Technology
Haiyin Capital, NCET2 form Sino-US VC fund
China's Haiyin Capital and the US-based National Council of Entrepreneurial Tech Transfer (NCET2) have jointly launched a VC fund to provide capital to start-ups formed at American universities.
KWAP joins investor roster for SE Asia telecom spin-out
Malaysia’s public sector pension fund, KWAP, has joined Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) and Khazanah Nasional in backing the spin-out of an infrastructure unit of Southeast Asian telecom company Axiata.
Ex-KPCB China executive Wei Zhou launches new VC firm
Wei Zhou (pictured), formerly a managing partner at KPCB China, has launched a new VC firm – China Creation Ventures – and closed his debut renminbi-denominated fund at RMB1.5 billion ($220 million).
Ant Financial raises offer for PE-backed MoneyGram
Alibaba Group's Ant Financial has raised its takeover bid for US-listed financial services company MoneyGram, topping a competing offer made by US-based Euronet Worldwide last month. The sale will provide an exit for Thomas H. Lee Partners (THL).
India's Ola raises $250m down round
Indian ride-hailing app operator Ola has raised INR16.75 billion ($259 million) in funding at a pre-money valuation of approximately $3 billion – compared to $5 billion for the company’s previous round in 2015.
VCs back Filipino fintech start-up
Philippines-based financial technology company First Circle has received $2.5 million from a group of VC firms, including a seed stage investment unit of emerging markets microfinance group Accion International.
Indonesia investment: Venture rising
Venture capital has come to the fore in Indonesia, propelled forward by the attractions of a youthful population, rising disposable incomes and growth in smart phone adoption
SIG leads $22m round for China training platform
Susquehanna International Group’s SIG Asia Investments has led a $22 million Series B round of funding for Yunxuetang, a Chinese cloud-based vocational training platform that works with companies like China Mobile and Lenovo.
Blackbird backs Australian space, IoT start-up
Australia’s Blackbird Ventures has led a A$5 million ($3.7 million) Series A funding round for Fleet, a domestic space technology start-up targeting growth in the internet of things (IoT) industry.
China semiconductor fund to buy Xcerra for $580m
Sino IC Capital, a technology-focused private equity fund manager backed by the Chinese government, has agreed to acquire US semiconductor and electronics manufacturer Xcerra in a deal that values the company at about $580 million.
China’s SDIC to invest $47m in US-based Maxwell
SDIC Fund Management has agreed to invest $47 million in US-listed energy storage and delivery solutions developer Maxwell Technologies.
Indonesia VC: Corporate kingpins
The corporates and family groups that dominate Indonesia’s economy are becoming increasingly active in the VC space. To independent GPs, they are more friend than foe, but agendas and approaches vary
VC-backed real estate start-up gets $11.7m from Mitsui
Mitsui & Co has agreed to invest JPY1.3 billion ($11.7 million) in Renoveru, a VC-backed start-up focused on online services in Japan’s home renovations market.
India’s Flipkart confirms $1.4b downround
Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart has confirmed an investment of $1.4 billion from Microsoft, eBay, and China’s Tencent Holdings at a post-deal valuation of $11.6 billion, down from $15 billion as of its previous round.
Volkswagen China invests $180m in VC-backed Mobvoi
Volkswagen's China unit has agreed to invest $180 million in Beijing-based Mobvoi, a venture capital-backed start-up that is developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the automotive sector.
Hillhouse, FountainVest agree $1b Zhaopin take-private
Hillhouse Capital and FountainVest Partners, along with Australia’s Seek International, have agreed to buy US-listed Chinese recruitment website Zhaopin in a deal that values the company at $1.01 billion.
Deal focus: PE proves the right fit for fintech
Creador has exited its stake in Malaysian financial technology company GHL Group to Actis after scanning a field of strategics and deciding PE was the best backer for the sector
China auto trading platform Souche gets $180m Series D
Warburg Pincus has led a $180 million Series D round of funding for Chinese online second-hand car trading platform Souche, less than five months after the company’s previous round worth $100 million.
VCs back Series C for China mother-and-baby player
Eight Roads Ventures has led a group of investors in a Series C round of funding for Mama+, a social networking and e-commerce platform focused on China’s mother-and-baby market.
Warburg Pincus invests $77m in Indian jeweler
Warburg Pincus has committed INR5 billion ($77 million) to Indian jewelry retailer Kalyan Jewellers.
Banyan raises $725m across US dollar, renminbi funds
Banyan Capital has raised more than RMB5 billion ($725) million across two China-focused venture capital funds – one US dollar-denominated and the other in renminbi.
Jafco invests $12m in Singapore adtech firm AdAsia
Jafco Asia has invested $12 million in a Series A funding round for Singapore-based advertising technology company AdAsia Holdings.
Mahindra leads $21m round for India's Medwell
Mahindra Partners has led a $21 million Series B round for Indian home healthcare start-up Medwell Ventures, operator of Nightingales Home Health Services.
China credit assessment platform Wecash gets $80m
Wecash, a Chinese financial technology company that provides credit evaluations online, has completed an $80 million Series C round jointly led by China Merchants Venture Capital, Forebright Capital and SIG Asia.