Technology
Xiaomi, Shunwei to invest $300m in Baidu-controlled iQiyi
Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi and Shunwei Capital – a VC firm set up by Xiaomi co-founder and super angel investor Lei Jun – will invest $300 million in iQiyi, a video platform owned by Baidu.
Australia's Bigcommerce gets $50m growth equity round
SoftBank Capital, Telstra Ventures and American Express have led a Series D round of funding worth $50 million for Bigcommerce, an Australian e-commerce platform with a strong presence in the US. Existing investors General Catalyst and Revolution Growth...
VC-backed eHi Car Services raises $120m in US IPO
EHi Car Services, a Shanghai-based car rental company backed by a string of VC investors, has raised $120 million through an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
Australia's VC-backed Campaign Monitor in US bolt-on acquisition
Australia's Campaign Monitor, an email marketing software developer backed by Insight Venture Partners and SalesForce, has acquired US survey software developer GetFeedback.
Jafco invests $1.2m in Japan's Interactive Solutions
Jafco Ventures has invested JPY150 million ($1.2 million) in Interactive Solutions, the Tokyo-based start-up behind enterprise marketing and productivity app Interactive-Pro.
Bubble talk: VC valuations
In Beijing and Silicon Valley, there is cause for concern at the flood of capital entering the technology space. It draws comparisons with the dotcom bubble era – but VCs at the AVCJ Forum were keen to play down the similarities.
VC-backed Japanese gaming start-up files for Tokyo IPO
Gumi, the VC-backed Japanese game developer, has filed for its Tokyo IPO, which could value the company at JPY100 billion ($900 million).
CITIC Capital exits Japan's Higashiyama Film to Otsuka Chemicals
CITIC Capital Partners has exited Japan's Higashiyama Film, a maker of coated films for touch screens and flat panel displays, to Otsuka Chemical.
IFC leads $45m round for India's Tikona Digital
International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank's investment arm, has led a $45 million round of investment in Indian broadband service provider Tikona Digital Networks.
China’s Alipay, VC back mobile tech specialist V-Key
Alibaba Group’s online payment platform Alipay and IPV Capital have invested $12 million in a Series B round for V-key, a Singapore and US-based start-up specializing in mobile security and cryptography.
CITIC Securities, Shenzhen Capital invest in online art trading platform
CITIC Securities and Shenzhen Capital have invested $100 million in a Series B round of funding for Hihey.com, an online trading platform for Chinese art.
Tencent, Line invest $110m in South Korean game developer
Chinese internet company Tencent Holdings and Japanese messaging app Line Corp. have invested $110 million in 4:33 Creative Labs, a South Korean, VC-backed mobile games developer.
SAIF-backed HomeShop18 abandons US IPO
HomeShop18, an Indian television shopping network and online market place backed by SAIF Partners and OCP Asia, has abandoned plans for a US IPO.
MBK sells Japan-based Yayoi to Orix for $692m
North Asia-focused buyout firm MBK Partners has exited Japanese accounting software firm Yayoi to Orix Corp. for JPY80 billion ($692 million).
Silver Lake overcame doubters to secure Alibaba deal – AVCJ Forum
Silver Lake’s 2.2% stake in Alibaba Group is worth more than $6 billion at current market prices, but internal approval for the original investment in the Chinese e-commerce player in 2011 did not come easily.
VCs worried but enthused by frothy China tech sector - AVCJ Forum
The flood of capital entering China’s technology space is a concern for VC investors, but they remain firm believers in the emerging generation of mobile-enabled consumers that is driving interest in the sector.
Forum Synergies leads Series B round for Indian ethnic clothing retailer
Forum Synergies has led a Series B round of funding worth INR300-500 million ($4.9-8.1 million) for CBazaar.in, an Indian online ethnic fashion retailer.
VC-backed Chinese dating app Momo files for US IPO
Momo, a Chinese location-based social-networking app best known for its “flirting” function, has filed for a US IPO. Backers include Alibaba Group, Matrix Partners, Yunfeng Capital and Sequoia Capital.
GSR commits $2m to China enterprise management app
GSR Ventures has committed $2 million in a Series A round of funding for Waiqin365, a Chinese customer relationship management (CRM) mobile app.
SIG, SoftBank back China wearables maker Codoon
SoftBank China Venture Capital (SBCVC) and SIG Asia have invested $30 million in a Series B round of funding for Codoon, a Chinese wearable electronic devices manufacturer.
TVS Capital consortium picks 26% stake in IEX
A consortium led by TVS Capital Funds has agreed to buy a 25.64% stake in Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) for INR5.76 billion ($94 million) from Blackstone-backed Financial Technologies India (FTIL).
Qiming, Innovation Works invest $22m in China Face++
Qiming Venture Partners and Innovation Works have participated in a $22 million Series B round of funding for Face++, a Chinese face recognition technology developer.
Bain-backed Macromill acquires MetrixLab
Macromill, the Japanese online research firm controlled by Bain Capital, has bought Dutch marketing analytics firm MetrixLab. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Q&A: Draper Associates' Tim Draper
A third-generation venture capitalist, Tim Draper is founder of Draper Associates and founding partner of DFJ. He explains the key ingredients for rolling out the Silicon Valley model at home and overseas