Technology
Korean AI education start-up gets $41m pre-Series D
Korea Development Bank (KDB) and local private equity firms Nvestor, Intervest and IMM Investment have participated in a $41.8 million pre-Series D round for Riiid, a Korean online education platform.
Steadview backs India SaaS player Freshworks
Steadview Capital has invested $85 million in India and US-based cloud business software developer Freshworks through the purchase of shares from existing investors.
CPE, GDS team up on China data center project
CPE - formerly CITIC Private Equity - and GDS Holdings have jointly acquired a greenfield data center project in China that will represent a RMB2.6 billion ($371 million) investment upon completion.
Korean strategic, financial investors back industrial AI start-up
MakinaRocks, a Korean artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that helps manufacturers achieve production efficiencies through the application of deep learning technology, has raised KRW12 billion ($10 million) in Series A funding.
Deal focus: AIpark keeps an eye on the streets
AIpark founder Jun Yan claims there are five million street parking spaces in China's 100 largest cities that could use his car parking management system. A Gaorong Capital-led Series C round will help him reach them
India payments player Pine Labs invests Malaysia’s Fave
Pine Labs, an Indian payments start-up backed by MasterCard, PayPal, and Sequoia Capital India, has invested Fave, a Malaysian e-commerce platform also supported by Sequoia.
Trustbridge spin-out Vitalbridge closes debut China fund
Vitalbridge Capital, a Chinese venture capital firm established by Jinjian Zhang, formerly of Trustbridge Partners, has raised $150 million for its debut fund.
Singapore GPs lead round for Israeli drone scouting start-up
Taranis, an Israel drone-based crop monitoring solution provider for farms, has raised $30 million in a Series C round eyeing expansion opportunities in Asian markets.
Q&A: Novo Holdings' Amit Kakar
Having spent the past three years on healthcare buy-and-build platform Everlife Asia, Amit Kakar’s is joining life sciences investor Novo Holdings as regional head. He explains why now is the time to bet big on Asia
China semiconductor: The chips are up
Excluded from US supply chains, China is looking to satisfy its semiconductor appetite from within. Domestic start-ups can command huge valuations, but are they sustainable?
PE-backed Cambricon becomes China's first listed AI chip maker
Beijing-based Cambricon Technology, which is backed by CICC Capital, Alibaba Group, and Lenovo, has listed on the Star Market. It is the first Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) chip manufacturer to complete an IPO.
Singapore marketing SaaS player raises $32m
US-based technology investor Riverwood Capital has led a $32 million Series C round for Insider, a Singapore software start-up that helps companies develop better targeted marketing campaigns.
Indian agritech VeGrow secures seed funding
Indian agricultural technology start-up VeGrow raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round led by Ankur Capital and Matrix Partners India.
Blackbird joins $18m round for Australia's Propeller
Blackbird Ventures has joined a A$26 million ($18.3 million) round for Propeller Aero, an Australian data analytics provider focused on drone surveying at industrial worksites.
Hillhouse invests $1.5b in Chinese EV battery maker
Hillhouse Capital has invested RMB10.6 billion ($1.5 billion) in Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL). It is part of a RMB19.7 billion capital raise by the Shenzhen-listed company.
Canyon Bridge, K2 Venture founders join Asia SPAC wave
Two more groups featuring Asian private equity executives have listed special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs) on US bourses as interest in these structures continues to rise globally.
China biotech player Antengene raises $97m Series C
Fidelity Investments has led a $97 million Series C round for Chinese hematology and oncology biotech developer Antengene.
Investors commit $500m to China EV maker Xpeng
Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Xpeng Motors has closed an extended Series C round of around $500 million from a group that includes Hillhouse Capital and Sequoia Capital China, as well as hedge funds Aspex Management and Coatue Management.
India's Vedantu raises $100m round Series D
Indian online tutoring service Vedantu has raised $100 million in a Series D round led by US hedge fund Coatue Management.
Sequoia leads Series B for Chinese intelligent sales player
Tungee, a Chinese sales-focused software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform, has raised RMB120 million ($17 million) in a Series B round led by Sequoia Capital China. Qiming Venture Partners also took part.
China's TuSimple wins backing from US truck maker
TuSimple, a China and US-based developer of autonomous driving technology for trucks, has received equity funding from US truck manufacturer Navistar International and entered into a partnership with the company.
Southeast Asia macro: Encouraging minefield
Southeast Asia benefits from an enviable macro outlook versus other markets, and investment in the region is set to recover relatively quickly. But is that enough?
Asia VC: Vertex's evolving early-stage network
Vertex Holdings’ Chua Kee-Lock likens his network of VC funds seeded by the Temasek-owned entity as a distributed computer system. It will draw down more power as it grows
Walmart leads $1.2b round for India's Flipkart
Walmart has led a $1.2 billion funding round for Flipkart, the Indian e-commerce business in which it acquired a majority stake at a valuation of $24 billion in 2018.