Technology
Q&A: Danke Apartment's Derek Shen
Having helped establish LinkedIn in China, Derek Shen left the company last year to join Danke Apartment, a local start-up pursuing what he sees as a huge unrealized opportunity in the long-term property rental market
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.
Alibaba leads $866m round for China's Ofo
Chinese bike-sharing start-up Ofo has raised $866 million in a new funding round – comprising equity and debt – led by existing investor Alibaba Group. It is said to be the largest round raised by a bike-sharing company to date.
MDI leads $10m round for Australia's Whispir
MDI Ventures, the corporate VC arm of state-controlled telecommunications firm Telkom Indonesia, has led a $10 million funding round for Australian communications platform Whispir.
Cathay Capital, OrbiMed sell Echosens stakes to Astorg
Cathay Capital Private Equity and OrbiMed have exited Echosens, a France-based medical diagnostic equipment company owned by China’s Inner Mongolia FuRui Medical Science, to European PE firm Astorg.
Tikehau makes $50m first close on Singapore healthcare fund
European asset management firm Tikehau Capital has reached a first close of $50 million on a healthcare-focused early stage investment fund.
Australia's Future Fund creates chief technology officer role
Australia’s Future Fund plans to hire a chief technology officer (CTO), part of whose remit will be to work with the investment team to develop technology solutions that support investment decision-making.
Hong Kong IPOs: Open season
Hong Kong is proposing to loosen its listing requirements - with a view to attracting Chinese technology IPOs - in a measured way. However, changes of such significance are rarely implemented smoothly
China's JW Therapeutics gets $90m Series A round
JW Therapeutics, a China-based clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, has raised $90 million in a Series A round of funding led by Temasek Holdings, Sequoia Capital China, and Yuan Ming Capital.
Singtel Innov8 launches Singapore cybersecurity incubator
Singtel Innov8, the venture arm of Singapore telecom giant SingTel has teamed up with NUS Enterprise, a start-up program under National University of Singapore, to launch a cybersecurity incubator.
Shunwei leads $100m round for China's Kujiale
Shunwei Capital has led a $100 million Series D round of funding for Kujiale, a Chinese home design and decoration site, with participation from Temasek Holdings-owned Pavilion Capital.
Burda leads $19m round for Malaysia's Carsome
Burda Principal Investments, the investment arm of European technology and media company Hubert Burda Media, has led a $19 million Series B round for Malaysian online used car marketplace Carsome.
Tencent joins $462m Series B for China's Huya
Tencent Holdings has participated in a $461.6 million Series B funding round for Huya, a VC-backed Chinese game broadcasting subsidiary of US-listed social networking platform YY.
Uber's Kalanick launches fund, targets China and India
Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick, who left his position as CEO of the company last year following a string of controversies, is launching an investment fund that will focus in part on China and India.
Fenox joins Japan's Aisin for $50m automotive fund
US-based VC firm Fenox Venture Capital has partnered with Japan-based automotive parts and systems maker Aisin Group to launch a $50 million investment vehicle aimed at automotive-related technology start-ups.
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.
China-India tech investments: A running start
The past 12 months has seen a long-expected surge of investments into India’s technology sector by Chinese financial and strategic investors. They are providing a significant boost to the local market
China video-streaming player Bilibili files for US IPO
Bilibili, a China-based video-streaming platform backed by a handful of PE and strategic investors, has filed for an US IPO.
Matrix backs China consumer-focused genetic testing player
Matrix Partners China has led a RMB100 million ($15.8 million) round for 23Mofang, a Chinese genetic testing services provider.
Strategic players in China's tech space: The upstarts
A new generation of Chinese technology companies, led by Toutiao, Meituan-Dianping and Didi Chuxing, is challenging the incumbent giants. It is the inevitable consequence of a more complex environment
India's NestAway gets $61m Series D
NestAway, a VC-backed Indian IT start-up focused on the local home rental market, has raised a INR4 billion ($61.4 million) Series D funding round with participation from Goldman Sachs.
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
HDFC joins Series C for India's MedGenome
Indian listed financial institution HDFC has joined the Series C round for MedGenome, an India and US-based company focused on molecular biology research and diagnostics.