TMT
Westbridge-backed Nazara files for India IPO
Indian mobile game platform Nazara Technologies has filed for an IPO that will provide an exit to its private equity backer WestBridge Capital Partners.
Baidu Ventures makes $318m first close on AI fund
Baidu Ventures, an independent VC firm set up by Chinese internet player Baidu, has achieved a first close of more than RMB2 billion ($318 million) on its second renminbi-denominated fund that focuses on artificial intelligence (AI).
Alibaba leads $300m round for India's Bigbasket
Chinese online retailer Alibaba Group has led a $300 million funding round for Indian online grocer Bigbasket.
China’s Legend Star closes $127m VC fund
Legend Star, the early-stage investment arm of China’s Legend Holdings, has closed its third VC fund at RMB800 million ($127 million).
NSI in $13m round for Singapore's Love Bonito
NSI Ventures has taken part in a $13 million Series B round of funding for Singapore-based lifestyle brand Love Bonito.
Chinese auto financing site raises $92m Series B round
Meliche Jinrong, the online auto finance subsidiary of Chinese consumer loans site Meili Jinrong, has raised a $92 million Series B round led by local agribusiness player New Hope Group.
Accel invests $50m in India’s BrowserStack
Accel Partners has invested $50 million in BrowserStack, an Indian IT company that supplies enterprise clients with internet and mobile software testing infrastructure.
Deal focus: LeapFrog adds to financial inclusion portfolio
LeapFrog Investments backs NeoGrowth Credit to provide financial backing for digital payments among Indian retailers
Spiral raises $64m for debut Japan VC fund
Japan-focused Spiral Ventures – known as IMJ Investment Partners until spinning out from its corporate parent last year – has closed its debut fund at JPY7 billion ($64 million).
China electric car maker Xpeng raises $348m
Xpeng Motors, a Chinese electric car manufacturer, has completed a RMB2.2 billion ($348 million) Series B round of funding led by Alibaba Group, Foxconn Technology Group, and IDG Capital.
Affinity, BRV support Shinsegae e-commerce spin-out
Affinity Equity Partners and BRV Capital Management are supporting a spin-out of assets owned by South Korean retail conglomerate Shinsegae Group, which will see more than KRW1 trillion ($940 million) invested in a new e-commerce unit.
Chinese financial services platform concludes $63m Series B
Huisuanzhang, a Chinese finance and tax management software developer, has completed a RMB400 million ($63 million) Series B round of funding across two tranches.
Unilever invests in online India grocery market
Unilever Ventures, the corporate VC arm of Unilever, has committed $3 million in pre-Series A funding to Indian grocery delivery start-up Milkbasket.
Deal focus: Rokid attracts interest as household AI heats up
The Series C round for smart household device manufacturer Rokid underlines investor interest in China-based artificial intelligence plays
India's 3one4 closes second fund at $39m
Indian VC firm 3one4 Capital has closed its second early stage fund at INR2.5 billion ($39 million), exceeding its target of INR1.5 billion.
Atinum leads $9m round for Korean fintech player
Korean venture capital firm Atinum Investment has led a KRW10 billion ($9.4 million) funding round for domestic financial technology company Tera Funding.
Japan's UTEC raises fourth early-stage fund
University of Tokyo Edge Capital (UTEC) has raised JPY15.5 billion ($142 million) for its fourth fund intended to support the development of research conducted at the university into start-ups.
China’s Dianrong raises additional $70m for Series D
Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform Dianrong has raised an additional $70 million in Series D funding, taking the total round to $290 million.
Southeast Asia logistics firm Ninja Van secures Series C
Ninja Van, a Singapore-headquartered last-mile logistics services provider with regional presence, has completed a Series C round of funding.
Profile: IvyCap Ventures' Vikram Gupta
Vikram Gupta, founder of IvyCap Ventures, helped shape India’s scholarly start-up ecosystem by interweaving a passion for entrepreneurialism with his roots in scientific academia
GLP leads $36m round for China’s Songxiaocai
Warehouse operator Global Logistic Properties (GLP) has led a RMB230 million ($36 million) investment in Songxiaocai, a business-to-business (B2B) platform that provides agricultural wholesale services to Chinese retailers.
China’s Shunwei Capital appoints new partner
Chris Lai, formerly a venture partner at China-focused Sinovation Ventures, has joined Shunwei Capital Partners, a VC firm set up by Xiaomi founder Lei Jun, as a partner.
Joy leads $20m round for Chinese e-commerce site
Joy Capital has led a $20 million round of funding for The Good Stuff, an e-commerce start-up that uses online influencers to sell products.
VCs commit $30m to Japanese recipe-sharing start-up
SoftBank and YJ Capital have taken part in a JPY3.4 billion ($30.2 million) funding round for Japanese online food media start-up Dely.