TMT
Alibaba merges food delivery units, raises $3b
Alibaba Group has merged Ele.me, a China-focused food delivery platform that it acquired earlier this year, with its local services platform Koubei. The combined platform has raised $3 billion from investors including Alibaba and SoftBank Group.
China's GL commits $12.5m to UK-listed healthtech platform
GL Capital, a healthcare-focused GP based in China, has invested GBP9.75 million ($12.5 million) in UK-listed health technology platform Oxford BioDynamics (OBD) as part of a larger partnership aimed at expansion in China.
Chinese fintech start-up Blackfish gets $50m
A group of VCs including Lightspeed Venture Partners has invested $50 million in Blackfish Technology, a Chinese financial technology start-up offering a range of retail banking services.
Orchid, TPG lead $110m Series C for China's Duiba
Orchid Asia and TPG Capital have led a $110 million Series C round for Duiba, a Chinese enterprise services company that specializes in marketing and user engagement programs.
China's Maimai gets $200m Series D
Maimai, a Chinese social networking app for professionals that is seen as the country’s equivalent to LinkedIn, has raised $200 million in Series D funding led by DST Global.
Deal focus: Vietnam's Sendo embraces B2C
A number of Japanese investors are supporting Vietnamese C2C e-commerce player Sendo as it diversifies operations with a B2C marketplace and mobile payments platform
JD.com-backed Farfetch to go public in US
UK-based luxury online fashion retailer Farfetch, which has received significant funding from Asian investors including China’s JD.com, has filed for a US IPO.
Chinese news aggregator Qutoutiao preps for US offering
Qutoutiao, a Chinese news aggregator app that seeks to differentiate itself from market leader Jinri Toutiao by focusing on entertainment-oriented content, has announced plans to list in the US.
Chinese online crafts platform raises $44m Series B
Cathay Capital has led a RMB310 million ($45 million) Series B round of funding for Tongshifu, a Chinese online crafts platform that specializes in decorative brass works.
Trending China: On technology, trade and millennials
A few China-related observations, largely influenced by AVCJ’s recent special issue on how PE is responding to technology, a white paper released by Henry McVey, KKR’s head of global macro and asset allocation, and Sino-US trade rumblings
Singapore's Qualgro reaches $60m first close on second fund
Qualgro, a Southeast Asia and Australasia-focused VC firm that spun out from Singapore asset manager Gordian Capital, has secured a first close of $60 million on its second fund.
Singapore's Tin Men targets $100m for debut fund
Tin Men Capital, a Southeast Asia-focused VC firm founded earlier this year, is targeting $100 million for its debut fund. The GP has committed $6.9 million to Overdrive IOT and Globaltix, marking its first two investments.
Qiming, Sequoia-backed CooTek files for US IPO
CooTek, a Chinese company that also goes by the name of Chubao and is best-known for the TouchPal smart phone keyboard, is seeking to go public in the US.
Matrix raises $300m for third India fund
Matrix Partners has raised $300 million for its third India-focused venture capital fund, which will back companies in sectors including consumer and enterprise technology and financial technology.
Vietnam e-commerce player Sendo gets $51m Series B
Sen Do Technology (Sendo), a Vietnamese e-commerce company that operates a C2C platform and payment service, has secured $51 million in Series B funding led by Japan’s SBI Group.
Indian e-commerce: Tipping the scales
India’s new e-commerce policy seeks to provide clarity for all industry participants, but many stakeholders are wary that the government plans to tilt the playing field against overseas players
Data infrastructure: Steel and thin air
Wrongly dismissed as a mere communications upgrade, data infrastructure is a new asset sub-class unto itself. A growing field of investors is recognizing the evolving opportunity set
GGV seeks $1.9b for new venture funds
Sino-US venture capital firm GGV Capital is targeting $1.88 billion for its latest fund, which like its previous fund is grouped into four separate vehicles.
Q&A: GLP's Yoshiyuki Chosa
Warehouse operator GLP is betting heavily on technology as it builds out capacity in the Tokyo region. Yoshiyuki Chosa, president of the company’s Japan unit, sketches a difficult but rewarding logistics market
Openspace closes second SE Asia VC fund at $135m
Southeast Asia-focused VC firm Openspace Ventures – best known for being the first institutional investor in Indonesian ride-hailing and delivery platform Go-Jek – has closed its second fund at the hard cap of $135 million.
GA, Hillhouse lead $120m Series C for Chinese co-working space
MyDreamPlus, a Beijing-based co-working space provider, has raised $120 million in Series C funding led by General Atlantic (GA) and Hillhouse Capital.
Walmart, JD.com commit $500m to China grocery delivery business
US retailer Walmart and its Chinese online counterpart JD.com have led a $500 million funding round for Dada-JD Daojia, a Chinese online grocery delivery service.
PE-backed Chinese healthtech firms to merge
China-based healthcare platforms Tencent Doctorworks and Xingren.com, both of which have several private equity and venture capital investors, have agreed to merge.
China's GSR to invest $405m in US-based Overstock
Chinese private equity firm GSR Capital has agreed to invest up to $405 million in US-listed online retailer Overstock.com and its financial technology subsidiary tZero through three separate transactions.