TMT
Alibaba, Yunfeng, Sina launch sports business
Alibaba Group has set up sports unit alongside Chinese internet company Sina Corporation and Yunfeng Capital, a PE firm backed by Alibaba founder Jack Ma.
Deal focus: Qiming targets last-mile delivery
As e-commerce continues to grow in China, demand for last-mile delivery services that get the goods to the consumer on time and in good shape has yet to be fully addressed. While leading online food-ordering platforms, such as Ele.me and Baidu’s Waimai,...
US tech firms in China: Out of the comfort zone
The likes of Uber and Airbnb are looking for strategic partners to help them enter the China market. Can they do better than eBay and Amazon a decade ago, both of which were swamped by local competition
Big deals: Buyouts, tech transactions and the AVCJ Awards
Starting with the acquisition of Japan Telecom’s fixed-line business in 2003, Asia has seen 29 buyouts of $2 billion or more, although about 10 of those could be classified as large-scale infrastructure deals somewhat removed from the corporate private...
H Capital leads $30m round for China education site
China-focused venture capital firm H Capital has led a $30 million Series A round of funding for Lexue Education, an online education platform.
Temasek, Vy Capital lead $60m round for India's Zomato
Temasek Holdings and existing investor Vy Capital have committed $60 million in funding to Indian online restaurant and event guide Zomato.
Tencent, Yunfeng back China social-networking site for doctors
Tencent Holdings and Yunfeng Capital have committed $40 million in a Series B round of funding to Medlinker, a Chinese social-networking platform for doctors.
Founder of Japan's Beenos launches $60m Asia VC fund
The founder of Japanese e-commerce company Beenos, Teruhide Sato, has a launched a $60 million venture capital fund that will support internet and mobile start-ups in India, Southeast Asia, Japan and the US.
Sequoia, Legend back Baidu’s education spin-out
Sequoia Capital and Legend Capital have invested an undisclosed sum in a Series A round of funding for Zuoyebang, a K-12 learning and teaching mobile app that spun-out from Chinese online search giant Baidu.
Warburg Pincus leads round for India's Capillary Technologies
Warburg Pincus has led a $45 million Series C round of funding for Capillary Technologies, an Indian cloud-based software provider that focuses on customer relationship management (CRM) solutions.
Zodius, Khazanah back India online lingerie retailer
Zodius Capital and Malaysian state-controlled investor Khazanah Nasional have committed $40 million in Series C funding to Zivame, an India-focused online lingerie retailer.
Wanda Cinemas buys stake in VC-backed online ticketing site
China’s largest cinema operator Wanda Cinemas has acquired a 20% stake in Mtime Holdings, a Chinese online movie ticketing platform backed by several VC investors.
China second-hand car trading platform Chemao raises $188m
Chemao.com, a Chinese second-hand car trading platform, has raised RMB1.2 billion ($188 million) in a Series B round of funding led by Shenzhen-listed hydropower equipment maker Zhefu Holding Group.
Korean start-ups: Pursuing critical mass
A handful of Korean start-ups have achieved valuations in excess of $1 billion as investors look to leverage a mobile-centric consumer base. But how many unicorns can this market accommodate?
Q&A: Formation 8's Brian Koo
As Formation 8 prepares to launch an Asia fund, Brian Koo, co-founder of the venture capital firm, explains why the strategy has evolved from rolling out US technologies in Asia to backing local start-ups
Qiming leads Series B for China goods delivery app
Qiming Venture Partners has led a Series B round of funding for Linjia.me, a Chinese mobile app that offers last mile delivery services.
VC-backed Komli to sell India business to SVG
VC-backed digital media firm Komli Media has agreed to merge its India business with that of industry peer SVG Media. This follows the sale of Komli’s Southeast Asia unit to Malaysia-based Axiata Group.
Chinese food-ordering platform Ele.me raises $630m
Ele.me, a Chinese online food-ordering platform, has raised $630 million from a combination of new and existing investors. The investment reportedly values the business at more than $3 billion.
Times Internet backs Coursera, supports India expansion
Times Internet, an Indian internet and mobile service provider that has backed several local start-ups, has joined a $49.5 million first close of a Series C round for US-based online education provider Coursera.
Asia e-commerce: The next generation
Most of emerging Asia’s e-commerce giants faced a binary choice between the asset-heavy online retail and asset-light marketplace models. Now, though, investors have a more nuanced opportunity set
Deal focus: RedMart channels the Amazon spirit
Amazon.com is the world’s largest online retailer, but it retains fleetness of foot that defies its size. This is based on the ability to embrace not only new technology but also innovative approaches to management. The “two-pizza rule” devised...
Loan or own? Chinese strategics offer debt to start-ups
As Chinese start-ups raise larger, later-stage rounds, strategic investors are looking to participate through structured debt products rather than through equity. This approach presents its own risks
Deal focus: Tata Capital bets on Uber in India
Tata Opportunities Fund (TOF) has deployed $400 million of its $600 million corpus over the last two years, with two thirds of that capital going to India-based companies that have global operations. The recent investment in ride-hailing app Uber Technologies...
Philippines targets 500 domestic tech start-ups by 2020
The Philippines government has outlined plans to achieve 500 domestic technology start-ups with a combined valuation of $2 billion by 2020.