Financial Services
American Express buys Japan's Pocket Concierge
American Express has acquired Pocket Concierge, a Japanese digital services provider for the restaurant industry backed by several domestic venture capital firms.
GIC, Mizuho invest $265m in Vietcombank
GIC Private has invested in Vietcombank through a joint deal with Mizuho Bank worth VND6.2 trillion ($265 million), underlining the strong interest among private and strategic investors in Vietnam’s financial sector.
Aflac invests $20m in PE-backed Singapore Life
US insurance giant Aflac has invested $20 million in Singapore Life, a digitally-focused financial technology start-up backed by UK private equity investor IPGL.
Multiples invests $35m in Indian NBFC
Indian private equity firm Multiples Alternative Asset Management has invested INR2.5 billion ($34.8 million) in non-banking finance company (NBFC) APAC Financial Services.
Korea's Viva Republica raises $80m at $1.2b valuation
Kleiner Perkins and Ribbit Capital have led an $80 million funding round for Viva Republica that values the Korean financial technology start-up at about $1.2 billion.
India fintech: Corporations act
Stakeholders foresee progress and problems as global strategic investors make their first bets in the Indian fintech space. There is little expectation of replicating the China story
Cocoon launches $20m Southeast Asia VC fund
Singapore-based VC investor Cocoon Capital has launched its second early-stage fund with a target of $20 million.
Asia fintech player Oriente raises $105m in seed funding
Oriente, a Hong Kong financial technology company backed by local investor BlackPine Private Equity, has raised $105 million in seed funding from a group of family offices.
IFC invests $40m in Filipino fintech player
International Finance Corporation (IFC) and IFC Emerging Asia Fund have agreed to invest $40 million in Voyager Innovations, a financial technology unit of Filipino telecom giant PLDT.
Square Peg leads $18m round for Australian lender
Australian online mortgage marketplace Athena Home Loans has raised a A$25 million ($18 million) Series B round led by existing backer Square Peg Capital, with participation by new investors Hostplus and Airtree Ventures.
Singapore's InstaRem raises $20m
Singapore-based financial technology start-up InstaRem has raised $20 million in Series C funding led by Telkom Indonesia and Thailand’s Kasikornbank.
IDG, Matrix back $20m round for Singapore's KuCoin
IDG Capital, Matrix Partners, and Neo Global Capital have jointly invested $20 million in Singapore-based cryptocurrency services company KuCoin.
MassMutual sets up $50m Southeast Asia VC fund
US-based Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has established a $50 million Southeast Asia-focused VC fund via its in-house financial technology investment unit.
TPG Growth leads $144m round for China microlender
TPG Growth, the middle market investment platform of TPG Capital, has led a Series C round of about RMB1 billion ($144 million) for CFPA Microfinance Management, a microfinance institution (MFI) targeting rural China.
Indian NBFC Veritas raises $27m Series D
Norwest Venture Partners has led a INR2 billion ($27.4 million) Series D round for Veritas Finance, an Indian non-banking finance company (NBFC) focused on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
India's NIIF to acquire infrastructure lender
India’s National Investment & Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) has agreed to acquire IDFC Infrastructure Finance (IDFC IFL), an infrastructure-focused non-banking finance company (NBFC), in its first solo control transaction.
Composite Capital leads $50m round for India's ClearTax
Hong Kong-based hedge fund Composite Capital has led a $50 million funding round for Indian online financial services provider ClearTax.
Deal focus: Linklogis embraces supply chain finance 2.0
GIC Private leads $220 million investment in Linklogis, a financial technology player aiming to fill China's supply chain finance gap
SBI-backed Bcause gets funding for Asia crypto push
Bcause, a US-based cryptocurrency services company backed by SBI Holdings has received a commitment of undisclosed size from China Health Checkmate (CHC) to support an Asian expansion.
Chinese online insurer Wukongbao raises Series B
Wukongbao, a Beijing-based online insurance broker, has raised millions of US dollars in a Series B round led by Chinese classifieds platform 58.com, with participation from Guohua Life Insurance.
Lattice80 launches fintech accelerator in Hong Kong
Lattice80, a UK-based group that operates financial technology co-working spaces and accelerators globally, has established a new base in Hong Kong.
India's IvyCap launches $8m angel fund
India’s IvyCap Ventures has launched an angel fund targeting INR600 million ($8.2 million) that will make seed to Series A-stage investments.
Asia fintech: Follow the leader
China has set a compelling example for establishing a diversified and deeply penetrated digital banking industry in a developing economy. India and Southeast Asia are taking notes
Bain seeks $3.5b for fourth Asia fund
Bain Capital Private Equity has set a target of $3.5 billion for its fourth Asia fund and is expected to complete a first and final close in December.