Technology
A Capital targets $1.38b for Sino-European tech fund
Sino-European PE firm A Capital has launched a EUR1 billion ($1.38 billion) technology fund to invest in European innovative firms. It will help them expand into emerging markets, in particular China.
Jafco invests $2m in Japan leisure booking site
Globis Capital Partners and Jafco Ventures have invested JPY200 million ($1.95 million) in Catarizm, the Japanese start-up behind online leisure booking site Asoview.
Fidelity, Gree invest $5m in Japan's Kaizen Platform
Fidelity Growth Partners and Gree Ventures have together invested $5 million in Japan's Kaizen Platform, the start-up behind PlanBCD, a platform that crowd-sources web design services.
Kalaari provides Series A for India big data start-up
Kalaari Capital has committed $3 million in Series A funding to Germin8, a Mumbai-headquartered big data analytics company.
KDDI incubator announces five start-ups for new program
KDDI Mugen Labo, an incubator backed by Japanese telecoms giant KDDI, has revealed the next batch of five start-ups to enter its boot camp program.
Japan flea market app raises $14m for US expansion
Mercari, the Japanese start-up behind the mobile flea market app of the same name, has raised JPY1.45 billion ($14.1 million) from Global Brain, Globis Capital Partners, Itochu Technology Venture, GMO Venture Partners, and other unnamed investors.
Zoyi supports take-private of China's Camelot Information Systems
Zoyi Capital has announced its second deal in a week, completing a $20 million investment in Camelot Information Systems, a US-listed Chinese enterprise application and financial IT services provider.
Blackstone completes take-private of China's Pactera
A consortium led by The Blackstone Group has completed a take-private of Pactera Technology International that values the NASDAQ-listed Chinese tech outsourcing firm at approximately $625 million.
Japan's Cyberdyne raises $89 million in Tokyo IPO
Cyberdyne, a VC-backed Japanese robotics company that makes exoskeleton suits, more than doubled on its Tokyo trading debut following a JPY7.8 billion ($76 million) IPO on the MOTHERS (market of the high-growth and emerging stocks) section of the Tokyo...
Mitsui leads $60m round for NZ cleantech play LanzaTech
Japan's Mitsui & Co has led a $60 million Series D round for New Zealand-based low-carbon fuels producer LanzaTech.
Nexus, Avalon re-up in big data platform Indix
Nexus Venture Partners and Avalon Ventures have re-upped their investment in India-based big data firm Indix Corporation via a $8.5 million Series A-1 round of funding.
Sequoia-backed Baioo Family launches HK IPO
Baioo Family Interactive, a children's online game developer backed by Sequoia, has launched its Hong Kong IPO, seeking to raise between $200 million and $250 million.
Tsinghua, CDIB buy control of PE-backed lighting manufacturer
A consortium of investors including Tsinghua Tongfang, a Shanghai-listed technology manufacturer owned by China Tsinghua University, and CDIB Capital has acquired a 52.28% stake in LED lighting manufacturer Neo-Neon Holdings for HK$900 million ($116 million).
Profile: Intel Capital's Richard Hsu
Richard Hsu, managing director at Intel Capital, has spent 14 years as a VC investor, mostly in China. For all the change he has witnessed in entrepreneurs and ideas, some market features remain steadfastly the same
China's FunPlus pursues global ambition
Venture Capitalists have bet big on China's gaming industry. According to AVCJ Research, investment reached a record high of $1.6 billion last year, a massive jump on the $127 million committed in 2012. Barely three months into 2014 and gaming deals have...
Valar, SquarePeg lead $20m round for New Zealand’s Vend
Vend, a New Zealand-based point-of-sale software provider, has received NZ$25 million ($20 million) in Series B funding. The round was co-led by Valar Ventures, an investment vehicle run by PayPal co-founder and early Facebook investor Peter Thiel, and...
Northstar enters Southeast Asia VC space
The Northstar Group, a Singapore-headquartered private equity firm with significant interests in Indonesia, is expanding its franchise to include venture capital. The VC unit is called Silicon Island, in reference to Singapore’s ambition to become a...
ChrysCapital leads Series B for LiquidHub
India's ChrysCapital has lead a $53 million round of Series B funding for LiquidHub, a US-headquartered digital business consultancy.
Taiwan fitness site iFit receives angel funding
Cherubic Ventures, an early-stage VC investor, has provided NT$25 million ($818,000) in seed funding for iFit, a Taiwanese online fitness information provider.
China mobile app platform Wandouja gets Goldman funding
Wandougjia, a Chinese mobile app platform, has received an undisclosed sum in follow-on funding from Goldman Sachs to complete a Series B round of funding that saw new and existing investors commit $120 million in January.
China's Alibaba invests $215m in US messaging app Tango
Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group has invested $215 million in California-based mobile messaging app maker Tango. The deal values the start-up at a reported $1 billion.
Shares in INCJ's Japan Display fall two days straight
Japan Display - the world's biggest maker of screens for tablets and smart phones and a portfolio company of Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) - saw its stocks fall for two days in a row this week after following its JPY318.5 billion ($3.1...
Jafco-backed Fixsters, Shirohato file for Tokyo IPOs
Japanese venture capital investor Jafco will see two portfolio companies - software firm Fixstars and online lingerie retailer Shirohato - launch their Tokyo IPOs on the same day next month.
Vertex commits $5m to China education app Xuebajun
Vertex Venture, an investment unit of Temasek Holdings, has committed $5 million in Series A funding for Shanghai-based mobile study tool developer Xuebajun.