innovation & Technology Venture Fund (ITVF), a vehicle launched by the Hong Kong government to encourage private investment in local technology start-ups.
Singapore's TradeGecko gets $10m Series B
TradeGecko, a Singapore-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) has received a $10 million Series B round led by local investor TNB Ventures and Australia’s Aura Group.
Future Fund backs $200m round for China's Tuya Smart
Australia’s Future Fund has joined a $200 million Series C round of funding for Tuya Smart, a Chinese internet-of-things (IoT) and voice artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
China Creation Ventures collects nearly $200m for debut fund
China Creation Ventures (CCV), a venture capital firm established by the technology, media and telecom (TMT) team at KPCB, has closed its debut fund with nearly $200 million in commitments.
Long Hill closes second China VC fund at $265m
China-focused Long Hill Capital has reached a final close of $265 million on its second US dollar-denominated VC fund as well as a first close of about $30 million for its first renminbi vehicle.
India-focused blank check company files for US IPO
Tenzing Acquisition, a blank check company headed by New Silk Route Ventures (NSR) co-founder and CEO Parag Saxena, has filed for a $50 million IPO on NASDAQ. The firm will use the proceeds to invest in companies with a focus on businesses operating in...