Technology
Australia insurance start-up raises $31m Series B
New Zealand venture capital firm Movac has led a $31 million Series B round for Australian insurance technology provider Open.
Deal focus: Ekuaibao's PaaS plus SaaS proposition
China-based reimbursement platform Ekuaibao has ambitions to lead the digital transformation of corporate finance. Early investor Future Capital continues to re-up as the story unfolds
Deal focus: Singapore's Doctor Anywhere raises $65m Series C
Doctor Anywhere’s omnichannel approach to digitizing Southeast Asian healthcare is luring investors with eyes on the pandemic’s most logical trend. Preserving a first-mover advantage is the challenge
GP profile: China Renaissance
China Renaissance’s technology-focused investment business has grown from nothing to $9.5 billion in seven years. The firm wants to remain a boutique operator rather than embrace all stages and strategies
China's Geely raises $500m for Zeekr EV unit
Zeekr, the electric vehicle (EV) business of Chinese carmaker Geely, has raised $500 million in a pre-Series A round from Intel Capital, Boyu Capital, battery manufacturer CATL, Cathay Fortune Corporation, and online entertainment platform Bilibili.
Tata VC fund to exit India thermal energy business
Tata Capital Innovations Fund is set to exit Indian industrial materials developer Pluss Advanced Technologies to a local conglomerate in a deal worth INR1.1 billion ($15.7 million).
China AI player SenseTime files for Hong Kong IPO
SenseTime, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer that has received more than $5.2 billion in private funding in the past seven years, has filed for a Hong Kong IPO.
VCs commit $55m to China CRM player Xiaoke
Xiaoke, a China-based provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software, has raised $55 million in a Series A funding round from Hong Kong-listed Weimob, Sequoia Capital China, Welight Capital, and Creo Capital.
China GPU chip designer Metax raises $155m
Shanghai-based Metax Integrated Circuits has raised RMB1 billion ($155 million) in a Series A funding round led by China Structural Reform Fund and China Internet Investment Fund. Existing investors including Matrix Partners China, CTC Capital, Sequoia...
China's DayDayCook agrees $300m SPAC merger
DayDayCook, a China-focused direct-to-consumer brand that started as a cooking-themed video platform, has agreed to merge with a US-listed special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) at an enterprise valuation of $300 million.
China EV battery maker raises $1.5b
Svolt Energy Technology, formerly the battery manufacturing unit of Chinese automaker Great Wall Motor, has raised RMB10.28 billion ($1.5 billion) in a Series B funding round led by Bank of China Investment.
Xiaomi to buy VC-backed autonomous driving start-up
Chinese smart phone maker Xiaomi has agreed to buy local autonomous driving technology developer Deepmotion, facilitating liquidity events for Source Code Capital and Redpoint China Ventures.
India's Prime Venture reaches $75m first close on Fund IV
Prime Venture Partners has reached a first close of $75 million on its fourth India-focused VC fund. The overall target is $100 million.
Tribe, Moore Strategic lead Series C for India's Khatabook
Tribe Capital and Moore Strategic Ventures have led a $100 million Series C round for Khatabook – an India-based bookkeeping app aimed at small merchants – at a valuation of $600 million.
SoftBank leads $154m Series D for China's Ekuaibao
Ekuaibao, a Chinese software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider specializing in corporate reimbursements, has raised RMB1 billion ($155 million) in Series D funding led by SoftBank Vision Fund 2.
Bazaar secures Pakistan's largest-ever Series A round
Online B2B marketplace Bazaar has completed what it claims is Pakistan’s largest-ever Series A round with a $30 million commitment led by Wavemaker Partners and US-based Defy Partners.
CDIB leads round for Taiwan crypto-fiat start-up
CDIB Capital Group has led a $17 million pre-Series A round for Xrex, a Taiwan-based financial technology player that uses blockchain to facilitate cross-border payments by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
ChrysCapital, True North join $150m Quest Global deal
ChrysCapital and True North Managers have participated in a $150 million investment for a minority stake in Quest Global, an Indian engineering services outsourcing company.
Chinese investors join $400m round for Nigeria's Opay
Several Chinese investors have re-upped in a $400 million round – at a valuation of $2 billion – for Nigeria-based logistics and payments technology company Opay.
India's 3one4 names new partner
Indian venture capital firm 3one4 Capital has elevated Anurag Ramdasan to partner level, alongside a rush of more junior promotions.
China's Deepexi raises $100m Series B
Deepexi, a Chinese start-up that provides digital transformation solutions to enterprise customers, has raised $100 million in a Series B funding round led by Guotai Junan Securities and an investment arm of China Industrial International Trust Asset...
Jafco leads $13m Series A for Taiwan cybersecurity player
Jafco Asia, a Singapore-based unit of Japanese VC firm Jafco, has led a $12.9 million Series A round for Taiwanese industrial cybersecurity provider TXOne Networks.
Australia's Blackbird leads Series B for education start-up
Blackbird Ventures has led a $25 million Series B funding round for Forage, an Australia-founded but now US-based provider of virtual training courses aimed at students.
Baring buys enterprise tech player Straive from Partners Group
Baring Private Equity Asia is poised to add to its enterprise technology portfolio with the acquisition of Straive – a Philippines-based outsourcing business previously known as SPi Global – from Partners Group.