TMT
Partners For Growth commits $15m to Yello Mobile's marketing unit
Yello Digital Marketing (YDM), the digital marketing unit of South Korean mobile internet company Yello Mobile, has received $15 million in funding from Partners For Growth (PFG), the PE arm of SVB Financial Group.
BlueRun closes $500m China early-stage VC fund
BlueRun Ventures has closed its latest China-focused fund - comprising US dollar and renminbi-denominated tranches - with more than $500 million in aggregate commitments.
China credit card management app U51 raises a further $84m
U51.com, a Chinese credit card management mobile app, has secured $84 million in an extended Series C round from Chinese asset manager Harvest Global Investments and department store operator Intime Retail Group.
JD Finance leads $30m round for China's Microseer
JD Finance, the financial subsidiary of Chinese online retailer JD.com, has led a $30 million Series B round for Microseer, a Shanghai-based human resources and IT outsourcing services start-up.
China's Zhongji buys UK game developer from PE investors
Shanghai-listed Zhongji Investment Holding has won shareholder approval to acquire UK-based Jagex Games Studio, the VC-backed developer of online role-playing game "RuneScape," in a deal worth RMB1.63 billion ($240 million).
Intel Capital announces two China investments
Intel Capital, the captive VC arm of Intel Corp, is backing two Chinese data and connectivity start-ups as part of a $38 million investment package across 12 companies.
Mayfield, IIFL invest $7.5m in India's Box8
US early-stage investor Mayfield and IIFL Wealth Management have invested INR500 million ($7.5 million) of Series B funding in Indian quick service restaurant (QSR) chain and food delivery start-up Box8.
Walmart commits $50m to JD.com's delivery platform
US-based retailer Walmart has made a $50 million strategic investment in New Dada, a Chinese online grocery and delivery platform part-owned by JD.com.
New Horizon leads $37m Series B in China AR toy maker
Neobear, a China-based company that develops interactive learning tools for children, has raised a RMB250 million ($37 million) Series B round of funding led by Chinese GP New Horizon Capital.
US fintech raises $5m for Philippines, Southeast Asia push
Quona Capital has led a $5 million Series A round of funding for US-based financial technology start-up Coins. It will support an expansion in Southeast Asia with an emphasis on the Philippines.
Waterman invests in New Zealand-based My Food Bag
Waterman Capital has invested in New Zealand-based food delivery platform My Food Bag (MFB).
VC-backed Tujia acquires Ctrip, Qunar's homestay assets
Chinese vacation rental platform Tujia, which has several VC and PE investors, has acquired the homestay businesses of travel websites Ctrip and Qunar, strengthening its already dominant position in China’s accommodation sharing market.
Everbright-IDG fund invests $297m in China UnionPay Merchant
China Everbright (CEL) and IDG Capital Partners have acquired a 9.3% stake in China UnionPay Merchant Services (UMS), a third-party payment provider, for RMB2 billion ($297 million).
Chinese part-time jobs platform gets $40m Series C round
Doumi, a China-based platform that helps people find part-time jobs, has raised $40 million in Series B funding from Hillhouse Capital, Tencent Holdings, Baidu, and food and agribusiness conglomerate New Hope Group.
PE investors commit $850m to Tencent's Supercell acquisition
CITIC Capital and several domestic investment funds have contributed $850 million to Tencent Holdings’ acquisition of a majority stake in Finland-based mobile game developer Supercell.
China boutique investment bank CEC buys Siemer & Associates
Chinese boutique investment bank and advisory firm CEC Capital Group – formerly known as China eCapital – has agreed to buy US-based counterpart Siemer & Associates (S&A).
China transport start-ups: Hot wheels
Bicycle-sharing start-ups are the latest investor craze in China’s technology-enabled transportation space. Can private sector operators make their business models work?
Chinese entrepreneurs: Under pressure
The health tolls of the entrepreneurial lifestyle and its effect on founders' lives and performance are an increasing source of concern for China's VC investors
China B2B liquor platform Yijiupi raises $100m Series C
China-based B2B liquor-trading platform Yijiupi has raised a $100 million Series C round led by existing investor Greenwoods Asset Management.
Deal focus: AID returns to the MCN space
Multi-channel networks that raise online content creators' views are expected to thrive as profit-sharing spreads among video platforms. AID hopes to take advantage with its investment in Freedom! Network
Australia-founded SafetyCulture gets $23m Series B
SafetyCulture, an Australia-founded developer of mobile software for safety inspectors, has raised A$30 million ($23 million) in Series B funding from a group of investors including Index Ventures and Blackbird Ventures.
India's MakeMyTrip to buy Naspers, Tencent-backed ibibo
Indian online travel agent MakeMyTrip has agreed to merge with rival booking portal ibibo Group, which is backed by South African internet conglomerate Naspers Group and China's Tencent Holdings, in an all-stock deal.
Redpoint closes debut China VC fund
Redpoint Ventures, a US early-stage venture firm, has closed its debut China VC fund at $180 million.
CDIB leads round for Taiwan image-recognition start-up
Viscovery, a Taiwanese cloud-based image-recognition technology start-up, has raised $10 million in an extended Series A round led by China Development Industrial Bank (CDIB), a subsidiary of China Development Financial Holding.