Technology
Hong Kong's AID Partners buys Israel's GeneSort
Hong Kong-listed private equity firm AID Partners has acquired Israel-based molecular diagnostics company GeneSort for $23 million.
Pagoda leads Series A for China smart sensing player
China-focused VC firm Pagoda Investment has led a RMB110 million ($16 million) Series A round of funding for Hesai, a Shanghai-based company that develops smart sensing technology solutions.
Deal focus: WuXi NextCode eyes mass-market genomics
By acquiring NextCode Health in 2015, WuXi Pharmatech combined its gene sequencing capabilities with one of the world's largest genome datasets. PE investors are backing the business to sell genomic testing services to Chinese patients
Tencent backs US music app Smule in Asia push
Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings has led a $54 million funding round for Smule, a US-based social media music company, to support its expansion in Asia.
BOCI leads Series C for Chinese online gold trading platform
An investment unit of Bank of China International (BOCI) has led a RMB200 million ($29 million) Series C round for G-banker, a Chinese online gold trading platform that has several venture capital backers.
India's VC-backed Matrimony files for IPO
Indian online matchmaking services provider Matrimony.com has filed for an IPO that will provide exits for VC investors Mayfield India and Bessemer Venture Partners.
Sequoia, Banyan lead $51m round for China’s Xiaodian
Sequoia Capital China and Banyan Capital have led a RMB350 million ($51 million) Series B round of funding for Xiaodian, a Beijing-based power bank rental company.
Singapore’s Garena rebrands as Sea, raises $550 million
Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform Garena has rebranded as Sea and raised $550 million from a group of investors including existing backer Global Digital Prima (GDP) Venture of Indonesia.
TPG, OTPP pursue carve-up of Australia's Fairfax Media
TPG Capital and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTTP) have submitted a buyout offer for Fairfax Media that would see them assume control of certain assets – including newspapers The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review...
Tencent leads $34m round for VC-backed cloud player
Tencent Holding has led a RMB235 million ($34 million) funding round for Transwarp Technology, a Chinese big data technology developer backed by a string of venture capital investors.
China Creation leads $16m for credit evaluation specialist
China Creation Ventures, a VC firm recently launched by Wei Zhou, formerly a managing partner at KPCB China, has led a Series A round of funding worth RMB110 million ($16 million) for credit evaluation business IceKredit.
India's Quikr acquires VC-backed Zimmber
Indian classifieds site Quikr has acquired Zimmber, a provider of household services backed by several VC investors.
China's Ping An to launch $1b global fintech, healthcare fund
China’s Ping An Insurance is launching a $1 billion fund that will make financial technology and healthcare investments globally as the company looks to establish a footprint beyond its home market.
Singapore's NRF to invest $107m in AI
Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF) has agreed to invest S$150 million ($107 million) over five years in a new multi-agency initiative aimed at fostering an artificial intelligence (AI) development ecosystem.
India's Ola raises $104m
Indian ride-hailing operator Ola has raised INR6.7 billion ($104 million) from Falcon Edge Capital and RNT Capital Advisors, a VC fund backed by Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the company that controls Tata Group.
DBAG sells Romaco Group to Chinese strategic
German PE firm Deutsche Beteiligungs AG (DBAG) has agree to sell its entire stake in packaging and processing technology specialist Romaco Group to China-based mechanical engineering company Truking Group.
Southeast Asia VC: Common tastes
Venture capital investors increasingly view Southeast Asia as a single market as start-ups focus their attentions on a handful of large cities whose young populations have similar consumption habits
Fund focus: SeedPlus focuses on LP selectivity
Jungle Ventures' SeedPlus took its time accumulating $18 million from a set of LPs that can offer particular value-add to complement an operationally experienced investment team
NetEase raises $23m for pig farm business
China local services platform Meituan-Dianping and Sinovation Ventures have jointly led a RMB160 million ($23m) Series A round for Weiyang, a pig farm business unit owned by Chinese internet firm NetEase.
VC-backed China Rapid Finance raises $60m in US IPO
China Rapid Finance (CRF), a VC-backed peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform, is trading up 32% on its IPO price following an offering on the New York Stock Exchange that raised $60 million.
Australia's Airwallex raises $13m Series A round
Tencent Holdings, Sequoia Capital China and Mastercard have all participated in a Series A funding round worth $13 million for Airwallex, an Australia-based cross-border payments company.
Allegro acquires Australian resources sector contractor
Allegro Funds Group has acquired a controlling stake in Terrex Seismic, an Australia-based services provider for the oil and gas, minerals and government geoscience research industries.
Fund focus: Makara goes global in IP search
Makara Capital has a $716 million fund and a remit to invest in intellectual property-rich assets globally in order to bring greater industrial and technological value to Singapore
Baidu Capital leads $156m round for China’s Huochebang
Baidu Capital, a VC firm backed by Chinese search engine Baidu, has led the $156 million second tranche of a Series B round for Huochebang, a Chinese B2B-focused online truck logistics platform.