TMT
Fosun invests $18m in Chinese pet services player
Fosun Group has agreed to invest RMB130 million ($18.4 million) in Pet Doctor, a Chinese one-stop pet services platform that supplies everything from software for pet hospitals to consultations for pet owners.
Qiming's J.P. Gan reaches first close on spin-out fund
J.P. Gan (pictured), who spent 12 years with Qiming Venture Partners before striking out on his own earlier this year, has reached a first close of $163 million on his debut China fund.
Chinese e-commerce sourcing partner xyb2b gets $100m
Xyb2b.com, a B2B platform that helps Chinese e-commerce companies source products from overseas, has completed an extended Series B round of funding worth $100 million.
Ant Financial, Primavera back Chinese vending machine provider
Beijing Ubox Online Technology, a Chinese vending machine manager, has received RMB1.6 billion ($226 million) in funding from Ant Financial Services Group and Primavera Capital Group.
Singapore-based Play closes debut gaming fund at $40m
Play Ventures, a Singapore-based VC firm focused on gaming start-ups in Europe, Asia, and North America, has closed its debut fund at $40 million.
Sodexo Ventures backs China catering platform
Sodexo Ventures, the venture capital arm of French food and facilities management services conglomerate Sodexo, has made its second investment in China, committing an undisclosed amount to technology-enabled catering service Meican.
Tencent re-ups in China B2B trading platform Yijiupi
Tencent Holdings has invested $80 million in Yijiupi, a China-based online B2B trading platform that is looking to continue its expansion from liquor into other consumer goods categories.
Chinese hotel marketing platform receives $42m
Zhiketong – a WeChat-based direct sales and marketing service for high-end hotels – has completed its Series C round, having raised RMB300 million ($42.5 million) across three tranches.
Chinese social e-commerce player raises $20m
Wanwu Xinxuan, a Chinese social e-commerce start-up that specializes in products for infants and children, has raised $20 million in a Series B round of funding led by local consumer sector-focused venture capital firm Fresh Capital.
Sovereign investors and technology: Smart nations
Conservative sovereign wealth investors are increasingly comfortable making direct commitments to venture-oriented technology companies. The strategy appears to suit them but remains to be validated
Fund focus: China's 01VC pursues industrial upgrade strategy
01VC has secured institutional LP support for its second fund, which closed at $100 million. The early-stage investor plans to deploy it across industrial and enterprise deals in China and Southeast Asia
Singapore's RedDoorz raises $70m
Singapore hotel management and booking platform RedDoorz has raised $70 million in Series C funding less than a month after closing a $45 million Series B.
Australia's PE-backed LBNCo acquired by strategic player
LBNCo, an Australian fiber optic network provider acquired last year by a consortium led by ROC Partners, will be sold to industry peer Uniti Wireless for A$100 million ($67.7 million).
Bain to acquire Kantar Australia division for $114m
Bain Capital has agreed to buy the Australia and New Zealand businesses of market research and consulting company Kantar from the local branch of UK-based media conglomerate WPP Group for A$168 million ($114 million).
Japan's VC-backed Chatwork files for IPO
Chatwork, a Japan-based business chat platform developer, has filed for an IPO in Tokyo that will provide an exit to several of its venture capital backers.
Chiratae backs Indian robotics developer Miko
Chiratae Ventures has led a $7.5 million Series A round for Miko, an India-based developer of robots for children.
Twitter leads $100m round for India's ShareChat
Twitter has led a $100 million round for Indian social networking platform ShareChat with support from private equity investor Trustbridge Partners.
WeWork IPO reveals extent of global scaling risk
WeWork, a US co-working space provider pursuing an aggressive Asia expansion with the backing of several PE investors, revealed a number of risks associated with rapid global growth in a filing for its US IPO.
China's PE-backed Zhihu raises $434m Series F round
Zhihu, a Chinese question-and-answer platform, has raised a $434 million Series F round led by domestic search engine Baidu and short video site Beijing Kuaishou Technology.
Bertelsmann leads $30m round for India fintech start-up
Bertelsmann India Investments has led a $30 million funding round for Rupeek, an India-based online gold loan marketplace.
Naspers leads $125m round for India's Meesho
Naspers has led a $125 million round for Indian e-commerce platform Meesho with support from Facebook and a number of existing VC investors.
Chinese smart city platform developer raises $283m
China Everbright has led the first phase of Series C round – worth RMB2 billion ($283 million) – for Terminus Technologies, a Chinese supplier of city-level internet of things (IoT) platforms.
India's Lendingkart raises $30m Series D
Indian financial technology platform Lendingkart has raised a INR2.1 billion ($29.9 million) Series D round from existing investors Fullerton Financial Holdings, Bertelsmann India Investment, and India Quotient.
Women entrepreneurs: Tales from the coalface
Women remain underrepresented in start-up ecosystems across Asia, but for those who have taken the plunge, there is potential to make a social impact that transcends their respective target markets