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China's AlphaX raises $270m venture capital fund
AlphaX Partners, a Chinese venture capital firm established by Chuan Thor (pictured), formerly of Highland Capital China, has closed its first US dollar and renminbi-denominated fund with around $270m in commitments.
Permira, Hillhouse agree $1.7b Magento exit
Permira and Hillhouse Capital will sell their stakes in Magento Commerce, a US company that provides transaction-processing software to e-commerce players, to Adobe as part of a $1.7 billion transaction.
Tencent leads $50m round for India's NewsDog
China's Tencent Holdings has led a $50 million Series C round for NewsDog, an Indian vernacular language news app founded by Chinese entrepreneurs.
Digital Garage, Toyota lead $30m round for India's Droom
Digital Garage and Toyota Tsusho, a division of Japanese automotive giant Toyota Group, have co-led a $30 million Series D round for Indian used-car trading marketplace Droom.
Hong Kong's Arbor raises $178.5m for second VC fund
Hong Kong-based Arbor Ventures has received $178.5 million in commitments for its second financial technology-focused venture capital fund. The targeted corpus is $220 million.
Vietnam start-ups: A tale of two cities
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City provide Vietnam’s nascent start-up scene with a unique double-hub structure. Ecosystem gestation remains slow but it is supported by a nuanced diversity
China early-stage investment round-up
Venture capital deals involving Fortune Capital, Sina Weibo, Sequoia Capital China, ChinaEquity Group, Cornerstone Capital, Geekbeans Capital, Atlas Capital, and Heyi Capital
Vision Plus raises $500m for China VC funds
Vision Plus Capital Partners, a Chinese venture capital firm set up by one of the co-founders of Alibaba Group, has raised $500 million for its second US dollar and renminbi-denominated funds.
Chinese autonomous driving start-up gets $128m Series A
Roadstar.ai, a Chinese start-up that specializes in autonomous driving technology, has received $128 million in Series A funding led by Shenzhen Capital Group and Wu Capital.
Australia's Westpac invests $37m in Reinventure
Australia’s Westpac Banking Corp has committed A$50 million ($37 million) to the third fund of its venture capital unit Reinventure.
Japanese unicorn Mercari targets $1b IPO, VCs set for exits
Mercari, a venture capital-backed Japanese consumer-to-consumer marketplace that became the country’s first unicorn in 2016, plans to raise up to JPY110 billion ($1 billion) through a domestic IPO.
Singapore's M17 Entertainment files for US IPO
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has filed to list on the New York Stock Exchange.
Rakuten, EDBI lead $85m round for classifieds player Carousell
Rakuten Ventures and EDBI have led an $85 million Series C funding round for Singapore’s Carousell, an online flea market shopping app operator.
Singapore's Carro gets $60m Series B
Singapore-based automotive marketplace operator Carro has received a $60 million Series B funding round led by Softbank Ventures Korea, Insignia Ventures Partners and B Capital Group.
VC-backed Huya gains on US trading debut after $180m IPO
Huya, a Chinese game broadcasting business that spun out from social networking platform YY, gained 33.8% on its New York Stock Exchange trading debut following a $180 million IPO.
Chinese restaurant services app receives $63m
Mwee.cn, a Chinese restaurant booking app, has raised RMB400 million ($63 million) in the first tranche of a Series D funding round led by Koubei, Alibaba Group’s local services platform, and travel services business Ctrip.
Tech entrepreneurs and family offices: Collective might
Investment firms are emerging in Asia that leverage the collective wealth, knowledge and networks of the region's most successful internet entrepreneurs. These are family offices, but not necessarily in the traditional Western model
Alibaba buys Rocket-backed South Asia e-commerce business
Alibaba Group has acquired Daraz, an e-commerce platform incubated by Rocket Internet that is the market leader in Pakistan and has a presence in several other South Asian countries.
Walmart to pay $16b for majority stake in India's Flipkart
Walmart has agreed to pay $16 billion for a 77% stake in Flipkart, an Indian e-commerce business that has received substantial private funding. The deal will facilitate full exits for several investors, including SoftBank’s Vision Fund.
EQT closes Asia mid-market fund at $800m
EQT Partners has closed its Asia-focused middle market private equity fund on target with $800 million in commitments.
Intel Capital backs three Chinese tech start-ups
Intel Capital, the captive VC arm of Intel Corporation, has backed in three Chinese start-ups as part of a $72 million investment in 12 companies based in China and the US.
KPCB leads $20m round for China cross-border retail player
KPCB has led a $20 million Series B funding round for BorderX Lab, a US-based e-commerce services company that helps global retailers connect with Chinese consumers.
Tiger Global’s Jason Tan joins Jeneration
Jason Tan (pictured), formerly a global partner at Tiger Global Management, has joined Hong Kong-based investment firm Jeneration Capital as a partner and CIO.
Carlyle hires ex-Kingsoft CEO as senior advisor
The Carlyle Group has appointed former Kingsoft CEO Hongjiang Zhang as a senior advisor to its Asian private equity business. The move is intended to deepen the firm’s coverage of the internet and technology space.