Technology
Deal focus: Hong Kong’s Gryfyn issues web3 passport
Gryfyn, the latest project from Hong Kong’s Animoca Brands, has attracted several VC investors, most of which are not existing backers of its parent. The mission is simple: expand the metaverse
Quadrant completes New Zealand cybersecurity roll-up
Quadrant Private Equity has invested in New Zealand-based cybersecurity providers Quantum Security Services, ZX Security, and Helix Security Services with a view to supporting expansion into new geographies and service offerings.
Shunwei leads $10m round for China RPA player
Naturobot, a China-based robotic process automation (RPA) start-up, has raised a new round amounting to about USD 10m led by Shunwei Capital.
Singapore quantum computing start-up secures $18.1m
Singapore’s Horizon Quantum Computing has raised USD 18.1m from a group including Sequoia Capital India and Tencent Holdings.
Hong Kong's HKBN confirms talks with I Squared
HKBN, one of Hong Kong’s leading broadband internet providers, has confirmed that negotiations with infrastructure investor I Squared Capital over a potential acquisition are ongoing.
Logistics start-up Lalatech pursues Hong Kong IPO
Lalatech Holdings, the parent company of Hong Kong delivery platform Lalamove, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong. This would represent a liquidity event for the likes of Hillhouse Capital, MindWorks Ventures, and Shunwei Capital.
CCV leads round for China chip designer Cmind-Semi
Cmind-Semi, a China-based wireless communication chip designer, has raised a pre-Series A round led by China Creation Ventures (CCV). Existing investors Walden International Investment and Legend Capital also took part.
Japan 'deskless workforce' start-up raises $23m
Japan’s Coral Capital has led a JPY 3bn (USD 23m) Series B round for Kaminashi, a local software start-up targeting an under-digitalised blue-collar segment it calls the “deskless workforce.”
GIC takes co-control of Bain-owned Japan software company
Bain Capital has ceded co-control of Japanese HR software provider Works Human Intelligence (WHI) to GIC in a deal ranked among the Singapore sovereign investor’s largest acquisitions.
Japan's Fiducia hits second close on debut fund
Fiducia, a tech investor set up by the former private markets head of Japan Post Bank, has reached a second close of JPY 3.86bn (USD 29m) following a commitment from SBI Group.
Bessemer leads Series C for New Zealand’s Halter
Bessemer Venture Partners has led a NZD 85m (USD 53.3m) Series C round for New Zealand’s Halter, a start-up that makes solar-powered collars for managing cow herds with an app.
Japan's EV Motors raises $27m in extended Series C
Japanese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer EV Motors has completed an extended Series C round, raising JPY 3.6bn (USD 27.1m) from at least 23 investors.
China autonomous truck developer DeepWay raises $112m
China’s DeepWay, a smart electric truck developer established by Baidu, has raised CNY 770m (USD 112m) in an extended Series A round featuring SB China Venture Capital (SBCVC).
China’s Linear Capital adds partner
China’s Linear Capital has promoted Songyan Huang, a managing director of the venture capital firm, to partner.
LG backs US, China autonomous logistics start-up
LG Technology Ventures, the Silicon Valley-based VC arm of Korea’s LG Group, has led a USD 28.8m Series A round for US and China-based logistics automation player Venti Technologies.
Top Chinese semiconductor investor released from detention
Datong Chen, co-founder of WestSummit Capital and one of China's foremost semiconductor investors, has been released by local authorities after eight months of detention.
GP profile: Square Peg Capital
Square Peg Capital came of age at the same time as the Australian and Southeast Asian VC ecosystems, straddling the two with a toehold in Israel. The idea was to think big, not get big. It’s doing both
Deal focus: Kredivo cuts through SE Asia growth-stage gloom
Indonesian consumer credit operator Kredivo has punctuated the VC doldrums with an ecosystem-encouraging pre-IPO round. Investors point to low customer acquisition costs as key to the success
Deal focus: China SaaS gets specific
Investors are gradually returning to China’s software-as-a-service space with an appetite for industry specialists rather than generalists. The CDH Investments-led Series B for 1Data is a case in point
Longreach buys Japan healthcare SaaS player
North Asia buyout specialist The Longreach Group has invested an undisclosed sum in Wellness Communications Corporation (WCC), a Japanese healthcare software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider.
Asia-Europe investor AGIC supports Danish electronics buyout
AGIC Capital, a specialist in Europe-China cross-border deals, has backed the acquisition of PR Electronics, a Danish manufacturer of signal processing equipment with an existing base in China.
TII, Premji to acquire India medical devices player
Tube Investments of India (TII) and Premji Invest have agreed to acquire medical instruments maker Lotus Surgicals for up to INR 3.5bn (USD 42.3m), providing an exit for Samara Capital.
China’s JD Industrials completes $300m Series B
JD Industrials, a one-stop industrial products e-commerce platform under China’s JD.com has completed a USD 300m Series B round led by Abu Dhabi investors Mubadala and 42XFund.
CDH leads Series B for China RPA player 1data
1Data, a China-based robotic process automation (RPA) company, has raised close to CNY 200m (USD 29.2m) in Series B funding led by CDH Investments.