seed
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.
IFC to support Unitus-backed emerging markets accelerator
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) plans to support an accelerator fund launched by Capria Ventures – an impact investment firm sponsored by Unitus – that will focus on South and Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
IIFL, Accion lead round for Indian fintech startup NeoGrowth
IIFL Asset Management and Accion Frontier Inclusion Fund have led a funding round of an undisclosed amount in Indian small retailer-focused fintech start-up NeoGrowth.
Gobi leads $3m round for Australia's Airwallex
Gobi Partners has led a A$5 million ($3 million) round of funding for Australia-based digital payment services developer Airwallex.
Wavemaker takes over Ardent's SE Asia venture portfolio
US venture capital firm Wavemaker Partners has taken over the venture portfolio of Thailand-based Ardent Capital.
Waterbridge in first close on early-stage India fund - report
Waterbridge Ventures, an India-based VC firm founded by angel investor Manish Kheterpal, has reached a first close of $5 million on its fund targeting early and seed-stage investments.
Micro VC: Small is beautiful
Asia's micro VC segment is gaining appeal as diversity among fund managers grows
IBM launches Asia-focused tech accelerator in Singapore
IBM has launched an accelerator in Singapore that will help Asia Pacific start-ups commercialize blockchain technology and the cognitive computing system known as Watson.
Australia's CapitalPitch launches $7m early-stage fund
Australia-based start-up networking platform CapitalPitch has launched a fund focused on early stage investments, with a target size of at least A$10 million ($7.3 million).
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?
Japan's AbbaLab launches $14m start-up fund
AbbaLab, a Japanese start-up incubator focused on hardware prototyping in the internet-of-things (IoT) space, has launched a JPY1.5 billion ($14 million) fund.
Japan's Gree reaches $37m first close on second fund
Gree Ventures – the VC arm of Japanese online media and gaming company Gree - has achieved a first close of its second fund with about $37 million in commitments.
Singapore logistics group launches VC arm with $14.6m fund
Singaporean port terminal operator PSA International has launched a logistics-focused venture capital arm with an initial fund size of S$20 million ($14.6 million).
Paypal launches fintech incubator in Singapore
PayPal has launched an incubation program in Singapore that will offer infrastructure, mentorship and direction to local financial technology start-ups. It will begin operations in June.
China's Lenovo launches $500m corporate VC fund
Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo Group has launched a $500 million corporate VC fund to invest in technology start-ups.
HTC launches $100m VR accelerator in China, Taiwan, US
Taiwan-based hardware developer HTC has launched a global accelerator program with $100 million to support start-ups working on virtual reality (VR) applications.
Innovation Works co-founder launches China seed fund
Zhaohui Wang, co-founder and formerly operating partner at Innovation Works, has launched a China-focused seed fund to invest in culture, media and sport-related assets.
Seed investors still cautious on valuations
Seed-stage valuations remain robust despite a general cooling in the global venture funding market that has seen a number of highly-valued technology start-ups raise later-stage down rounds.
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.
Investec backs Australia fintech investor H2 Ventures
Investec has acquired a stake in Australia-based financial technology investor H2 Ventures. It is part of a broader collaboration that will see Investec contribute to H2’s accelerator and early-stage investment program.
Hong Kong: Start-up central
Hong Kong ranks low in a new study of global start-up ecosystems, but has the potential to fly high. A mixture of policy, patience and positive attitude is required
Shanghai to compensate VCs for financial losses
The Shanghai government has proposed new measures to compensate early-stage investors’ for financial losses incurred by investing in local start-ups.
Late starter: Hong Kong boosts innovation support
Hong Kong is following in Singapore’s footsteps with the announcement of meaningful support for technology start-ups. Why is the government moving on the issue now, and what difference can it make?