Technology
India payments: The missing link
India’s payment start-ups hope to shape the way e-commerce companies charge for their goods. The future may lie with approaches tailored to the country’s circumstances
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.