Technology
Hong Kong start-ups: The Silicon Harbour
Hong Kong is touting itself as Asia's next great tech start-up hub. It must first address expensive real estate, the role of government as facilitator, and strategic positioning vis-à-vis mainland China
VC-backed Forgame targets $222m Hong Kong IPO
Forgame Holdings, a Guangzhou-based mobile game developer backed by several VC firms, plans to raise at least $222 million through an IPO in Hong Kong.
Temasek unit plans $185m Youku Tudou sell down – report
Sennett Investments, an affiliate of Temasek Holdings, has reportedly sold down its entire stake in Youku Tudou, an US-listed Chinese video site, generating up to S$235 million ($185 million).
Malaysia's Khazanah exits Time Engineering stake for $21m
Malaysian sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional has sold its entire stake in local IT firm Time Engineering (TEB) to Censof Holdings for RM69.8 million ($21.3 million)
Blackstone consortium reduces Pactera MBO offer
A consortium led by The Blackstone Group has made a definitive offer for Pactera Technology International that values the US-listed tech outsourcing firm at approximately $600 million. Existing investor GGV Capital is also participating in the bid alongside...
Intel Capital, AsiaVest to make partial exits from China's Montage via US IPO
Intel Capital and AsiaVest Partners will make partial exits from Montage Technology Group when the China-based semiconductor manufacturer completes its NASDAQ IPO.
Sequoia leads Series B round in China menstruation-tracking app
Sequoia Capital China has led a Series B round of founding for Dayima.com, a menstruation cycle-tracking mobile app. Existing backer Bertelsmann Asia Investments also participated in the round.
PE-backed Endurance International to buy India's Directi
Endurance International Group, a US-based web hosting services provider controlled by Warburg Pincus and Goldman Sachs, has agreed to buy Indian online services firm Directi Web Technology for up to $110 million.
Innovation Works' Kai-Fu Lee diagnosed with cancer
Kai-Fu Lee, founder and CEO of Innovation Works and former head of Google Greater China, has been diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
Meridian Capital invests in China fashion app Ichuanyi
Meridian Capital has committed a Series A round of funding for Chinese fashion and clothing mobile app Ichuanyi.com. The investment size was not disclosed.
Battle of the strategics
We have grown accustomed to China’s incumbent internet giants engaging in M&A. Since 2010, the BATS – Baidu, Alibaba Group, Tencent Holdings and Sina – have deployed around $6.5 billion (and that’s just disclosed transactions), eight times the amount...
SmartPay joins Ping An's e-payment push
Ping An Insurance Group has taken the fight to Alibaba Group once before. In 2010 it bought an 80% stake in online grocery retailer Yihaodian and helped build the business into one of China’s leading B2C e-commerce players, finding space in the corner...
Sequoia invests $10m in China personal finance site
Sequoia Capital has committed a total of $10 million across two rounds of funding for Feidee.com, a Beijing-based personal finance management website.
Indonesia flight booking service gets Series A round from Samwer brothers
Global Founders Capital (GFC) a VC firm co-founded by Rocket Internet’s Samwer brothers, has made its first Asia investment - committing an undisclosed sum to Indonesian flight search engine Traveloka.
Australia's BlueChilli targets $10m for angel fund
Australian venture firm BlueChilli is looking to raise a $10 million angel fund for early-stage tech investments.
KKR leads race for Panasonic healthcare unit - report
KKR is said to have taken the lead in the bidding for a majority stake in Panasonic's healthcare unit - a potential $1.5 billion deal that would represent the firm's largest Japanese buyout to date.
Shenzhen Capital invests in China mobile app start-up ShareSDK
Shenzhen Capital Group has committed a Series A round of funding to ShareSDK, a Guangzhou-based mobile app service provider. Details of the investment were undisclosed.
Patni Brothers set up incubator for India big data start-ups
The co-founders of Nirvana Venture Advisors, brothers Arihant and Amit Patni, have set up Hive Technologies to help launch and fund Indian big data start-ups.
Lunar Capital exits China mobile payment business to Ping An
Lunar Capital and co-investors RRE Ventures and Icon have exited SmartPay, one of China’s leading third-party online payment providers, to an affiliate of Ping An Insurance Group. The insurer, which also has bank and asset management interests, is said...
ChrysCapital part exits Hexaware for $9m
ChrysCapital Partners has sold part of its 9.59% stake in listed Indian outsourcing firm Hexaware Technologies for INR614.2 million ($9.2 million) on the open market.
Nissay Capital leads $1.5m round for Japan skills marketplace
Nissay Capital has a led a JPY150 million ($1.5 million) round of investment in WelSelf, the Tokyo-based start-up behind online skils marketplace Coconala. Other investors include internet marketing companies Opt and Adways, and the CEO of cosmetics site...
Shenzhen Capital Group invests in China credit IT system e-Buy
Shenzhen Capital Group has invested in China e-Buy Technology, a Shanghai-based firm which provides credit redemption solution. Investment size has reportedly amounted to RMB32.4 million ($5.29 million).
Patent funds: Creative returns
Asia is now responsible for just over half of all patent filings worldwide. Will independent patent funds, which have already won a niche following in the US, catch on over here?
Japan's Rakuten acquires VC-backed video site Viki
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has acquired Viki, a VC-backed global video streaming platform.The financial details of the transaction were not disclosed.