TMT
Fund focus: CMC widens its sweet spot
Having grown its assets under management to $2.5 billion following the close of Fund III, China's CMC Captial Group wants to be seen as more than just a media sector specialist
Deal focus: Vogo pursues transformation on two wheels
Vogo and Bounce are both scooter rental start-ups targeting the Indian market, but they are going about it in very different ways. Lightstone Aspada is backing the former's more inclusive approach
Sequoia warns founders not to underestimate coronavirus impact
Sequoia Capital has advised founders and CEOs of its portfolio companies to “question every assumption” about their business in response to mounting global concern over the coronavirus outbreak, which it describes as the “black swan of 2020.”
Japan Post Capital joins $26m round for Singapore's AnyMind
Japan Post Capital and Sparx Group have provided $26.4 million in funding to AnyMind, a Singapore-based marketing technology start-up focused on entertainment.
Monk's Hill raises $100m for second Southeast Asia VC fund
Singapore-based Monk’s Hill Ventures has confirmed a final close on its second Southeast Asia fund with $100 million in commitments.
Mongolia start-ups: Steppe forward
Unlike most frontiers, Mongolia is more talent hub than consumer market. There is no systemic hindrance to start-up investment but few mechanisms to sufficiently organize it
India technology: The Jio effect
Nearly three months have passed since Reliance Industries launched Jio Platforms as a holding company for its digital and telecom businesses. Is it poised to reshape India’s technology landscape?
India used car dealership raises $43m Series B
Spinny, an online platform for selling used cars, raised $43.7 million in a funding round led by The Fundamentum Partnership, an Indian growth capital VC firm.
Vertex leads $10m round for Indian data services firm
Hasura, a software-as-a-service firm that helps companies improve the data delivery process, has raised $9.9 million in a Series A round led by Vertex Ventures.
Toyota leads $462m round for China's Pony.ai
Pony.ai, a Chinese autonomous driving technology developer, has raised $462 million in a funding round led by Toyota Motor Corporation.
Asia Partners leads $35m round for Hong Kong's Snapask
Singapore-based Asia Partners has led a $35 million round for Hong Kong online education start-up Snapask. It coincides with the company’s relocation to Singapore.
Hillhouse establishes China VC unit
Hillhouse Capital has launched a China venture capital arm under the name GL Ventures. The first fund will reportedly be RMB10 billion ($1.4 billion) in size.
CMC raises $950m for third China fund
CMC Capital Partners, a Chinese private equity firm set up by Ruigang Li (pictured), formerly president of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), has closed its third US dollar-denominated fund with more than $950 million in commitments.
Chinese cross-border e-commerce player raises $14m
Cathay Capital has committed RMB100 million ($14 million) in Series B funding to Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform OrderPlus.
Prosus leads $113m Series I for Swiggy
Swiggy, an Indian food and grocery delivery platform, has received $113 million in a Series I round led by Prosus Ventures, formerly known as Naspers Ventures and Food.
Deal focus: India's WayCool in fresh approach
A $32.9 million equity and debt investment is unusually large for an Indian agricultural technology start-up.
Deal focus: Circles.Life strives to be different
Circles.Life wants to think bigger, and broader, about its telecom offering than competing mobile virtual network operators in Asia. A $75 million investment from Warburg Pincus will fuel these ambitions
India's Unacademy secures $110m round
Indian educational learning platform Unacademy has closed a $110 million funding round, bringing Facebook and General Atlantic on to its investor roster.
India's Blume closes Fund III at $102m
Indian venture capital investor Blume ventures achieved a final close of $102m on Blume Ventures Fund III, its third early-stage fund.
Indonesia's Eureka AI gets $20m Series B
Eureka AI, an Indonesia-based artificial intelligence-enabled enterprise software platform, has received $20 million in Series B funding led by Apis Partners, Gobi Partners, Riyad Capital’s Riyad Taqina Fund, and MEC Ventures.
Affirma backs Vietnam recruitment business
Affirma Capital, a PE firm launched last year as a spin-out of Standard Chartered’s private equity business, has agreed to invest $34 million in Transcendental Human Resources, a Vietnam-focused online recruitment platform.
Kinnevik cuts valuation for India's Quikr
Swedish investment firm Kinnevik has revised downward its valuation of Indian online classifieds platform Quikr, citing fraud-related concerns and a changed measurement metric.
India's Inflexor seeks $100m for debut fund
Inflexor Ventures, a recently established venture capital firm, is looking to raise $100 million for its debut fund, which will focus on early-stage deals.
GGV leads $24m round for India's Vedantu
Indian online tutoring service Vedantu raised $24 million in an extended Series C round led by GGV Capital. It is the latest example of the primarily China-focused manager's push into India.