Technology
INCJ, AXA invest $5m in Japan's Smartdrive
The state-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan has joined Axa Direct Japan - the Japanese unit of the French insurer AXA - to invest JPY660 million ($5.3 million) in Smart Drive, a Tokyo-based start-up providing automobile data analytics.
Japan's Dentsu backs US social robot start-up Jibo
Dentsu Ventures, the corporate VC arm of the eponymous Japanese advertising giant, has invested $3 million in US social robot start-up Jibo.
Helion invests $3m in India mobile services player Doormint
Helion Venture Partners has committed $3 million in a Series A round of investment to Blackcotton Solutions, the start-up behind Indian mobile home services platform Doormint. Kalaari Capital also took part in the round.
US-based Metaway Capital backs China online finance site
Metaway Capital has led a RMB100 million ($16 million) Series A round for Chinese online banking site Bankwel.
Juren leads $9m Series A round for ChinaNetCloud
Juren Capital has led a $9 million Series A round for Chinese cloud server solutions start-up ChinaNetCloud.
Japan's Lemonade Lab raises $5.8m
Japanese sport analytics platform Lemonade Lab has raised $5.8 million from FIH Mobile, a subsidiary of Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn International, and several angel investors.
Tencent leads $60m round for Hong Kong online brokerage
Tencent Holdings has led a Series B round of funding worth $60 million for Hong Kong-based online brokerage Futu5.com, with participation from Matrix Partners and Sequoia Capital.
Rebright backs Indian logistics firm LetsTransport
Indian last-mile logistics marketplace LetsTransport has raised $1.3 million from Rebright Partners, along with several angel investors.
Sequoia, Accel commit $8m to India's WizRocket
Sequoia Capital India and Accel Partners have invested $8 million to Indian analytics and mobile engagement platform WizRocket.
SoftBank: Venture legacy
SoftBank’s direct investment activity has shifted towards later-stage deals and it is expected to remain there. But the Japanese technology giant has not given up on its VC affiliates and subsidiaries in Asia
China robotics: Rise of the machines
China’s robotics start-ups are riding a wave of innovation and exploring many previously unexpected paths. As the scope of applications broadens, they need to keep up the pace
Hopu, YuanMing lead $200m investment in US cancer specialist - update
China-based Hopu Investments and YuanMing Capital have led a $200 million investment in US-based cancer treatment specialist Mevion Medical Systems.
India's TripFactory raises Series A round from Aarin Capital
Aarin Capital has committed a Series A round to Indian online travel agent TripFactory.
Cathay PE invests in France’s Datawords
Sino-French GP Cathay Capital Private Equity has led a new round of funding for Datawords, a digital marketing service provider based in France. The size of the investment has not been disclosed.
Australia's Autopilot raises $7m round
US cloud computing firm Salesforce has a led $7 million round for Australian marketing platform Autopilot, alongside Stage1 Capital. Existing investors include Rembrandt Venture Partners, Blackbird Ventures, Southern Cross Venture Partners, Garnett Ventures...
Australia's NAB to invest $36m in fintech start-ups
National Australia Bank (NAB) will set up a A$50 million ($36 million) fund to invest in start-ups that help enhance its financial services product offerings.
Fund focus: GSR fuels its global ambition
Bringing overseas technology to China is a popular investment thesis among GPs. However, while the likes of Fosun International and Hony Capital have completed several cross-border deals, this is not their sole proficiency. GSR Capital is therefore an...
Deal focus: NSI Ventures in robot kitchen play
The old proverb is that necessity is the mother of invention, but in an age of robotics it seems that simple inconvenience is enough to give birth to the next great innovation. Such is the case with the Rotimatic, a “robot” invented specifically to...
P2P lender China Rapid Finance gets $35m Series C round
Broadline Capital has led a $35 million Series C round of funding for peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform China Rapid Finance. The investment gives the business a pre-money valuation of $1 billion.
New Zealand’s Booktrack receives $5m Series B round
Booktrack, a New Zealand-based company that provides movie-style soundtracks and ambient audio for eBooks, has raised $5 million in Series B funding led by Coent Venture Partners and Sparkbox Ventures.
VCs invest $4.4m in Japanese filter technology start-up
The state-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), shipping conglomerate investment arm Tsuneishi Partners and Future Venture Capital (FVC) have together invested JPY550 million ($4.4 million) in NanoMist Technologies, creator of a filtering...
Japan's VC-backed Metaps files for IPO
Metaps, a Japanese mobile software developer and IT services start-up backed by a slew of VC investors, has filed for its Tokyo IPO and is expected to raise as much as JPY3.8 billion ($30.6 million).
GSR, Go Scale raise $1b for M&A fund, seek to deploy $5b – update
GSR Capital and its affiliate Go Scale Capital has raised $1 billion for a cross-border buyout and M&A fund, which it hopes will translate into $5 billion worth of dry powder once debt financing and co-investment are factored in.
China P2P lending site Firstp2p raises $41m
Firstp2p, a Chinese online peer-to-peer (P2P) financing site, has raised a $41 million Series B round of funding from San Shan Capital, CITIC Capital and China Equity.