China
Fund focus: BlueRun defies China fundraising woes
Having secured USD 819m, across US dollar and renminbi vehicles, the early-stage investor wants to prove that China can deliver globally competitive technology
Portfolio: Investcorp and Viz Branz
War, climate change, and COVID-19 are twisting the outlook for Investcorp-owned instant food supplier Viz Branz. But an implacable China growth story has underpinned an aggressive expansion agenda
Singapore metaverse platform Bud raises $36.8m
Singapore-based metaverse user generated content (UGC) platform Bud has raised a Series B round of USD 36.8m led by Sequoia Capital India.
China rocket developer Orienspace raises $60m
Chinese rocket developer Orienspace has raised a CNY400m (USD 60m) Series A round led by HikeCapital.
Ince leads $30m round for China's PhiGent Robotics
Beijing-based autonomous driving solutions provider PhiGent Robotics has raised a USD30m Series A round led by Ince Capital. Previous investors such as Atypical Ventures, 5Y Capital, and GSR Ventures re-upped.
China's BlueRun $819m across US dollar, renminbi funds
China-based BlueRun Ventures has closed its third US dollar-denominated China fund and third renminbi vehicle with aggregate commitments of CNY 5.5bn (USD 819m).
China industrial internet platform Xuelangyun raises $44m
Xuelangyun, a China-based industrial data service provider, has raised a Series B of CNY 300m (USD 44m) led by China Structural Reform Fund. Poly Capital and an intellectual property fund under Wuxi Guolian Development also participated.
China outbound: Organic options
Tough domestic competition is encouraging Chinese tech start-ups to expand overseas – often organically, earlier in their lifecycles than before, and despite regulatory concerns
China biotech player Reistone raises $100m
Reistone, a novel drug developer incubated by Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals, has raised a Series A of nearly USD 100m led by Huagai Capital.
Tiga SPAC to merge with San Vicente-owned Grindr
Grindr, a LGBTQ+ dating app acquired by an investor group after its Chinese owner violated foreign investment regulations, has agreed to merge with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by Singapore-based Tiga Investments.
China Renaissance raises $446m for renminbi fund
Huaxing Growth Capital, the private equity division of China Renaissance, has achieved a CNY 3bn (USD 446m) first close on its fourth flagship renminbi-denominated fund.
China's Sensors Data raises $200m
Chinese marketing technology provider Sensors Data has raised a USD 200m Series D round led by Tiger Global Management and The Carlyle Group.
Deal focus: Sensors Data finds meaning in compromise
Requests for customised rather than standardised products challenged Sensors Data’s notion of what software-as-a-service should be. The company overcame its anxiety and continues the growth journey.
Nexus Point acquires Hong Kong freight forwarding business
Nexus Point Capital, which makes middle-market control investments in Greater China, has acquired a majority stake in Hong Kong-headquartered freight forwarding business Honour Lane Shipping (HLS).
IDG backs China surgical robot start-up
IDG Capital has joined a Series A round of several hundred million renminbi for China’s Sustao, which is developing a platform for fully automating surgical robots.
China cloud services player Flywheel raises $45m
Chinese cloud-native database services provider Flywheel Technology, also known as Feilun Keji, has raised CNY 300m (USD 45m) in seed funding from Sequoia Capital China and IDG Capital.
Q&A: ZWC Partners' Michael Yao
Michael Yao, a partner at ZWC Partners, discusses valuations, exit obstacles, and artificial intelligence in China, as well as the scope for applying China knowledge in Southeast Asia
Deal focus: Laiye leverages European connections
M&A helped Chinese artificial intelligence start-up Laiye develop its product and gain a foothold in Europe. With more than USD 160m in Series C funding, the company is aggressively targeting global expansion
China's VisionNav Robotics raises $80m
5Y Capital and Meituan, China’s leading online-to-offline services provider, have led a USD 80m Series C extension for VisionNav Robotics, a local manufacturer of driverless industrial vehicles.
Singapore mRNA vaccine developer raises $140m
RVAC Medicines, a Singapore-based company involved in developing messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines for COVID-19, has closed a Series B round that takes its overall funding to USD 140m.
China delivery player Gogox files for Hong Kong IPO
Gogox, a last-mile logistics company formed through the merger of Hong Kong's GoGoVan and an affiliate of mainland China-based 58.com, has filed to list in Hong Kong