TMT
Ford leads $24m round for VC-backed India car rental start-up
Ford Motor Company has led a $24 million Series B round of funding for India-based car rental start-up Zoomcar, alongside existing investors Sequoia Capital, Nokia Growth Partners (NGP) and Empire Angels.
Singapore's Coda Payments gets $2m
Singapore-based digital payments services company Coda Payments has closed a $2 million round of funding with participation from Japan’s IMJ Investment Partners.
China’s Suning invests in VC-backed VR camera maker
Insta360, a Shenzhen-based virtual reality (VR) camera maker backed by several VC investors, has received an undisclosed sum of funding from Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group.
China’s VIPKID receives investment from Bryant Stibel
VIPKID, an English-language learning platform that connects North American teachers with students in China, has received an undisclosed investment from Bryant Stibel, a new VC firm launched by retired NBA star Kobe Bryant and his partner Jeff Stibel.
Korea VC: Leaps of faith
Korean e-commerce start-ups have seen breakthroughs in fundraising over the last few years, but investors are already concerned about the future of the industry
VC-backed app developer Meitu files for Hong Kong IPO
Chinese mobile internet company and photo app provider Meitu has filed for a Hong Kong IPO, offering potential exits to investors including IDG Capital Partners and Qiming Venture Partners.
Indian recruiters launch $10m VC fund
Indian recruitment companies Kelly Services India and Temp Holdings have launched a INR670 million ($10 million) venture capital fund focused on human resources-focused start-ups.
Brand Capital commits $19m to India's Quikr
Brand Capital, an investment arm of The Times Group, has invested INR1.3 billion ($19 million) in Indian online classifieds services provider Quikr.
Temasek in $1.8b exit from India's Bharti, Thailand's Intouch
Singapore's Temasek Holdings has exited its stakes in Bharti Airtel and Intouch, telecommunications service providers based in India and Thailand respectively, to Singapore Telecommunications (SingTel) for a total of S$2.5 billion ($1.8 billion).
PE-backed consortium withdraws take-private bid for China’s Momo
An investor consortium that includes several private equity firms has withdrawn their take-private offer for Chinese mobile dating app Momo.
China online finance site Lancai raises $24m
Chinese online finance platform Lancai.com has raised a RMB180 million ($27 million) Series B round of funding led by Leshi Internet Information & Technology, also known as LeEco. Existing investor Legend Capital also participated.
China state asset manager launches $30b VC fund
Chinese Reform Holdings Corporation (CRHC), a Chinese state-owned asset manager, has launched a government-backed venture capital fund with a target of RMB200 billion ($30 billion).
China B2B food products platform secures $18m
You Pei Liang Pin, a Chinese B2B online food products supplier, has raised a RMB120 million ($18 million) funding round led by PE-backed online fresh-food retailer Yiguo and Chinese conglomerate GMK Group.
Deal focus: Bringing beauty to the masses
GGV expands its support of China's beauty-focused online commerce platforms with an investment in Xiao Hong Chun
Deal focus: NextVR takes live VR worldwide
US-based virtual reality broadcaster NextVR raises $80 million for expansion, mostly from Asian investors
Chinese consortium further scales back Opera deal to $575m
A PE-backed Chinese consortium has agreed to scale back its ongoing acquisition of the web browser business of Norway’s Opera Software to a value of $575 million. It follows a renegotiation earlier this year that agreed a $600 million deal as an alternative...
Tencent, Foxconn lead $175m round for India's Hike
Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings and manufacturer Foxconn Technology Group have led a $175 million funding round for Indian mobile messaging app Hike.
China Post backs ride-hailing app Didi Chuxing
Didi Chuxing, China’s largest ride-hailing app operator which is set to acquire its rival Uber China, has received a strategic investment from China Post, a state-owned enterprise operating the official postal service in the country.
Tencent leads round for China's VC-backed Keep
Tencent Holdings has led an undisclosed Series C+ round of funding for Chinese fitness app operator Keep.
China’s K2VC closes $150m growth-stage RMB fund
K2VC, a Chinese early stage VC firm, has closed a new renminbi-denominated fund worth RMB1 billion ($150 million). It will target investments in growth-stage Chinese start-ups.
SoftBank leads $62m investment for India's Oyo
Indian budget hotel booking app Oyo has raised a INR4.1 billion ($62 million) funding round from existing investor SoftBank Group.
China’s Douyu TV raises further $226m
Douyu TV, a Chinese online platform that features live videos of people playing games, has raised a RMB1.5 billion ($226 million) Series C round of funding led by Phoenix Investments and existing investor Tencent Holdings.
China female social networking site Meet You raises $151m
Meet You, a Chinese social networking platform for women, has completed a new round of funding worth RMB1 billion ($151 million), having removed its variable interest entity (VIE) structure in preparation for an onshore listing.
China smart bike maker Tsinova raises $23m
Tsinova, a Chinese smart bicycle manufacturer, has closed a RMB150 million ($23 million) Series B round led by THG Ventures, a venture capital firm backed by state-owned Tsinghua Holdings.