Technology
Baring Asia drops out of Japan electronics deal
Baring Private Equity Asia has abandoned plans to acquire the audio-video operations of Japanese car electronics maker Pioneer Corp - alongside the company's rival Onkyo Corp - three months after reaching a basic agreement.
India's BigBasket raises $32.8m Series B from Helion, Zodius
Helion Venture Partners and Zodius Capital have led a INR2 billion ($32.8 million) Series B round of investment in BigBasket.com - the Indian online retailer owned by Bangalore-based SuperMarket Grocery Supplies.
Renren leads round for Chinese financial social network
China’s social networking platform Renren has led a $40 million Series C round for Snowball, a Chinese financial information portal, with participation from existing investor Morningside Technologies.
Baidu backs China online learning site SmartStudy
Chinese internet giant Baidu has invested $10.6 million in a Series A round of funding for Smart SmartStudy.com, an online education platform.
GenNext Ventures, Microsoft India launch tech accelerator
GenNext Ventures, the VC arm of Reliance Industries, has tied up with Microsoft Ventures India to launch an accelerator program, with a view to catalyzing the Indian technology start-up ecosystem.
PE investors set for partial exits as Alibaba targets $24b IPO
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group is seeking to raise as much as $24 million through a US IPO that could be the largest tech offering in history.
Foxconn invests $2m in Taiwan’s AirSig
Electronics manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group has invested $2 million for a 10% stake in AirSig, a Taiwan-based mobile authentication start-up.
Providence makes partial exit from India's Idea Cellular
Providence Equity has made a partial exit from Idea Celluar, a Indian mobile network operator promoted by Aditya Birla Group, selling a 2.3% stake - or a quarter of its previous holding - for around INR14.1 billion ($234 million) via an open market transaction.
VCs take part in $2.1m round for Japan's Innova
Nippon Venture Capital, Draper Nexus and strategic investor Salesforce.com have together invested JPY220 million ($2.1 million) on Tokyo-based search engine optimization (SEO) and content marketing agency Innova.
Singapore Red Dot Payment complete Series A round
Wavemaker Pacific and GMO Global Payment Fund have taken part in a Series A round of funding for Singapore's Red Dot Payment, an online payment solutions provider. The financial details were not disclosed.
H&Q leads $16.7m round for cloud insurance software firm
H&Q Asia Pacific has led a $16.7 million Series A round for US cloud insurance software provider One Inc.; Camp One Ventures and AGI Partners also took part in the round.
Japanese mobility firm Whill closes $11m Series A round
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has led an $11 million Series A round for Whill, a Japanese startup which has designed a type of electronic mobility chair.
VC-backed Xunlei to buy storage business from Kingsoft
Xunlei, a Chinese file-sharing service backed by a string of VC firms, will pay $33 million to acquire a personal storage business unit owned by Kingsoft Corporation.
Tencent pumps $70m into China healthcare networking site
Tencent Holdings has invested $70 million into dxy.com, a Chinese networking and information-sharing site for healthcare professionals
China's Baidu backs Finland-based indoor mapping start-up
Chinese internet giant Baidu has agreed to invest $10 million in IndoorAtlas, a VC-backed Finnish software developer that specializes in indoor mapping.
Chengwei invests $20m in Chinese drone manufacturer
Chengwei Capital Partners has invested $20 million in a Series A round of funding for XAircraft Aerial Solutions, a Chinese multi-rotor and drone maker.
Taiwan's Acer to launch $34m VC fund
Taiwanese computer maker Acer has established a NT$1 billion ($33.5 million) venture capital fund to invest in start-ups, with a view to strengthening the group’s technology development as well as generating financial returns.
India messaging app raises $65m in Tiger Global-led round
Tiger Global has led a $65 million investment in Hike, the Indian mobile message app.
China's Zai Lab raises $30m Series A round
Qiming Venture Partners has led a $30 million Series A round of funding for Zai Lab, a Shanghai-based biotech drug developer, with participation from KPCB, Sequoia Capital and TF Capital.
Forum Syneriges leads Series C round for India’s Attero
Forum Synergies has led a $15 million Series C round of funding for Attero, India’s largest electronic asset management company.
Stonebridge leads $3.5m round for Korean wearables maker
Stonebridge Capital has led a $3.5 million Series A round for Ybrain, a Korean start-up that makes wearables for Alzheimer's patients.
Softbank, Pantera lead $3m Series A for Korean bitcoin exchange
SoftBank Ventures Korea and Pantera Capital have led a $3 million Series A round of funding for Korean bitcoin exchange, wallet and merchant processor, Korbit.
GoGoVan eyes regional expansion
Three Hong Kong youngsters came up with an idea to supply disposable lunchboxes to local restaurants for free and make a return by selling display advertising on the products.
Alibaba backs Chinese Wi-Fi operator
Alibaba Group has invested an undisclosed sum in Witown, a Chinese Wi-Fi solutions provider.