Technology
Hong Kong's Nest forms accelerator with Nissan
Infiniti, the luxury car unit of Japanese automaker Nissan, has teamed up with Hong Kong-based incubator Nest to launch a platform that will support start-ups developing smart city solutions.
China social e-commerce start-up raises $10m from GGV
Chinese e-commerce discovery site Red has raised more than $10 million in Series B funding from GGV Capital.
Innovation Works leads $6m round for China's Smellme
Chinese pet-oriented social network Smellme has raised a $6 million Series A round of funding led by Innovation Works.
Snow Leopard, Paytm commit $5m to India's Jugnoo
Indian autorickshaw-hailing service Jugnoo has raised INR320 million ($5 million) in Series A funding from Snow Leopard Technology Ventures and Paytm, along with some existing angel investors.
Chinese premier backs local listings for start-ups
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said the government would promote start-ups with “special ownership structures” to list onshore, as part of efforts to encourage the development of the venture capital industry.
India home appliances marketplace raises $20m
Indian hyper-local online marketplace Zopper has raised $20 million from existing investors Tiger Global and Nirvana Venture Advisors.
Morningside backs China mathematics teaching start-up
Early-stage investor Morningside Technologies has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for Leleketang, a China-based online teaching platform that specializes in mathematics and Chinese.
Wavemaker provides seed funding for Singapore 3D pen developer
CreoPop, a Singapore start-up which has developed a pen that enables objects to be drawn in 3D, has received seed funding from Wavemaker Partners and the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF).
Nexus leads $15m round for India data solutions firm
Nexus Venture Partners has led a $15 million Series B round for Indian data center software developer Arkin, along with other investors.
Taiwan launches $120m Silicon Valley VC fund
Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) and Ministry of Science and Technology (MST) have agreed to form $120 million VC fund that will invest in Silicon Valley tech start-ups.
SoftBank commits $1b to Korea e-commerce player Coupang
Japan’s SoftBank Corp. has added another Asian e-commerce brand to its portfolio with a $1 billion commitment to South Korea-based Coupang.
CBC leads $15m round for China public transport app
China Broadband Capital (CBC) has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Chelaile, a Chinese public bus tracking app.
Fund focus: Accel, DJI to expand drone ecosystem
Accel Partners' $75 million investment in Chinese drone maker DJI earlier this month - said to value the company at $8 billion - came with an extra component: the two groups agreed to form a $10 million fund that would back other start-ups in the space....
Corporate VC: Pleasing the parent
Companies want to keep tabs on technological innovation in order to stay relevant in their industries by nurturing Asia’s tech start-ups. However, there is no uniform approach to corporate venture capital
Sequoia leads $15m Series B for Chinese food platform Mishi
Sequoia Capital has provided $15 million in Series B funding to Mishi, a Chinese app that aggregates private kitchens. Neil Shen, Sequoia’s managing partner, compared the business to a “gourmet version of Airbnb.”
WI Harper, ITIC lead $4m Series A for Taiwan's HWTrek
Taiwan business networking startup HWTrek has raised a $4 million Series A round led by WI Harper and the Industrial Technology Investment Corporation (ITIC), with participation from Legend Star Capital, JD.com, and Global Brain.
Silver Lake leads $500m investment in China's Qunar
Silver Lake has invested $330 million in Qunar, a US-listed Chinese travel-booking platform controlled by Baidu, as part of a $500 million strategic investment. This comes after the company rejected a buyout offer from industry peer Ctrip.
CyberAgent Ventures launches $50m Southeast Asia fund
Japan's CyberAgent Ventures (CAV) - the corporate venture arm of the eponymous Japanese internet firm - has launched a $50 million fund focusing on Southeast Asia start-ups.
FountainVest, CMC-backed IMAX China files for HK IPO
The China business of movie theater operator IMAX, in which FountainVest Partners and CMC Capital Partners acquired a 20% stake just over a year ago, has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong.
China luxury e-commerce site gets $30m Series C round
Pacific Venture Partners has led a $30 million Series C round of funding for Xiu.com, a China-based luxury brand e-commerce platform.
Silver Lake-backed Avago agrees $37b Broadcom deal
Avago Technologies, a Singapore-incorporated chip maker backed by Silver Lake Partners, has agreed to buy its NASDAQ-listed rival Broadcom Corp. for $37 billion in cash and stock.
China's Weibo invests $142m in local taxi-booking platform
Chinese social media platform Weibo Corporation has invested $142 million in Kuaidi Dache and Didi Dache, the country’s leading mobile taxi-booking services, which recently agreed to merge.
Accel, China's DJI launch $10m drone fund
Accel Partners and Chinese drone maker DJI - an Accel portfolio company - have launched a $10 million fund targeting start-ups developing drone-related products and services.
YJ Capital, East Ventures back Japan big data start-up
YJ Capital - the corporate venture capital arm of Yahoo Japan - and East Ventures have invested JPY260 million ($2 million) in Use Local, a Japanese big data start-up.