TMT
Australia’s Canva raises $85m at $3.2b valuation
Australia’s Canva has raised an $85 million growth round led by Bond Capital, the new vehicle of Silicon Valley veteran Mary Meeker. It values the graphic design start-up at $3.2 billion.
Chinese medical SaaS platform raises $14m Series B
Mingyi Zhonghe, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform serving China’s rural clinics, has secured a RMB100 million ($14 million) Series B round led by Sinovation Ventures. Existing investor Yijing Capital re-upped.
Ant Financial invests $92m in Chinese e-signature provider
TSign – a China-based electronic signature service provider – has received RMB650 million ($92 million) in Series C funding led by Alibaba Group affiliate Ant Financial. Other investors include Gobi Partners and Eminence Ventures.
China’s Club Factory raises $100m Series D
Club Factory, a China-based e-commerce platform focused on India has raised a $100 million Series D round led by Qiming Venture Partners. Existing investors Bertelsmann Asia Investment and Frees Fund re-upped.
Deal focus: Udaan signals India’s digital progress
B2B marketplace Udaan has achieved unicorn status faster than any of its illustrious Indian forbears. A readymade national broadband infrastructure certainly helped
Chinese online property marketplace set for IPO
Fangdd Network, a Chinese online real estate marketplace backed by the likes of FountainVest Partners and CDH Investments, has filed to list in the US.
India’s Oyo raises $700m in ongoing Series F
Indian hotel platform Oyo has raised $700 million from RA Hospitality Holdings, an entity controlled by founder and CEO Ritesh Agarwal, as part of a Series F round targeting $1.5 billion.
VC-backed Chinese AI companies hit by US blacklisting
Eight Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups have been blacklisted by the US government. Several have received PE and VC funding, including SenseTime and Megvii Technology.
Chinese apartment rental platform Qingke pursues US IPO
Q&K International Group, operator of China-based long-term apartment rentals platform Qingke, has filed for a US IPO. Its backers include Morgan Stanley Private Equity Asia (MSPEA) and Crescent Point.
Tencent injects $150m into China's VIPKid
VIPKid, China-based English language learning platform, has announced the completion of a Series E funding round led by Tencent Holdings.
Southeast Asia's internet economy to be worth $100b in 2019
The gross merchandise value (GMV) of Southeast Asia’s internet economy will surpass $100 billion this year and hit $300 billion by 2025, according to a report by Google, Temasek Holdings, and Bain & Company.
India’s Udaan closes Series D at $585m
India’s Udaan has closed its Series D round at $585 million, with the latest contribution featuring Tencent Holdings and the VC arm of Citi. It values the B2B online marketplace at $2.5-3 billion.
Chinese start-up media player 36Kr files for US IPO
36Kr, a Chinese news service that covers start-ups and emerging business models, has filed for a US IPO.
VIG acquires Korean education business
VIG Partners has agreed to pay KRW165 billion ($137 million) for a controlling stake in D.Share, an online-offline English language education provider in Korea.
Fund focus: Vertex pumps up in SE Asia, India
Having raised $305 million for its latest India and Southeast Asia fund, Vertex Ventures is looking to tap into themes of technological advancement common to both geographies
Sequoia leads $15m round for India's Darwinbox
Sequoia Capital India has led a $15 million Series B round for Indian human resources (HR) technology platform Darwinbox.
Deal focus: Russell Simmons backs Singapore's Gushcloud
Singapore-based Gushcloud International has teamed up with the founder of Def Jam Recordings to create a digital talent agency that realizes value for social media influencers in Asia and America
India SME platform OfBusiness raises $35m Series D
OfBusiness, an Indian smart financing services provider for small to medium-sized enterprises (SME) has received an INR2.5 billion ($35 million) Series D round led by Norwest Venture Partners.
Chinese community group buying player receives $14m
Chujia Xinxuan – a community group buying platform under Guangzhou-based Chang Zheng Group - has received RMB100 million ($14 million) from GF Xinde Investment, an investment arm of GF securities.
Chinese enterprise software provider gets $35m Series A
Deepexi, a Chinese digital enterprise services provider, has raised $35 million in a Series A round led by Morningside Venture Capital, Hillhouse Capital and IDG Capital.
China autonomous driving start-up receives $50m pre-A
DeepRoute, a Shenzhen-based autonomous driving solutions provider, has received $50 million in a pre-A funding round led by Fosun RZ Capital.
Q&A: Vulcan Capital's Tommy Teo
Tommy Teo, a former executive director at Northstar Group, is setting up the Asian headquarters for Vulcan Capital, a philanthropic but returns-focused firm created by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
VC-backed Japanese e-commerce player files for IPO
Base, a Japanese e-commerce services platform that helps small-scale vendors establish online shops, has filed for an IPO in Tokyo. It will facilitate partial exits for multiple venture capital investors.
Green Pine raises $140m for RMB tech fund
Shenzhen Green Pine Capital Partners (GPCP) has raised RMB1 billion ($140 million) for a fund that will target artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and internet of things (IoT) investments in China.