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Chinese supply chain financing player gets $30m Series B
Linklogis, a Chinese supply chain finance provider, has raised RMB200 million ($30 million) in Series B funding from Tencent Holdings, China Merchants Venture Capital and Bertelsmann Asia Investments.
China B2B fabrics trading app Baibu secures $25m
Chinese VC firm Yunqi Partners has led a RMB165 million ($25 million) extended Series B round for Baibu, a textile and fabrics B2B trading platform.
Deal focus: CMIA monetizes Muslim growth
Bitsmedia Holdings' Muslim Pro app is highlighting new marketing potential in growing Muslim populations. CMIA Capital Partners and Malaysia's Affin Hwang Asset Management have taken a controlling stake in the company
Olympus, UOB invest $90m in China radio ad agency
A consortium led by Olympus Capital Asia and UOB Venture Management will acquire a controlling stake in Shanghai-based Yuanyu Radio, which claims to be the largest radio advertising agency in China, for $90 million.
EDBI joins $133m round for Malaysia's Iflix
Singapore’s EDBI has joined a $133 million funding round led by US conglomerate Hearst Media for Iflix, a Malaysia-based video streaming service with a similar business model to Netflix.
M17 Entertainment gets $40m Series A round
M17 Entertainment, a Taiwan and Singapore-based media streaming company, has raised a $40 million Series A funding round led by Japan’s Infinity Venture Partners.
Alibaba fund invests in Hong Kong bike-sharing service
Hong Kong bike-sharing start-up Gobee Bike has raised a $9 million Series A round from investors including the Alibaba Group’s Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund.
Alibaba's Tmall leads $300m round for PE-backed Yiguo
Tmall, Alibaba Group’s B2C e-commerce unit, has led a $300 million Series D round for Yiguo.com, a PE-backed Chinese grocery shopping platform. This is the fourth time an Alibaba entity has invested in the company.
Japan's KDDI to acquire VC-backed Soracom
Soracom, a Japanese internet of things (IoT) communications platform that has several VC backers, will be acquired by domestic telecom operator KDDI Corporation.
Goldman backs China food delivery platform Meican
Goldman Sachs Investment Partners has participated in a Series D round of funding for Meican.com, a Chinese online food delivery services platform that targets the corporate market.
GIC leads $220m Series D for China’s Dianrong
Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) lending platform Dianrong.com has raised a $220 million Series D round led by Singapore’s GIC Private.
Deal focus: Liulishuo bridges the learning gap
China's Liulishuo wins $100 million in funding for an adult-focused education app that uses artificial intelligence to bring customized teaching solutions to English language learners
Blue Lake reaches $120m first close on China VC fund
Blue Lake Capital, a China-focused VC firm led by two former GGV Capital and Sequoia Capital executives, has reached a first close of more than $120 million on its second early-stage fund. The full target is $200 million.
CMIA, Malaysian asset manager acquire Muslim-focused app
CMIA Capital Partners and Malaysia-based Affin Hwang Asset Management have acquired Bitsmedia Holdings, best known for operating an app that provides Muslims with accurate prayer times.
Japan VC: Culture club
The Cool Japan policy aims to internationalize a large but lagging economy beyond its manufacturing roots. Venture capital will be the key to reimagining unique overlaps of culture and technology
India's Snapdeal calls off merger with Flipkart
Indian online marketplace Snapdeal has called off a planned merger with rival Flipkart and will pursue a restructuring plan to allow it to survive as an independent entity. Both companies have substantial PE and VC backing.
China’s Xiaomi confirms $1b debt deal
Chinese PE-backed smart phone maker Xiaomi has raised a new $1 billion loan to support global expansion and the build-out of its offline retail network.
Expedia invests $350m in Indonesia's VC-backed Traveloka
Expedia has paid $350 million for an unspecified minority stake in Traveloka, an Indonesian online travel services company backed by a number of venture capital firms.
Joy Capital leads $105m round for China’s Shopex
Joy Capital, a Chinese VC firm that spun out from Legend Capital, has led a RMB700 ($105 million) Series D round for Shanghai ShopEx Network Technology, an e-commerce software and services provider.
Hony, SoftBank commit $500m to WeWork China unit
US-based co-working space operator WeWork has raised $500 million from investors led by Hony Capital and Japan’s SoftBank to create a dedicated Chinese entity as part of efforts to compete with local rivals.
Deal focus: VCs see potential in karaoke booths
Telephone booth-sized karaoke units in shopping malls are the latest penchant among China's emerging middle-class millennials. A group of VCs has invested $15 million in MiniKTV to support a nationwide roll-out
Indian healthcare services platform receives $15m Series C
Indian healthcare services platform operator 1mg Technologies has secured a $15 million Series C round led by HBM Healthcare Investments.
IDG co-leads round for China security software developer
IDG Capital and CASH Capital, the VC arm of the state-owned Chinese Academy of Sciences Holdings, has co-led a RMB100 million ($15 million) Series B round for Hansight, a Beijing-based cybersecurity company.
China-based English language learning app secures Series C
CMC Capital Partners and Wu Capital – a Beijing-based family office for Longfor Properties – have jointly led a Series B round of funding for Liulishuo, a language learning app powered by artificial intelligence (AI).