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SoftBank invests in India's Paytm
SoftBank Group has invested in One97 Communications, the parent company of Indian online payments and e-commerce platform Paytm.
Lightspeed China closes debut renminbi fund at $87m
Lightspeed China Partners has closed its first renminbi-denominated venture fund at RMB600 million ($87 million).
Arbor targets $220m for second VC fund, IFC set to invest
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering an investment of $15 million in Hong Kong-based Arbor Ventures’ second VC fund, which has an initial target of $220 million.
Hellman & Friedman submits $2.1b offer for Australia's Fairfax
Hellman & Friedman has submitted a buyout offer for Australia’s Fairfax Media that values the business as high as A$2.9 billion ($2.1 billion).
Venture: Vietnam plus
Vietnam’s start-up ecosystem is gaining prominence as the diaspora community taps local tech talent to create businesses targeting global markets. Expect deal flow to increase substantially in coming years
Ping An leads $75m round for YY's gaming subsidiary Huya
China Ping An Insurance has led a $75 million Series A round for Huya, the live game broadcasting subsidiary of Chinese social networking platform YY.
Cross-border e-commerce site Wish raises new round
Wish, a San Francisco-based cross-border e-commerce app backed by several Asian investors, has completed a Series F round led by Everbright-IDG Industrial Fund.
Yum China to acquire PE-backed delivery firm Daojia
Yum China Holdings, which operates KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell in the country, has agreed to buy Daojia, a local online food-ordering platform backed by several private equity investors.
Hillhouse leads $55m round for China AI developer Yitu
Hillhouse Capital has led a RMB380 million ($55 million) Series C round of funding for Yitu Technology, a Shanghai-based artificial intelligence (AI) technology developer.
CDB Capital leads $42m round for China fintech firm Wacai
CDB Capital, the fund management arm of China Development Bank, has led a $42 million round for Wacai, a Chinese finance management mobile app developer.
SoftBank confirms $5b investment in Didi's $5.5b round
SoftBank Group contributed $5 billion of the $5.5 billion funding round announced at the end of last month by China-based ride-hailing app operator Didi Chuxing – almost certainly the largest single investment in a Chinese internet company.
Qiming leads $17m round for China data storage software developer
Qiming Venture Partners has led a RMB120 million ($17 million) Series B round for XSKY Beijing Data Technology Corporation, a China-based data storage software services provider.
Maison leads round for Sino-Indonesia e-commerce site
China-focused GP Maison Capital has led a RMB150 million ($22 million) Series B round of funding for Wook, a cross-border B2B e-commerce platform that focuses on China and Indonesia markets.
Deal focus: Huochebang brings order to trucking chaos
Huochebang has raised $270 million in the last five months with a view to using its sharing economy solution to make China's trucking industry more efficient and less fragmented
SoftBank marks down India's Ola, Snapdeal by $1.4b
SoftBank has marked down the value of part of its investment portfolio, including holdings in India-based online marketplace Snapdeal and ride-hailing app Ola, bringing its total losses in the companies so far to JPY160 billion ($1.4 billion).
IFC set to back Stellaris' debut India VC fund
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is considering a $10 million commitment to the debut fund of Stellaris Venture Partners, a spin-out from Indian VC firm Helion Venture Partners.
Pagoda leads Series A for China smart sensing player
China-focused VC firm Pagoda Investment has led a RMB110 million ($16 million) Series A round of funding for Hesai, a Shanghai-based company that develops smart sensing technology solutions.
Tencent backs US music app Smule in Asia push
Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings has led a $54 million funding round for Smule, a US-based social media music company, to support its expansion in Asia.
India's VC-backed Matrimony files for IPO
Indian online matchmaking services provider Matrimony.com has filed for an IPO that will provide exits for VC investors Mayfield India and Bessemer Venture Partners.
Sequoia, Banyan lead $51m round for China’s Xiaodian
Sequoia Capital China and Banyan Capital have led a RMB350 million ($51 million) Series B round of funding for Xiaodian, a Beijing-based power bank rental company.
Singapore’s Garena rebrands as Sea, raises $550 million
Singapore-headquartered mobile internet and gaming platform Garena has rebranded as Sea and raised $550 million from a group of investors including existing backer Global Digital Prima (GDP) Venture of Indonesia.
India's Quikr acquires VC-backed Zimmber
Indian classifieds site Quikr has acquired Zimmber, a provider of household services backed by several VC investors.
India's Ola raises $104m
Indian ride-hailing operator Ola has raised INR6.7 billion ($104 million) from Falcon Edge Capital and RNT Capital Advisors, a VC fund backed by Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of the company that controls Tata Group.
Southeast Asia VC: Common tastes
Venture capital investors increasingly view Southeast Asia as a single market as start-ups focus their attentions on a handful of large cities whose young populations have similar consumption habits