Technology
China’s VIPKid raises $200m Series D
VIPKid, a China-based English-language learning platform backed by VC investors, has completed a $200 million Series D round of funding, in what the company claims is the largest investment in the K-12 education space globally.
Affinity, KKR end takeover talks for Australia’s Vocus
KKR and Affinity Equity Partners have withdrawn their bids to acquire Australian broadband internet provider Vocus Group.
Banyan Capital leads $21m round for China food brand
Hot Life, a Chinese online-to-offline food brand that sells spicy crayfish, has completed a RMB140 million ($21 million) Series B round led by Banyan Capital. Matrix Partners and N5 Capital also participated.
Warburg Pincus backs China-based HR tool developer
Warburg Pincus has led an extended Series B round worth RMB130 million ($19 million) for GaiaWorks, a China-based software-as-a-service provider of workforce management solutions, with participation from Matrix Partners China and Genesis Capital.
Sequoia, Nexus in $80m round for India’s Druva
Indian cloud data security and information management solutions provider Druva has raised an $80 million funding round from investors including Sequoia Capital India and Nexus Venture Partners.
Sequoia leads $13m round for Australian AI start-up
Sequoia Capital China has led a A$16 million ($13 million) funding round for Hyper Anna, an Australian artificial intelligence (AI) company focused on the financial services industry.
Jafco backs Japan blockchain-IoT start-up
Nayuta, a Japanese start-up focused on combining internet-of-things (IoT) and blockchain technologies, has received a JPY140 million ($1.3 million) funding round led by Jafco.
Alibaba, InnoSpring launch China accelerator
InnoSpring and Alibaba Group have jointly launched an accelerator program in China with a view to helping international start-ups access Chinese markets and ecosystems.
Cathay Capital leads $15m round for China’s Magmode
Magmode, a China-based men’s fashion start-up, has raised $15 million in the second tranche of a Series B round led by Cathay Capital Private Equity. Existing investor Sinovation Ventures also participated.
Ribbit Capital leads $45m round for India’s Capital Float
Capital Float, an online lending platform for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in India, has raised $45 million in a Series C round of funding led by Silicon Valley-based VC firm Ribbit Capital.
China AI chipset maker Cambricon raises $100m
Cambricon Technologies, a Beijing-based artificial intelligence (AI) developer, has raised a $100 million Series A round of financing from Lenovo Capital & Incubator Group (LCIG), and an investment unit owned by Alibaba Group.
Crescendo Equity, Lindman back Korean software developer Hancom
Hancom, a South Korea-listed software developer, has raised KRW60 billion ($53 million) from two private equity firms.
All-Stars leads $56m round for China’s Huochebang
Chinese B2B truck logistics platform Huochebang has received $56 million in the third tranche of a Series B funding round led by existing backer All-Stars Investment and joined by a number of undisclosed existing investors.
VCs invest $6.4m in Japan's Monstar Lab
A group of venture capital investors including YJ Capital and Fenox Venture Capital has led a JPY700 million ($6.4 million) funding round for Japanese global outsourcing service developer Monstar Lab.
Alibaba leads $1.1b round for Indonesia’s Tokopedia
Tokopedia, a venture capital-backed online marketplace in Indonesia, has received a $1.1 billion funding round led by Alibaba Group that will see the Chinese e-commerce giant become a minority stakeholder.
VCs invest $27 million in Indonesia's Sale Stock
A number of Asian venture capital firms have contributed to an extended $27 million Series B funding round for Indonesian e-commerce player Sale Stock.
NZVIF expands seed-stage mandate
The New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), a government-sponsored fund-of-funds, has doubled the investment cap of its seed-stage vehicle to NZ$1.5 million ($1.1 million) per company.
Singapore’s Obike raises $45m Series B
Obike, a Singapore-based bike-sharing start-up, has secured a $45 million Series B round of funding.
GPs in $90m round for China’s IMS New Media Group
IMS New Media Group, a Chinese social media marketing firm, has raised a RMB600 million ($90 million) Series C round of funding across two tranches, with participation by SAIF Partners, Morgan Stanley, and social media platform Sina Weibo.
Chinese medical device company Ankon raises $100m
Shanghai-based Ankon Medical Technologies, which develops medical equipment for gastric examination, has raised a $100 million round of funding from investors including SBCVC.
Hong Kong X invests six local start-ups
Hong Kong X-Tech Startup Platform, an angel fund and accelerator, has made its first investments by backing six local technology companies.
Token sales: Cryptic beginnings
The sale of digitized contracts known as tokens has become a dominating force in early-stage start-up funding. Venture capitalists are beginning to cautiously participate as the phenomenon matures
Data centers: The information edge
Asia’s booming online economies have created unprecedented demand for data center services, but private equity investors still must determine the best way to approach the industry
H Capital leads $150m round for China’s Zuoyebang
H Capital has led a $150 million Series C round of funding for Zuoyebang, a K-12 focused education mobile app that spun out from Chinese online search engine Baidu.