Technology
Hong Kong's CompareAsiaGroup gets $50m Series B
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has led a number of venture capital firms in a $50 million Series B funding round for Hong Kong-based financial comparison platform CompareAsiaGroup.
Kalaari, Nexus back Indian online grocery marketplace
Kalaari Capital and Nexus Venture Partners have committed $8.5 million in Series A funding to Indian online grocery marketplace Jumbotail.
VC-backed Omise raises $25m, acquires Thai competitor
Omise, a Thailand-based financial technology company backed by a number of venture capital firms, has raised $25 million and acquired Paysbuy, a fintech subsidiary of domestic telecom player Dtac.
PAG, Primavera lead $118m round for China's Dashu Finance
PAG Asia Capital and Primavera Capital have led a Series C round of funding worth $118 million for Dashu Finance, which provides outsourced credit services to banks looking to participate in the small loans space.
VCs back $26m investment in Singapore blockchain player
Several venture capital firms have backed a $26 million investment in Funfair, a Singapore-based company that uses blockchain technology to operate an online cryptocurrency casino.
Chinese smart city platform receives $73m
China Everbright, IDG Capital and CITIC Private Equity have participated in a RMB500 million ($73.5 million) Series A round of funding for Terminus Technologies, which claims to be China’s largest city-level mobile internet platform.
Japan's Floadia closes $14m Series B
Floadia, a Japan-based company specializing in microchip memory technology, has closed a JPY1.6 billion ($14.1 million) Series B fund round from a number of Taiwanese, Japanese and US venture capital firms.
Cathay raises $320m for China-US-Europe VC fund
Middle-market private equity firm Cathay Capital Private Equity has closed its first venture capital fund at $320 million with a mandate spanning China, Europe, and North America.
China bike-sharing player Ofo gets $700m Series E round
Alibaba Group has led a $700 million Series E round of funding for Chinese bike-sharing start-up Ofo – less than a month after Tencent Holdings led a Series E of $600 million for Mobike, the company’s closest rival.
India's Droom raises $20m Series C
Indian used-car trading marketplace Droom has raised a $20 million Series C round from investors including Lightbox India Advisors and Beenos Asia.
French VC joins $13m round for Japanese biopharma player
France-based venture capital firm Seventure Partners has joined a $13.1 million funding round for Japanese biopharmaceuticals development company Anaeropharma Science.
China B2B steel-trading platform raises $74m
Chinese B2B steel-trading platform Zhaogang.com has received RMB500 million ($74 million) from existing investors China Renaissance Private Equity Fund and West Fund, as well as the Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF).
Carlyle-backed Tencent ebook unit files for Hong Kong IPO
China Literature, the ebook unit of China’s Tencent Holdings whose backers include The Carlyle Group and Trustbridge Partners, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.
China-US EV: Electric avenue
US cleantech start-ups have emerged as important suppliers in China’s fast-growing electric vehicle industry. Venture capital firms will play a key role in keeping the cross-border traffic flowing
GSR leads $13m round for Singapore's InstaRem
GSR Ventures has led a $13 million Series B funding round for Singapore-based financial technology start-up InstaRem.
China cross-border VC: Home from home
Chinese capital is chasing deals in America’s technology space, but success in Silicon Valley requires a long-term commitment. Does the new breed of US-born Chinese VCs have the right cross-border strategy?
VC-backed gaming company Razer files for Hong Kong IPO
Razer, a manufacturer of gaming peripherals such as headphones, joypads and mice, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO. The company, which was co-founded by a Singaporean but is based in the US, has numerous venture capital backers.
Helion co-founder launches India VC fund
Sanjeev Aggarwal (pictured), a co-founder of Indian VC firm Helion Venture Partners, has joined Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani to launch a new VC fund focused on technology start-ups.
Tsing Capital targets $300m for China environment fund
Tsing Capital, a Chinese venture capital firm focused on environmental technologies, has launched its fifth flagship fund with a target of $300 million.
PE investors drop bids for Australia's Fairfax
Hellman & Friedman, along with a consortium led by TPG Capital and including Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP), have withdrawn their bids to acquire Australia’s Fairfax Media.
TPG leads $437 million investment in Kakao's ride-hailing business
A TPG Capital-led consortium has agreed to invest KRW500 billion ($437.5 million) in a transportation-focused spin-out of South Korean internet services company Kakao Corp.
CMC closes China media fund at $600m hard cap
CMC Capital Partners, a PE firm set up by Ruigang Li, formerly president of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), has closed its second US dollar-denominated fund at the hard cap of $600 million. The vehicle is already one-third invested.
Chinese VCs commit $50m to US driverless car start-up
Drive.ai, a US driverless car technology developer, has received a $50 million Series B round from a group of investors including China’s GGV Capital and Northern Light Venture Capital.
Gome invests in China VC-backed home renovation play
Gome Holding Group, one of China's largest electrical appliance retailers, has invested RMB216 million ($31 million) in a Series C round of funding for Ikongjian.com, a VC-backed online-to-offline (O2O) interior design platform.