Technology
China GPU chip designer secures $313m Series A
Moore Threads, a Chinese chip designer established 13 months ago by a team from Nvidia, has closed Series A at RMB2 billion ($313 million) led by Shanghai Guosheng Capital, 5Y Capital, and a BOC International fund.
Bain leads $69m Series C for Japan's Linc'well
Bain Capital has led a JPY8 billion ($69 million) Series C round for Linc’well, a Japan-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that caters to medical institutions.
RedBird joins $840m round for India's Dream Sports
RedBird Capital Partners, a US investment firm that has extensive sport exposure and several months ago picked up a stake in an Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, has co-led a $840 million round for local fantasy sports platform Dream Sports.
India's NoBroker joins unicorn club
General Atlantic, Tiger Global Management, and Moore Strategic Ventures have participated in a $210 million Series E round for Indian real estate marketplace NoBroker at a valuation of $1 billion.
K1, Level Equity invest $350m in Australia SaaS player
US private equity firms K1 Investment Management and Level Equity have invested about $350 million in Australia’s Simpro, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider focused on field service management.
Blume hits $105m first close on fourth India VC fund
Indian venture capital investor Blume Ventures has achieved a first close of $105 million on its fourth fund, exceeding the full amount raised in the previous vintage.
China ocular drugs developer raises $63m
China’s Neurophth Biotechnology, a gene therapy developer for ocular diseases, has raised a RMB400 million ($63 million) Series C round led by SDIC China Merchants Investment and Sequoia Capital China.
Microsoft VC unit leads $22m round for India's SalesKen
M12, Microsoft’s VC arm, has led a $22 million Series B round for SalesKen, an Indian enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) provider focused on sales-related services.
NetEase music spinout completes $449m Hong Kong IPO
Cloud Village, a music streaming business controlled by Chinese internet giant NetEase and backed by several private equity investors, has raised HK$3.5 billion ($449 million) through a Hong Kong IPO.
China IPOs: The star still wanes
Proceeds from private equity-backed offerings on China’s Star Market are down 75% from their peak one year ago, reflecting ongoing regulatory interference and diminished investor confidence
Taiwan start-ups: Leaving the factory
Taiwan’s industrials-focused venture capital and start-up ecosystem has tilted noticeably toward consumer software in the past year. Nevertheless, the traditional heavyweights are indispensable
Investors see China regulatory turbulence as short-term - AVCJ Forum
Regulatory uncertainty overshadowing China's technology sector is a temporary phenomenon, investors told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum, while noting that targeting areas favored by the government remains a safe play.
Vision Fund adds managing partners in India, China
SoftBank Vision Fund has promoted Sumer Juneja, who heads up its India investments, and Dennis Chang, a China-focused partner, to managing partner level.
Warburg Pincus backs China new materials business
Ambilight, a China-based new materials company focused on electrochromic (EC) components, has raised several hundred million dollars in Series C funding led by Warburg Pincus.
Airwallex adds $100m to Series E at $5.5b valuation
Hong Kong-based cross-border payments provider Airwallex has received a $100 million Series E extension led by Lone Pine Capital at a valuation of $5.5 billion.
Local turbulence drives China tech players abroad - AVCJ Forum
Regulatory uncertainty in China has encouraged local technology companies to go global rather than rely on a single market, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
Xiaomi invests $70m in China LiDAR specialist Hesai
Xiaomi Industrial Investment Fund, a vehicle controlled by smart devices brand Xiaomi, has invested $70 million in Hesai Technology, a China-based developer of sensors used in autonomous driving.
Energy transition to dominate private equity – AVCJ Forum
Energy transition, including innovation in power and transportation, will be the biggest investment theme in the decades to come, industry veterans told the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum.
Kejora, Sunway launch $25m Malaysia VC fund
Indonesia-based Kejora Capital and Malaysian conglomerate Sunway Group have established a $25 million VC fund focused on early-stage start-ups in Malaysia.
Indonesia's Ula extends Series B to $110m
Indonesian B2B e-commerce player Ula has extended its Series B round to $110 million with a $23.1 million investment from Tiger Global Management and Binny Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart.
CMC, Goldman lead $150m round for China's Cyclone Robotics
Cyclone Robotics, a Shanghai-based robotic process automation (RPA) start-up, has raised $150 million in a Series C round led by CMC Capital Group and Goldman Sachs Asset Management.
Japan's Olympus launches VC unit, $50m fund
Japan’s Olympus Corporation has launched a medical technology-focused venture capital unit, Olympus Innovation Ventures, with an initial commitment of $50 million for its debut fund.
Vision Fund backs China cleaning robot maker
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 and Capital Today have led a RMB1.2 billion ($188 million) Series C round for Chinese cleaning robot maker Gaussian Robotics.
India's A91 reaches $550m final close on Fund II
A91 Partners has closed its second India-focused fund with $550 million in commitments, nearly two-and-a-half years after raising $351 million for its debut vehicle.