TMT
Beenext raises $160m for emerging markets, Japan funds
Singapore-based VC firm Beenext Capital Management has raised $160 million across two funds that will invest in start-ups in Japan and emerging markets.
Deal focus: Korean start-up disrupts the laundry
Korean on-demand laundry service Laundrygo will use its Series B funding to widen coverage within Seoul and improve automation levels at its facilities to further boost margins
PE investors agree $8.7b take-private of China's 58.com
58.com, China’s leading online classifieds marketplace, has agreed to be acquired by a consortium of private equity investors at an implied equity valuation of $8.7 billion.
L Catterton, TPG join PE backers of India's Jio Platforms
Equity commitments to Jio Platforms, the holding company for various internet and telecom assets owned by India's Reliance Industries, have now surpassed $13.5 billion following confirmation of investments by TPG Capital and L Catterton.
Q&A: Iron Pillar's Anand Prasanna
Anand Prasanna, a managing partner at Indian venture capital firm Iron Pillar, on building local companies that can be globally relevant, selling a GP stake, and the impact of COVID-19
Matrix China raises $750m for Fund VI
Matrix Partners China has raised $750 million for its sixth venture capital fund for deployment in early-stage opportunities across the internet and mobile internet, financial services, healthcare, and enterprises services spaces.
Deal focus: Khatabook aspires to be shopkeeper’s best friend
Khatabook, which helps India's small business owners track their transactions, has accumulated eight million users in the last two years. A recent Series B round is intended to help the company reach 30 million
India's Unitary Helion rebrands as Arkam, reaches first close
Unitary Helion Ventures, an Indian VC firm founded by Rahul Chandra, has relaunched as Arkam Ventures and achieved a first close on its debut fund of INR3.25 billion ($43 million).
CMC leads Series C for Chinese B2B apparel player
Yishou, a Chinese B2B e-commerce platform specializing in apparel, has raised $40 million in Series C funding led by CMC Capital. Huaxing Growth Capital also took part in the round.
China's Dada Nexus trades flat after $322m US IPO
Dada Nexus, a Chinese last-mile delivery platform backed by the likes of JD.com, Walmart, Sequoia Capital China, and DST Global, traded flat on its NASDAQ debut following a $320 million IPO.
Kejora, SBI team up on early-stage Indonesia fund
Kejora Capital and Japan’s SBI Holdings have launched an early stage technology fund for Indonesia with a target of $30 millon.
Mubadala to invest $1.2b in India's Jio Platforms
Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund Mubadala has agreed to invest INR90.9 billion ($1.2 billion) in Jio Platforms, the holding company for various internet and telecom assets owned by Indian oil-to-retail conglomerate Reliance Industries.
STIC-backed Korean game publisher files for US IPO
DoubleDown Interactive, a STIC Investments-backed Korean online game publisher best known for its flagship casino offering, has filed to list in the US.
Facebook, PayPal invest in Indonesia’s Gojek
Facebook and PayPal have joined an ongoing Series F round for private equity-backed Indonesian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Gojek (formerly Go-Jek).
Chinese e-commerce services provider raises $100m
Jushuitan, a China-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) provider that targets small to medium-sized e-commerce operators, has received a $100 million Series C round led by Goldman Sachs, China International Capital Corporation (CICC), and Blue Lake Capital.
Deal focus: Reworld turns gamers into creators
China's Reworld has a technology that lowers barriers to entry in online game design, allowing anyone to become a creator. Joy Capital is backing the company to take user-generated content to another level
Sequoia, Hana lead Series A for micromobility start-up
Beam, a Singapore-headquartered ride-sharing platform for e-scooters, has raised $26 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Hana Ventures.
Fund focus: China’s Glory wins VC backing
Glory Ventures counts several larger Chinese peers among the LPs in its latest renminbi and US dollar-denominated funds. They all want a glimpse of the firm’s deep technology pipeline
Deal focus: Wiz moves fast in Southeast Asia
Wiz.Ai has leveraged the accuracy of its talkbot to secure business from corporate customers in Southeast Asia with specific use-case needs. The company's $6 million Series A round will support further expansion
Q&A: ClearVue Partners' Harry Hui
Harry Hui, founder of ClearVue Partners, explains how this week’s investment in car wash operator 1km reveals an omni-channel approach to China able to carve through COVID-19
GGV leads round for Chinese community group buying business
Shihuituan, a China-based community group buying platform also known as Nice Tuan, has raised $81.4 million in an extended Series C round led by GGV Capital.
China digital enterprise services provider raises $50m
Hillhouse Capital has led an extended Series A round of funding worth $50 million for Deepexi, a Chinese start-up that provides a suite of smart data services to enterprise customers.
Jio Platforms: Elephant in the room
India’s Jio Platforms has received substantial private equity backing as it looks to build a digital platform that is all things to all people, from cable to retail. Will it succeed?
Profile: Qiming Venture Partners' Duane Kuang
Having spent years as an IT advocate in a world obsessed with consumer internet start-ups, Duane Kuang of China-focused Qiming Venture Partners is seeing the tables gradually turn