Lightspeed Venture Partners
Lightspeed raises $500m for India, Southeast Asia
Lightspeed India Partners, which also targets Southeast Asia, has closed its fourth early-stage VC fund with USD 500m in commitments.
Prosus leads $25m Series B for India's Vegrow
Prosus Ventures, a technology investment business controlled by Naspers, has led a USD 25m Series B round for Vegrow, an India-based marketplace that helps farmers sell their fruit crops into organised distribution channels.
India's Pine Labs buys VC-backed Setu
Indian financial technology company Pine Labs, which has raised more than USD 1.5bn in private funding, has acquired VC-backed counterpart Setu.
Indonesia crypto player Pintu gets $113m Series B
Indonesia crypto wallet and trading platform Pintu has raised a USD 113m Series B round from Intudo Ventures, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Northstar Group, and sector specialist Pantera Capital.
Indonesia grocery delivery player Astro raises $60m
Indonesia-based on-demand grocery delivery platform Astro has secured USD 60m in Series B funding led by Accel Partners, Citius, and Tiger Global Management.
Felicis leads $80m Series B for Singapore SaaS start-up Supabase
Singapore’s Supabase, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) and IT provider for app developers, has confirmed a USD 80m Series B round led by Felicis Ventures.
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
Lightspeed India promotes three to partner
Lightspeed India Partners has promoted Shuvi Shrivastava, Pinn Lawjindakul, and Rahul Taneja to partners with responsibility for early-stage investments.
China automation specialist Laiye raises $70m
Laiye Technology, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up specialising in robotic process automation (RPA), has raised another extension - of USD 70m - to its Series C round. Hopu Investment took the lead.
China's METiS Pharmaceuticals raises $150m
METiS Pharmaceuticals, a Hangzhou-based drug formulation company has raised USD 150m through two funding rounds led by PICC Capital and China Life PE.
Flexibility first: Investing in the future of work
Investment in work-tech has soared as start-ups devise solutions for workforces that are increasingly distributed in terms of location, structure, and practice. Data, and knowing what to do with it, is key
China VC: Funding puzzles
Late-stage investors are appearing in earlier funding rounds in China, offering premium valuations but potentially leaving start-ups in situations where they have too much too soon
India consumer media: Showtime
Investors navigate slim margins and a complex cultural landscape as new digital channels help Indian media rebound from COVID-19. Sector leaders are flirting with global expansion, but is it too early?
Deal focus: Darwinbox's unusual path to unicorn status
Most of India’s top software-as-a-service companies gained traction in the North American market. Darwinbox cracked Southeast Asia first, thanks to a product with broad appeal and local nuance
Deal focus: Starfield serves up Series B
The Chinese manufacturer of plant-based protein replacements has secured USD 100m in funding to advance a product portfolio that aspires to diversity and structural sophistication
Premji Invest leads $111m round for India's GlobalBees
GlobalBees, an India-based platform that agglomerates technology-enabled emerging consumer brands, has raised USD 111.5m in Series B funding at a valuation of USD 1.1bn.
India BNPL start-up Uni gets $70m Series A
General Catalyst has led a $70 million Series A round for Uni, an Indian buy now, pay later (BNPL) start-up that launched its flagship product just six months ago.
2022 preview: Blockchain
A broader range of investors will play in the blockchain space as new applications are normalized, although regulation remains the wildcard. Developing markets will punch above their weight
2022 preview: China sustainability
Green-tech investment, from electric vehicles to renewable energy, is already in the ascendency as China ponders a carbon-neutral future. Momentum is expected to grow in 2022
2022 preview: China fundraising
Investors held fire on commitments to China managers amid uncertainty over regulatory reforms. Industry participants hope the government will provide clarity, but the fear LPs won’t hurry back
Fund focus: Lightspeed bets on green-tech
Green-tech is the latest big idea being championed by Lightspeed China Partners. It has inspired a change in the firm’s name and it will underpin deployment of the new $920 million fund
Lightspeed China closes US dollar fund at $920m
Lightspeed China Partners has closed its latest US dollar-denominated fund at $920 million. It is the largest fund raised by the firm and brings assets under management to $3 billion.
Local turbulence drives China tech players abroad - AVCJ Forum
Regulatory uncertainty in China has encouraged local technology companies to go global rather than rely on a single market, the AVCJ Private Equity & Venture Forum heard.
India's Acko achieves unicorn status with $255m round
General Atlantic and Multiples Alternate Asset Management have led a $255 million round for Acko, which claims to be India’s only digital-native insurer, at a valuation of $1.1 billion.