Technology
China EV player Leapmotor targets Hong Kong IPO
LeapMotor has filed for an IPO in Hong Kong, putting it on course to become the fourth of China's "new force" electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers to go public.
Korea's MegaStudy pulls plug on 35% stake sale to MBK
MegaStudy Education, a listed Korean education provider with a market capitalisation of nearly KRW 900bn (USD 660m) has decided against selling a stake to North Asia-focused private equity firm MBK Partners.
Australia branding platform Outfit acquired by US strategic
Australia’s Outfit, a VC-backed brand management business, has been acquired by Smartsheet, a New York-listed enterprise workflow management platform for an undisclosed sum.
Japan remote workforce player oVice raises $32m
Japan’s oVice, a start-up that provides virtual co-working spaces for remote and hybrid teams, has raised JPY 4.5bn (USD 32.1m) in Series B funding featuring Jafco and Eight Roads Ventures.
China chip designer Yige raises $42m angel round
Suzhou Yige Technology, a China-based semiconductor chip designer also known as EagleChip, has raised a CNY 286m (USD 41.5m) angel round led by Matrix Partners China, Redpoint China, Sequoia Capital China, CTC Capital, and Vlight Capital.
Vertex leads Series A for Singapore's Propseller
Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India has led a USD 12m Series A for Propseller, a Singapore-headquartered property technology start-up Propseller that is looking to disrupt the traditional agency model.
Potentia, HarbourVest move for Australia's Nitro Software
Australia-listed productivity software provider Nitro Software has rejected a AUD 386m (USD 263m) buyout offer from Potentia Capital and HarbourVest Partners.
GP profile: CMC Capital Partners
China-focused CMC Capital Partners’ remit has expanded from media to consumer and technology, but the firm believes its knowledge and discipline as a specialist investor have never been more relevant
Singapore, Thailand blockchain remittance player gets $50m
Singapore and Thailand-based Lightnet, a blockchain-enabled payments and remittance services provider, has raised USD 50m from US-based LDA Capital.
Accenture backs India space tech start-up Pixxel
Accenture has made an investment of undisclosed size in Indian satellite imaging provider Pixxel via a VC unit. It follows a USD 25m Series A round in March.
Japan carve-outs: Improving the old
Private equity investors are keen to acquire mature but unloved assets from Japanese corporates and reposition them for growth. Execution is seldom straightforward, and size often means complexity
Fund focus: Fundamentum finds its niche
As one of few Series B and C specialists operating in India, The Fundamentum Partnership expects to have plenty to choose from over the next two years as the glut of early-stage start-ups thins out
Fund focus: Cherubic continues to scale
Early-stage investor Cherubic Ventures initially struggled to get traction with its idiosyncratic Greater China-US strategy, but the firm sees its USD 110m haul for Fund V as validation of the thesis
Qiming leads Series C for China 3D dental printing start-up
Prismlab, a China-based 3D printing company specialising in dental applications, has raised CNY 200m (USD 29m) in Series C funding led by Qiming Venture Partners.
Singapore HR platform Glints raises $50m Series D
DCM Ventures, Lavender Hill Capital, and listed Japanese human resources business Persol Holdings have led a USD 50m Series D round for Glints, a Southeast Asia-focused recruitment and career development platform.
Korea's Gentle Monster backs China AR player Nreal
Nreal, a Chinese manufacturer of augmented reality (AR) glasses that resemble normal sunglasses, has received USD15m from South Korean eyewear brand Gentle Monster.
GrowX team seeks $100m for spinout India VC fund
The team behind Indian angel investor GrowX Ventures has launched a separate fund targeting USD 100m under the name Merak Ventures.
Bain agrees $3b carve-out from Japan's Olympus
Bain Capital has agreed to acquire Evident, a Japan-based medical devices manufacturer best known for producing microscopes, from Olympus Corporation for JPY 427.7bn (USD 3.08bn).
Japan healthcare AI start-up Ubie closes $26m Series C
Japan’s Ubie, a healthcare technology start-up that uses artificial intelligence (AI) for symptom-checking questionnaires, has raised USD 26.2m in Series C funding from local investors.
Singularity Growth leads Series D for India's Servify
India’s Singularity Growth Opportunity Fund, a vehicle associated with former Reliance Capital executive Madhusudan Kela, has led a USD 65m investment in after-sales software provider Servify.
LPs emphasize differentiation in China venture capital
LPs want to back Chinese venture capital firms that are differentiated from their peers, although there remains an element of discomfort with efforts to achieve this through increasingly popular China-plus strategies.
Baidu-backed autonomous truck developer raises $67m
DeepWay, an intelligent driving solutions provider for trucks established by Baidu, has raised a Series A round of CNY 460m (USD 67m) led by Qiming Venture Partners.
Prosperity7 backs China-founded unstructured data specialist Zilliz
Prosperity7 Ventures, a venture capital fund established by Saudi Arabia state oil giant Saudi Aramco, has led a USD 60m Series B extension for China-founded open-source software developer Zilliz.