Technology
Pavilion backs Singapore influencer platform
Temasek Holdings-owned Pavilion Capital has joined a USD 7m round for Singapore’s Partipost, which claims to be Asia’s fastest-growing crowd influencer marketing and commerce platform.
Globis leads $22m Series C for Japan's Trend Express
Globis Capital Partners has led JPY 3.3bn (USD 22.1m) Series C round for Japan’s Trend Express, a cross-border marketing and data analysis platform focused on Japan-China tourism.
China energy storage player Hithium gets $276m Series B
Xiamen Hithium Energy Storage Technology, a China-based battery manufacturer, has secured CNY 2bn (USD 276m) in Series B funding led by ABC International.
Horizons leads Series A for Australia's Nourish Ingredients
Nourish Ingredients, an Australia-based alternative protein start-up that uses synthetic biology to produce animal-free fats, has raised USD 28.6m in Series A funding.
Deal focus: Fortitude rings in 9x return on Shopper
Shopping mall-focused digital advertising business Shopper Media Group rode out Australia’s lockdown woes to seal a sale to Woolworths, with Fortitude Investment Partners getting a 9x return
Deal focus: Well-Link aims to make gaming even more real
China’s Well-Link Technologies raised a Series B extension to support long-term investment and blue sky thinking around the role of real-time cloud rendering in gaming and metaverse applications
China fundraising: Onshore vs offshore
Raising capital for China strategies is difficult right now, regardless of currency, but are geopolitical forces enabling the rise of renminbi-denominated funds at the expense of the US dollar?
Singapore's Bolttech hits $1.5b valuation with Series B
Singapore's Bolttech, an insurance technology provider set up by Pacific Century Group in 2020, has raised an undisclosed sum in Series B funding, claiming a valuation of USD 1.5bn.
SIG leads Series B extension for SE Asia payments start-up
Southeast Asia-focused B2B payments specialist Ayoconnect has closed a Series B extension of USD 13m led by SIG Asia. CE Innovation Capital and Prosus-owned PayU also took part.
Avataar hits first close on second India growth-stage tech fund
Avataar Venture Partners, an India-based investor in growth-stage B2B technology and software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies, has reached a first close of USD 130m on its second fund. The overall target is USD 350m.
Asia PE investment sees significant drop-off in third quarter
PE investment in Asia reached USD 36.8bn in the third quarter of 2022, its lowest level since activity seized up in the early stages of COVID-19, with notable declines in India and Southeast Asia.
US logistics AI start-up gets $100m for Asia entry
US-based Altana Technologies, an artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics provider for the logistics industry, has raised USD 100m in Series B funding with plans to open a Singapore office in early 2023.
Australia's Elmo Software confirms Accel-KKR interest
Elmo Software, an Australia-listed provider of cloud-based human resources and payroll software solutions, has emerged as a target for private equity investors, including Accel-KKR.
Japan digital bank Nudge raises $16m Series A
Japanese digital bank Nudge has completed a USD 16m Series A round led by One Capital, a VC firm led by the former head of Salesforce Ventures Japan.
Australia's AgriWebb upsizes Series B to $29m
AgriWebb, an Australia-based livestock management app used by farmers and ranchers, has closed its Series B round at USD 29.3m, following a USD 6.7m top-up featuring two new investors.
Deal focus: Food app targets Thailand’s first internet IPO
Thai restaurant delivery app Line Man Wongnai has leveraged the massive messaging service penetration of its parent company to position itself for what is hoped to be a breakthrough IPO
Q&A: WeRide's Tony Han
Tony Han, founder and CEO of China’s WeRide, on commercialising fully autonomous passenger vehicles, surviving a capital winter, and why universities are vital to the hard-tech revolution
Vision Fund leads Series D for China dental 3D printing player
SprintRay, a China-based 3D printing company that specialises in orthodontics, has raised a USD 100m Series D round led by Softbank Vision Fund 2.
Mirae Asset recruits OneVentures director for Australia coverage
Mirae Asset Global Investments has expanded its Australian alternatives team with the recruitment of James McGrath, formerly an investment director at local VC firm OneVentures.
Airwallex raises another $100m, valuation holds steady
Hong Kong-based Airwallex, a cross-border payments provider turned broader financial technology platform, has raised USD 100m in a second extension to its Series E round at a valuation of USD 5.5bn. It comes 11 months after the company secured the same...
Citi, Accel back Hong Kong crypto start-up Xalts
Citi Ventures and Accel have invested in Hong Kong-based Xalts, a start-up founded by former HSBC and Meta personnel, with a view to facilitating digital asset management for institutional investors.
Investors call on Japanese start-ups to pursue overseas capital - AVCJ Forum
Japanese start-ups must attract more institutional capital from overseas given the paucity of local investors, especially in the growth stages, the AVCJ Japan Forum heard.
India's TVS Capital recruits managing partner from Flourish
Anuradha Ramachandran, who was previously an India-based director at financial technology specialist Flourish Ventures, has joined TVS Capital Funds as a managing partner.
Japan healthcare start-up Ubie closes $43m Series C
Japanese healthcare technology start-up Ubie has closed its Series C round on JPY6.3bn (USD 43.2m) with the latest tranche featuring PE-owned pharmacy chain operator Sogo Medical.