TMT
1Q analysis: China malaise
First quarter analysis: China uncertainty hits PE investment; public market instability holds back IPOs; distress strategies underpin India fundraising as commitments to China-focused managers plummet
Vision Fund leads $225m round for Hong Kong's Klook
Klook, a Hong Kong-headquartered booking platform for attractions, tours, dining and local experiences, has raised $225 million in an extended Series D round led by SoftBank Vision Fund.
Chinese cosmetic surgery marketplace files for US IPO
So-Young International, a Chinese online marketplace focusing on cosmetic surgery, has filed to list in the US. PE backers include Orchid Asia, Matrix Partners China, and the Russia-China Investment Fund (RCIF).
Southeast Asia's Grab ups capital-raising target by $2b
Southeast Asian ride-hailing and online-to-offline (O2O) services platform Grab has confirmed it will seek to raise an additional $2 billion within 2019, bringing its ongoing Series H round to some $6.5 billion.
VC-backed Ruhan drops on debut after $125m US IPO
Ruhan, a VC-backed Chinese celebrity incubator that creates online personalities who drive e-commerce activity, slipped 37% below its IPO price on the first day of trading following a $125 million NASDAQ offering.
China's Source Code raises $570m for latest US dollar funds
Source Code Capital, a Chinese VC firm founded by Yi Cao (pictured), formerly a partner at Sequoia Capital China, has closed two new US dollar vehicles at $570 million.
Tencent backs China e-commerce service provider
Tencent Holdings has led a HK$911 million ($116 million) investment in Hong Kong-listed e-commerce service provider China Youzan, with participation by Gaocheng Capital and Greater Bay Area Homeland Investments, operator of the Greater Bay Area Homeland...
Deal focus: Boomplay aspires to become Africa's Spotify
Boomplay has leveraged demand for its Chinese parent's smart phones to become the leading music streaming platform in Africa. Maison Capital and Yunshi Capital were sufficiently impressed to back a $20 million Series A round
Korean online grocery player secures $88m Series D
Market Kurly, a four-year-old Korean start-up that provides online grocery delivery services, has raised KRW100 billion ($88 million) in Series D funding.
Chinese healthcare data management platform raises $74m
Miaojiankang, a China-based company that provides health data tracking, management, and analysis services through an online platform, has raised RMB500 million ($74 million) in a Series C round from China Pacific Insurance and Xiran Capital.
Deal focus: China's data-enabled Workday
By applying artificial intelligence to human resources management, China's IfChange claims to make recruitment and retention more efficient. The company is now pushing to expand its customer base and product coverage
India's BigBasket raises $150m funding round
Indian online grocer BigBasket has raised $149.9 million from a group of investors including Mirae Asset Management, UK development finance institution CDC Group, and Alibaba Group.
Deal focus: Guochen looks to the future
Chinese industrial robotics developer and incubator Guochen raises $15 million in Series A funding to continue pushing China's robotics industry to greater heights
China's Maison leads round for music streaming app Boomplay
Boomplay, a music streaming and download service provider serving African audiences, has raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Maison Capital, with participation from Yunshi Capital.
Chinese big data player MiningLamp raises $298m
MiningLamp Software, a big data solutions provider in China, has raised RMB2 billion ($298 million) in a Series D round of funding led by Tencent Holdings.
Deal focus: InstaRem bids for the big time
Vertex Ventures leads a $41 million investment in Singapore's InstaRem to grow its global digital payments infrastructure
Indian agtech: Technology harvest
Indian investors are excited about a growing wave of agricultural technology start-ups focused on solving practical problems faced by farmers, but achieving scale with a limited scope will be a challenge
Tencent leads $74m round for China crowdfunding platform
Shuidi, the operator of Shuidichou, a Chinese crowdfunding platform for patients with critical medical conditions, has raised RMB500 million ($74 million) in a Series B round of funding led by existing investor Tencent Holdings.
Q&A: Lalamove's Blake Larson
Hong Kong delivery start-up Lalamove recently raised $300 million in Series D funding. Blake Larson, head of the company’s international division, discusses business models, cross-border expansion, and vehicle sales
Chinese HR SaaS platform secures $80m Series C
Lightspeed Venture Partners and Sunshine Life Insurance have led a $80 million Series C round of funding for IfChange, a Chinese software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform that specializes in human resources management.
Golden Gate, Hanwha target SE Asia's Series B rounds
Singapore-based venture capital firm Golden Gate Ventures has partnered with South Korea's Hanwha Asset Management to invest in Series B rounds for Southeast Asian start-ups.
China social e-commerce platform Yunji targets US IPO
Yunji, a Chinese membership-based e-commerce platform that typically works with small-scale retailers that don’t have the resources to compete online, has filed to list in the US.
General Atlantic, Tencent invest $31m in India's Byju's
Indian educational technology provider Byju’s has raised a INR2.14 billion ($31 million) round of funding from existing investors General Atlantic and Tencent Holdings.
East Ventures backs Indonesia auto platform
East Ventures has joined a Series A investment of undisclosed size in Indonesian car sales platform operator Mobilkamu.