seed
Shenzhen government launches $79m blockchain fund
The government of Shenzhen has launched a VC fund with an initial corpus of RMB500 million ($79 million) to invest in blockchain start-ups in the city.
Singapore's RE Lee Capital launches alternatives program
Singapore-based RE Lee Capital has confirmed it will launch a series of alternative asset investment products across the next three months and commit up to $60 million to pre-seed technology start-ups.
Sequoia seeks up to $3.1b for China, India
Sequoia Capital plans to raise up to $3.1 billion for deployment in China and India across seed, venture and growth strategies.
Australia’s Blackbird raises $173m for third fund
Australian venture capital firm Blackbird Ventures has reached a first close of A$225 million ($173 million) on its third fund - including a commitment from Future Fund, the country's sovereign wealth fund.
India's Fireside closes first fund at $52m
Fireside Ventures, an Indian VC firm set up by Helion Venture Partners co-founder Kanwaljit Singh (pictured), has closed its debut fund at INR3.4 billion ($52 million).
Singapore, Australia VCs team up for $125m fund
Singapore-based VC firm Hatcher and Australian accelerator BlueChilli will jointly invest a $125 million exchange-traded fund that will back 240 start-ups globally over the next three years.
HKTDC launches start-up incubation program
The Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) has launched an incubation program for start-ups in the territory.
Tikehau makes $50m first close on Singapore healthcare fund
European asset management firm Tikehau Capital has reached a first close of $50 million on a healthcare-focused early stage investment fund.
Singtel Innov8 launches Singapore cybersecurity incubator
Singtel Innov8, the venture arm of Singapore telecom giant SingTel has teamed up with NUS Enterprise, a start-up program under National University of Singapore, to launch a cybersecurity incubator.
India's Prime closes third early-stage fund at $62m
Indian VC firm Prime Venture Partners has closed its latest early-stage fund at INR4 billion ($62 million).
Gobi's Victor Chua leaves to launch SE Asia VC firm
Victor Chua has left a position as vice president focusing on Southeast Asia at Gobi Partners to launch his own Malaysia-based VC firm, Vynn Capital.
Unilever invests in online India grocery market
Unilever Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Unilever, has committed $3 million in pre-Series A funding to Indian grocery delivery start-up Milkbasket.
India's 3one4 closes second fund at $39m
Indian VC firm 3one4 Capital has closed its second early stage fund at INR2.5 billion ($39 million), exceeding its target of INR1.5 billion.
Japan's UTEC raises fourth early-stage fund
University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC) has raised JPY15.5 billion ($142 million) for its fourth fund intended to support the development of research conducted at the university into start-ups.
Singapore launches legal tech accelerator
Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is partnering with two state-sponsored academic institutions to launch a start-up accelerator focused on technology related to legal practices.
Rakuten, Techstars launch Singapore accelerator
Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten has launched a Singapore-based accelerator program in conjunction with Techstars. It is Techstars’ first program in an Asian city.
Singapore to invest $20m in local fintech ecosystem
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has set up a S$27 million ($20 million) grant to support the country’s financial technology development ecosystem.
Australia backs four healthcare tech start-ups in VC push
The CSIRO Innovation Fund, a venture program under the Australian government’s latest science development policy push, has invested in its first four local technology start-ups.
US-based VC to invest $20m in Pakistan technology fund
US-based 1839 Ventures has agreed to invest $20 million in a fund launched by the Pakistan government that will invest in domestic technology start-ups.
Chinese investor commits $63m to Australia incubator
Suzhou High-Tech Venture Capital Group, a Chinese state-backed investment fund, has committed A$80 million ($63 million) to a start-up incubator based in Melbourne.
Jafco backs Japan blockchain-IoT start-up
Nayuta, a Japanese start-up focused on combining internet-of-things (IoT) and blockchain technologies, has received a JPY140 million ($1.3 million) funding round led by Jafco.
Alibaba, InnoSpring launch China accelerator
InnoSpring and Alibaba Group have jointly launched an accelerator program in China with a view to helping international start-ups access Chinese markets and ecosystems.
NZVIF expands seed-stage mandate
The New Zealand Venture Investment Fund (NZVIF), a government-sponsored fund-of-funds, has doubled the investment cap of its seed-stage vehicle to NZ$1.5 million ($1.1 million) per company.
IFC proposes $5m commitment to Wavemaker Southeast Asia fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the investment arm of the World Bank, is considering a commitment of up to $5 million to Wavemaker Partners’ Southeast Asia-focused venture capital fund.