TMT
VC-backed DataRobot to invest $11m in Singapore AI
DataRobot, a US-based start-up backed by a number of VCs including Intel Capital, has committed about $11 million to an artificial intelligence (AI) program in Singapore.
Deal focus: Tapping complexity in e-commerce
Southeast Asia-focused retailing services provider aCommerce has received $65 million in Series B funding to support not only geographical expansion but also a move into B2B to complement existing B2C capabilities
Chinese ride-hailing operator Shouqi receives $195m Series B
Shouqi Limousine & Chauffeur, a Chinese ride-booking app backed by local transportation company Shouqi Group, has raised RMB1.3 billion ($195 million) in a Series B round across two tranches.
Walden, East join $6.6m round for Tech in Asia
Walden International and East Ventures have joined a $6.6 million funding round led by Hanwha Investment & Securities for Tech in Asia, a Singapore-based digital media company focused on Asian start-ups.
PAG buys majority stake in Chinese dating service Zhenai
PAG Asia Capital has acquired a controlling interest of nearly 75% in Zhenai, a Chinese online matchmaking and dating service provider that earlier this month abandoned plans for a reverse merger in Shenzhen.
Tencent leads $40m round for China’s Ubtech Robotics
Tencent Holdings has led a $40 million Series C round of funding for Shenzhen-based Ubtech Robotics, a humanoid robot maker backed by CDH Investments and Goldstone Investment.
KKR media platform leads $65m round for Southeast Asia's aCommerce
Emerald Media, an Asian investment platform created by KKR, has led a $65 million Series B funding round for Thailand-based online retailing services company aCommerce.
DCM leads $75m round for China's Maimai
DCM Ventures has led $75 million Series C round for Maimai, a Chinese social networking app for professionals, with participation from existing backers IDG Capital and Morningside Venture Capital.
Vertex co-leads $8m round for Singapore's Active.ai
Vertex Ventures, the VC arm of Singapore’s Temasek Holdings, has co-led an $8.25 million Series A round for Singapore-based financial technology platform Active.ai.
SBCVC leads $33m round for China’s Malong Technologies
SBCVC has led a RMB220 million ($33 million) Series B round for Shenzhen-based Malong Technologies – its first investment in an artificial intelligence (AI) technology company in China.
Q&A: Qiming Venture Partners' Gary Rieschel
Gary Rieschel, founding managing partner at Qiming Venture Partners, got his first taste of China VC while working for SoftBank in the 1990s. He recollected to AVCJ how the industry made its mark on a global scale
VC-backed Razer raises $504m in Hong Kong IPO
Razer, a manufacturer of gaming peripherals with several venture capital backers, has raised HK$3.93 billion ($504 million) in its Hong Kong IPO.
China's Bytedance to acquire VC-backed Musical.ly
Beijing Bytedance Technology, the parent company of Chinese news aggregator Toutiao, has agreed to acquire Musical.ly, a VC-backed short video social networking platform.
UK travel player gets $15m for Asia push
UK-based Airbnb management company Hostmaker has received a $15 million round led by Hong Kong private equity firm Gaw Capital and Thailand real estate developer Sansiri for an Asian expansion.
NewQuest joins $31m round for China video cloud player
Asia-dedicated secondaries investor NewQuest Capital Partners has participated in a RMB208 million ($31 million) Series C round for Bokecc.com, a China-based company that offers video cloud computing solutions.
Japan home health tech player gets $4.4m
Nissay Capital and 2020, the Japanese investment arm of Foxconn Technology Group, have invested JPY500 million ($4.4 million) in a pre-Series B round for Tokyo-based healthcare technology start-up Triple W Japan.
South Korea's MyMusicTaste gets $11m Series C
KTB Network has led an $11 million Series C funding round for MyMusicTaste, a Korean crowdsourcing platform operator focused on organizing fan-requested concerts.
Singtel Innov8, Harmony anchor Qubole's $25m Asian push
Singtel Innov8 and Harmony Partners have led a $25 million round of funding to support the Asia expansion of Qubole, a big data firm based in India and the US.
Fintech funds: Treasuries apart
Investment strategies targeted exclusively at the convergence of financial services and technology have become commonplace. As competition picks up, success will depend on adopting skills and a global view
Yunfeng, Xiaomi lead $40m round for China’s Jinying
Yunfeng Capital and Chinese smart-phone maker Xiaomi have jointly led a $40 million Series B round for Beijing Jinying Technology, a China-based online content publisher. Fosun International and SIG Asia also participated.
Meridian, Eastern Bell in $14m round for China's Putiandi
A group of investors including Meridian Capital and Eastern Bell Venture Capital has invested RMB90 million ($13.6 million) in China-based retail property-leasing platform Putiandi.
PE-backed China Literature raises $1.1b in HK IPO
China Literature, a PE-backed online reading unit being spun out by Tencent Holdings, has raised HK$8.3 billion ($1.1 billion) in a Hong Kong IPO.
Hong Kong's WeLab raises $220m
Alibaba Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) have led a Series B+ round of funding for Hong Kong financial technology provider WeLab.
VCs join $25m round for Singapore's ShopBack
Singapore-based e-commerce aggregator ShopBack has raised a $25 million funding round from investors including East Ventures, SoftBank, and 33 Capital.