500 Startups
Singapore's Carousell gets $35m Series B round
Rakuten Ventures, a corporate VC arm of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten, has led a $35 million Series B round of funding for Singaporean online flea market shopping app operator Carousell.
SBI leads $17.5m investment in Thailand’s Omise
Japan’s SBI Investment has led a $17.5 million Series B funding round for Thailand-based online payment services provider Omise.
500 Startups raises $8.3m for enlarged Thai fund
US-based 500 Startups has received $8.3 million in LP commitments for its Thailand-focused early-stage fund 500 TukTuks after expanding its targeted scope on the back of increased investor interest.
Korea's Althea raises $3.5m Series A
Althea, a South Korean cosmetics e-commerce site that markets primarily to Southeast Asia, has raised a $3.5 million Series A round from a group of investors including Mirae Asset Ventures, Cherubic Ventures and 500 Startups.
China micro VC: The micro wave
Micro VC firms are a relatively new segment in China’s venture capital ecosystem, the product of angel investors going institutional. They focus on early stage deals, but as demand grows, will they stay there?
Snapdeal buys India's Nexus-backed TargetingMantra
Indian e-commerce giant Snapdeal has bought e-commerce personalization and analytics service TargetingMantra for an undisclosed amount.
Thailand to launch $568m venture fund
The Thailand government has announced the launch of a THB20 billion ($568 million) venture fund as part of an economic modernization agenda.
Ping An leads $10m Series A for Hong Kong's Prenetics
Ping An Ventures, the VC arm of China's Ping An Insurance Group, has led a $10 million Series A round for Hong Kong-based genetic test developer Prenetics.
500 Startups launches $10m Vietnam fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has launched its latest country-specific fund with a target of $10 million for investments in Vietnam.
Philippines online pawn store secures VC funding
Manila-based online pawnshop PawnHero has raised an undisclosed amount of pre-Series A funding from a group of venture backers.
Malaysia car sale platform raises $2m Series A round
Malaysian PE fund IdeaRiverRun has led a $2 million Series A round of funding for Carsome, a local car purchasing platform.
Bertelsmann leads round for Indian e-commerce platform
Indian e-commerce platform Kartrocket has raised a $6 million round led by Bertelsmann India Investments.
Indonesia’s restaurant discovery app secures $8m
Qraved, an Indonesia-based online restaurant booking platform, has secured an $8 million Series B round of funding co-led by US-based Richmond Global Ventures and China-based Gobi Partners.
500 Startups to raise Japan seed fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has extended its Asia footprint with the launch of a $30 million fund dedicated to early-stage Japanese technology companies.
Southeast Asia start-ups: Connecting the dots
The start-up scene in Southeast Asia is growing apace but making the most of the region's potential is as much about having cross-border capabilities as it is about targeting the right opportunities
500 Start-ups, Gree lead Indonesia game studio Series C round
US early stage investor 500 Startups and Japanese gaming giant Gree have led an undisclosed Series C round investment in Indonesian game start-up Touchten Games.
Japan's Recruit Holdings acquires UK edutech startup Quipper
Japan's Recruit Holdings has acquired VC-backed UK edutech start-up Quipper for $40 million.
Thailand payment services provider gets Series A round
Indonesian venture capital fund SMDV has a $2.6 million Series A round for Thailand-based payment solutions start-up Omise.
US-based 500 Startups unveils $15m South Korea fund
US-based accelerator 500 Startups has launched another $15 million Asian satellite fund in Korea - called 500 Kimchi - a little over a week after it announced a similar vehicle in Thailand.
US accelerator 500 Startups launches $10m Thai fund
Silicon Valley-based accelerator and early stage investor 500 Startups is understood to be launching a new $10 million micro-fund for Thailand.
Taiwan’s NDF commits $84m to VC funds
Taiwan’s National Development Fund (NDF) will invest up to $84 million into four venture capital funds as part of efforts to support local start-ups.
Women in China VC: Gender balance
Women are still underrepresented in a male-dominated VC industry, but China is notable for having a number of female executives in senior positions. How did they break through the glass ceiling?
Jungle Ventures commits $1.6m to Thailand fashion site
Jungle Ventures has led a $1.6 million pre-Series A round for Pomelo, a Thailand-based online fashion retailer.
Rebright leads $1m seed round for Singapore’s Smove
Japanese seed investor Rebright Partners has led a $1.1 million funding round for Clean Mobility Singapore, the Singapore-based start-up behind car rental service Smove, with participation from 500 Startups and Wavemaker Pacific.