TMT
Asia Partners leads $80m round for Singapore's ShopBack
Singapore’s Asia Partners has led a USD 80m growth round for local e-commerce and retail rewards platform ShopBack.
India's Zomato buys PE-backed Blinkit for $567m
India-based online food services platform Zomato has agreed to acquire Blinkit – a private equity-backed quick commerce start-up formerly known as Grofers – for INR 44.5bn (USD 567m).
Singapore e-commerce aggregator gets $45m
Singapore’s Rainforest, an aggregator of Amazon marketplace sellers, has raised a USD 45m round led by Southern Capital, which provided USD 15m.
China's ZWC hits first close on debut renminbi fund
Chinese venture capital firm ZWC Partners has reached the first close of CNY 1bn (USD 149m) on its debut renminbi-denominated fund. The overall target is CNY 1.5bn.
Deal focus: Pakistan's Dastgyr aspires to emulate Alibaba
SOSV sees parallels between the e-commerce awakenings in Pakistan and China, though 20 years apart. Dastgyr has positioned itself at the fore, but it wants to be asset-light rather than asset-heavy
Legend axes consumer from latest China TMT fund
Legend Capital has excluded the consumer-facing segment from its latest China technology, media, and telecom (TMT) fund, reflecting a broader sense of uncertainty among local managers regarding the regulatory environment.
India's ShareChat closes $520m round, hits $5b valuation
Indian social media platform ShareChat has raised USD 255m from Google, Times Group, and Temasek Holdings, capping a USD 520m Series G round at a valuation of USD 5bn.
Pakistan B2B marketplace Dastgyr secures $37m Series A
Dastgyr, a Pakistan-based B2B e-commerce marketplace, has raised USD 37m in Series A funding led by Veon, an Amsterdam-listed telecom provider that owns Pakistan’s largest mobile network.
Sequoia raises $2.85b for India, Southeast Asia
Sequoia Capital has raised USD 2.85bn for its latest set of India and Southeast Asia-focused funds, which includes the firm’s first-ever dedicated Southeast Asia vehicle.
SPAC backed by Vision Knight founder makes Hong Kong debut
A special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) sponsored by David Wei, founder of Vision Knight Capital, has become the second structure of its kind to list in Hong Kong.
Australia's Go1 raises $100m at $2b valuation
Australia-based workforce training platform Go1 has raised a USD 100m growth round featuring AirTree Ventures and SoftBank Vision Fund 2 at a valuation of USD 2bn.
Indonesia social commerce player Super raises $70m
NEA has led a USD 70m Series C round for Super, an Indonesia-based social commerce platform that targets the country’s lower-tier cities and rural areas.
Alpha Wave leads $57m round for India's Cuemath
Alpha Wave Global, formerly Falcon Edge Capital, has led a USD 57m investment in Indian one-on-one online math tutoring platform Cuemath.
India's Gupshup acquires VC-backed OneDirect
India-based B2C messaging services provider Gupshup has acquired OneDirect, a local customer service platform that previously received several rounds of funding from Sequoia Capital India.
Indonesia grocery delivery player Astro raises $60m
Indonesia-based on-demand grocery delivery platform Astro has secured USD 60m in Series B funding led by Accel Partners, Citius, and Tiger Global Management.
Japan VC: Late-stage crossroads
Japan’s late-stage technology start-ups are finally beginning to attract meaningful attention from global investors. They should not pop open the champagne
India D2C food brand Country Delight gets $108m Series D
India’s Country Delight, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) food brand best known for farm-fresh milk, has raised USD 108m in Series D funding led by Singapore’s Venturi Partners and Temasek Holdings.
Fund focus: XVC stresses its idiosyncrasies
The China VC firm cuts against the grain, eschewing investment committee meetings and embracing consumer deals while others shun them. It works from a fundraising perspective
Fund focus: BlueRun defies China fundraising woes
Having secured USD 819m, across US dollar and renminbi vehicles, the early-stage investor wants to prove that China can deliver globally competitive technology
Thai food supply chain player secures $23.5m Series B
Openspace Ventures has participated in a USD 23.5m Series B funding round for Freshket, a Thailand-based farm-to-table agricultural supply chain start-up.
China's BlueRun $819m across US dollar, renminbi funds
China-based BlueRun Ventures has closed its third US dollar-denominated China fund and third renminbi vehicle with aggregate commitments of CNY 5.5bn (USD 819m).
China outbound: Organic options
Tough domestic competition is encouraging Chinese tech start-ups to expand overseas – often organically, earlier in their lifecycles than before, and despite regulatory concerns
Vodafone New Zealand buys out PE partner in retail JV
Millennium Corp, a specialist technology, media, and telecom (TMT) investor operating in New Zealand and the Pacific region, has exited its 50% stake in Vodafone New Zealand’s retail stores.
India e-commerce enabler Gokwik raises $35m
Gokwik, an Indian e-commerce enablement platform, has raised USD 35m in a Series B round led by Think Investments and RTP Global.