Technology
PLDT sees Rocket as proxy for global growth
Smart eMoney, a mobile payment business owned by Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT), first ventured overseas in partnership with Mastercard in 2010.
Omnivore has sunny outlook for SkyMet
With around two-thirds of India's 1.2 billion-strong population reliant on farming for a livelihood the importance of the monsoon season to the economy cannot be overstated. A weak monsoon can cut exports, drive food price inflation and ultimately cause...
Japan's Rakuten acquires VC-backed Slice
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has acquired Slice, a US-based e-commerce mobile app backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners and DCM, among others.
Rocket Internet’s Foodpanda raises $60m
Foodpanda, an online take-away food delivery marketplace incubated by Rocket Internet, has raised $60 million in a new round of financing from new investor Falcon Edge Capital as well as existing backers.
GGV leads round for Chinese personal finance app Yingying
GGV Capital has led a Series A+ round of funding for Yingying Licai, a Chinese personal finance mobile app.
Gree, Atomico lead $35m Series B for Japan news app
Japanese internet gaming firm Gree, and tech-focused investor Atomico, have led a JPY3.6 billion ($35.4 million) Series B round investment in SmartNews, the Tokyo-based start-up behind the news curation app of the same name.
PLDT acquires 10% stake in Rocket Internet
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT) has acquired a 10% stake in German e-commerce incubator and investor Rocket Internet for EUR333 million ($445 million).
Line backs Japan's Gumi, launches $100m developer fund
Messaging app start-up Line Corp. has agreed to acquire a less than 10% stake in Gumi, a VC-backed Japanese game developer. The exact size and value of the deal is still under negotiation.
Legend Star invests in China vacation rentals site Zhubaijia
Legend Star, a Chinese incubator program launched by Legend Holdings and the Chinese Academies of Sciences, has invested $1 million in Zhubaijia, a Chinese vacation rentals website.
VC-backed iDreamSky jumps 6% on debut after $116m US IPO
Shares in iDreamSky Technology - a Chinese third-party mobile game publisher backed by Legend Capital and Redpoint Ventures - jumped 6.42% on the firm's NASDAQ debut.
India's Skymet raises $4.5m Series B round
Skymet Weather Services, an Indian provider of weather forecast solutions for the agricultural sector, has raised $4.5 million Series B round of funding led by dmg::information Asia Pacific, a unit of UK media group Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT)....
Chinese home projector maker XGimi Tech secures $16.5m
XGimi Technology, a home projector manufacturer, has secured a RMB100 million ($16.5 million) Series A round of financing from Shenzhen CDF-Capital.
South Korea mobile loyalty platform raises $3.9m
Daesung Private Equity and Bokwang Investments have invested $3.9 million in Spoqa, the South Korean start-up behind mobile loyalty platform Dodo Points.
SingTel Innov8 leads $25m Series B round for Bitglass
SingTel Innov8, the corporate venture arm of Singapore telecoms giant SingTel, has led a $25 million Series B round of investment for US-based Bitglass, a provider of mobile cloud security solutions. Norwest Venture Partners and New Enterprise Associates...
Thai fashion e-commerce site raises $1.5m Series A round
Digital Media Partners has led a $1.5 million Series A of investment for Thai fashion e-commerce start-up WearYouWant. IMG Investment Partners and Japanese e-marketing firm OPT SEA also took part in the round.
IDG leads $100m Series B round for China online grocery
IDG Capital has led a $100 million Series B round of investment for Chinese online grocery store Womai.com. Existing investor SAIF Partners also participated.
Hong Kong's 8 Securities raises $9m Series B
Hong Kong-based stock trading and financial management platform 8 Securities has raised a $9 million Series B round of funding. The round included unnamed US and Chinese investors and existing backers Velocity Capital and Leitmotiv Private Equity.
Japan VCs invest $3m in Tokyo tech boot camp
Life is Tech, a Tokyo-based IT boot camp program for elementary and junior high school students, has raised JPY310 million (about $3 million) from Japanese investors Jafco, Mistletoe, KCJ Group, DeNA and Recruit Holdings.
INCJ to form LED business with Japan Display, corporates
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) is forming a new company with Japan Display, Sony Corp. and Panasonic. The new company will be engaged in the development and commercialization of organic light-emitting diode (OLED)...
US game firm Kabam attracts $120m from Alibaba
China e-commrce giant Alibaba Group is investing $120 million in US venture capital-backed gaming company Kabam. The investment is understood to value the company at over $1 billion.
Japan game publisher 3rdKind raises $1m from VCs
Nippon Venture Capital (NVCC), early stage investor Global Brain Corp., and Japanese internet firm Adways have together invested $1 million in mobile games publisher 3rdKind.
Asian Venture Capital: Not yet bubble territory
Is Asian venture capital back in favor? Based on what has been happening in the last year or so, the answer would be a resounding yes. Like their peers in Silicon Valley, the Asian VC community is certainly seeing more activity than say three years ago.
EQT taps mobile professional growth
As wealth among the Gulf states has has grown so has the demand for better healthcare. According to a recent report by Dubai-based Alpen Capital, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) healthcare market will be worth $69.4 billion by 2018 - up from $39.4...
India's Flipkart raises a record $1b from VC backers
Indian e-commerce firm Flipkart has raised $1 billion from new and existing backers in what is one of the biggest funding rounds raised by an e-commerce company globally and the single largest round by an internet company in the country.