Technology
Chinese strategic to buy VC-backed US marketing platform
Spearhead Integrated Marketing Communication Group, a Beijing-based offline marketing service provider, will buy Smaato, a California-based mobile ad exchange backed by Singapore's EDB Investments (EDBI) and Singapore Press Holdings.
China’s Chenhui Capital, Lancy Group launch Sino-Korean fund
Chinese GP Chenhui Venture Partners have teamed up with one of its LP – Shenzhen-listed company Lancy Group – to create a Sino-South Korea PE fund that will invest in consumer and technology companies.
Sequoia, Unitus back $4m Series A for India’s Cuemath
Sequoia Capital and Unitus Seed Fund have invested $4 million in a Series A round of funding for Indian education network operator Cuemath.
China Life invests $600m in Didi Chuxing
China’s leading ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing has received about $600 million from China Life Insurance as part of its latest fundraising effort.
Australia's Starfish in $17.5m China push for US marketing company
Australian VC firm Starfish Ventures has joined a $17.5 million round for Aktana, a US and Japan-based marketing services provider looking to consolidate its Asian footprint.
China Online Education slips on trading debut, VCs re-up
VC-backed China Online Education Group closed marginally below its offering price on the first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, following an IPO worth $45.6 million. Existing backers Sequoia Capital and DCM concurrently committed an additional...
AGIC to buy Italian robotics manufacturer
China-Europe cross-border private equity firm AGIC Capital has acquired a large majority stake in Gimatic, an Italian robotics supplier planning an Asian expansion.
Microsoft, Salesforce lead $23m round for India's Helpshift
Microsoft Ventures and Salesforce Ventures have led a $23 million Series B round for Indian customer service platform Helpshift.
Japan's Midokura raises $20m Series B
Japan and US-based software network virtualization company Midokura has raised a $20.4 million Series B round from investors including the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ).
iSigma acquires Japan cybersecurity company
ISigma, a mid-size buyout firm controlled by Japanese trading and investment conglomerate Marubeni, has acquired domestic cybersecurity platform provider VarioSecure.
Q&A: Maison Capital's Roger Wu
Roger Wu, a partner at Maison Capital – an early mover in China’s renminbi fund space – explains the firm’s systematic approach to identifying investment trends before of the competition, and valuations, heat up
Deal focus: PE targets China’s gay community
Vision Knight Capital invests in Chinese gay social app Blued to leverage customer loyalty
Worlds apart: Virtual and augmented reality
Virtual reality is closer to mainstream acceptance than ever before, while augmented reality presents considerable potential – but financial returns will not come quickly and investors must show patience
Tencent, PAG join $300m investment in China's Bitauto
Tencent Holdings and PAG have participated in a $300 million investment in US-listed Bitauto, an online marketing services company targeting China’s automotive industry.
Providence part exits India's Idea Cellular for $207m
Providence Equity has sold about 3.5% of its 6.8% stake in India’s Idea Cellular for INR13.8 billion ($206.6 million).
GIC, Temasek buy $1b of Alibaba shares from SoftBank
Singapore’s GIC Private and Temasek Holdings have bought a combined $1 billion of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s shares, as part of an $8.9 billion share sale by Japan’s SoftBank Group.
Edelweiss invests in India's Bridgei2i
Edelweiss Private Equity has invested an undisclosed amount of Series A growth capital in India’s Bridgei2i Analytics Solutions, an enterprise services company focused on big data.
China VCs in $20m round for VR developer uSens
Fosun Kinzon Capital, the VC arm of Chinese conglomerate Fosun International, has led a $20 million Series A round for uSens, a US-based developer of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) tools.
Beenext, Digital Garage lead Series B for India’s Droom
Droom, an Indian used automobiles trading marketplace, has raised about INR2 billion ($30 million) in a Series B round of funding led by Singapore-based early stage investor Beenext and Japanese incubator Digital Garage.
China's Blued completes Series C round
Vision Knight Capital has led a Series C+ round for Chinese gay-oriented social network and community app Blued.
Australia's CapitalPitch launches $7m early-stage fund
Australia-based start-up networking platform CapitalPitch has launched a fund focused on early stage investments, with a target size of at least A$10 million ($7.3 million).
Deal focus: Securing a nation’s digital vaults
Data Republic has attracted Series A funding from some of Australia’s biggest companies, with a notable showing by the major banks demonstrating a growing focus on data security investment in the financial sector
Deal focus: VCs find inroad where giants prevail
A group of VCs are aiming to leverage an encouraging outlook for the autonomous vehicle industry by funding a Singapore-focused start-up that is offering significant competition to the major corporates that dominate this space
Tencent invests $40m in VC-backed Chinese education site
Tencent Holdings has committed $40 million for a minority stake in VC-backed Yuanfudao - the largest single investment made by the internet company in the K-12 online learning and teaching space.