Venture
Allergan to acquire Australia's VC-backed Elastagen
Allergan, a US-listed pharmaceutical company and the owner of Botox cosmetic injectable products, has agreed to acquire Elastagen, an Australian skin treatment developer backed by a number of VCs, in a deal worth up to $260 million.
Japan Post: Stamp of approval
A newly launched private equity vehicle under the Japan Post brand is being hailed as a validation of the asset class domestically. It could be a critical juncture for the development of local technology markets
IDG Capital backs Chinese electric car maker
IDG Capital has invested RMB1 billion ($159 million) in Skio Matrix, a Chinese company that manufactures electric cars and batteries.
CDH leads $100m Series D for China's Blued
CDH Investments has led a $100 million Series D round of funding for Blued, a leading gay dating app in China, with participation from UG Capital.
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).
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.
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).
VCs back Singapore's Bluzelle in $19.5m ICO
A group of venture capital firms specializing in blockchain technologies, including Hong Kong’s Kenetic Capital, has joined a $19.5 million initial coin offering (ICO) investment in Singapore-based database provider Bluzelle.
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.
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.
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
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.
Singapore audience data business gets $12.5m
French private equity firm Jolt Capital has led a $12.5 million investment in Singapore-headquartered audience data aggregator and marketplace operator Eyeota.
Fosun Capital leads $80m Series B for China's BingoBox
BingoBox, a Chinese unmanned convenience store operator, has raised an $80 million Series B round of funding led by Fosun Capital. Existing investors Prometheus Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, GGV Capital and Ventech China also took part.
Space technology: Starship enterprises
Space technology is being democratized outside its historical geographic and institutional spheres of development. As private investors get on board, a new range of risks and rewards is coming into focus
Morningside, Legend lead $112m round for China's Pony.ai
Pony.ai, a China and US-based start-up that develops autonomous driving solutions, has completed a $112 million Series A round of funding jointly led by Morningside Venture Capital and Legend Capital.
Xiaomi, VC-backed Chinese wearables maker targets US IPO
Huami, a Chinese wearables manufacturer that has a strategic relationship with smart phone maker Xiaomi and several venture capital backers, has filed for a US IPO.
Singapore launches legal tech accelerator
Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is partnering with two state-sponsored academic institutions to launch a start-up accelerator focused on technology related to legal practices.
Deal focus: VCs fuel Canva's growth designs
Australia's Canva achieves a $1 billion valuation following a $40 million round led by Sequoia Capital China
CDH backs Chinese healthcare AI business
CDH Investments has invested in Huiyi Huiying (HY), a Beijing-based start-up that offers artificial intelligence-based (AI) medical imaging diagnosis. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Baidu, Singapore's AMI launch $200m auto tech fund
Chinese internet giant Baidu has launched a $200 million fund with Singapore technology conglomerate Asia Mobility Industries (AMI) that will focus on autonomous driving and intelligent transportation.
GGV, Joy Capital lead $50m round for China's 91Xinshang
GGV Capital and Joy Capital have jointly led a $50 million Series C round of funding for 91Xinshang, a secondhand luxury goods trading platform in China.