Venture
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Sequoia’s Shen remains top Asia VC in Midas List
Seven Asia-based investors have made it on to the 2013 Forbes Midas List of leading global venture capitalists. This compares to 10 last year, although an increasing number of US resident members are known for backing Chinese and Indian start-ups.
Baidu buys VC-backed PPS’ online video platform
Baidu has agreed to pay $370 million for PPS’ online video business, creating an exit opportunity for the company’s venture capital backers. Ceyuan Ventures, Qiming Venture Partners and Vision Knight Capital have invested in PPStream in the last seven...
Accion backs Asian financial services start-ups
Non-profit microfinance pioneer Accion will provide funding to three Asian start-ups through its $10 million seed initiative, Venture Lab. Singapore-based Coda Payments, Demyst Data and Indian education access provider Varthana are among the five businesses...
Leopard exits Cambodia's Kulara Water
Leopard Capital has exited its entire investment in Cambodia's Kulara Water to the company's founding shareholder. Details of the transaction were not disclosed.
Korea's Kakao, government to launch start-up fund
South Korean mobile app developer Kakao has teamed up with the South Korean government to launch a KRW30 billion ($27 million) fund aimed at supporting start-ups. The Small & Medium Business Administration (SMBA) will back the Kakao Young Entrepreneur...
India's education sector: Learning curve
There is no shortage of demand for services or investment opportunity in India’s education sector, but negotiating overcrowding and heavy regulation requires a clear strategy
Chinese IPOs in the US: Green shoots
Online retailer LightInTheBox is seeking to become only the third Chinese company to list in the US in more than a year. But has investor sentiment emerged from its long winter?
Intel Capital backs South Korean mobile tech maker
Intel Capital, the US chipmaker's corporate VC arm, has invested an undisclosed amount in Zinitix, a South Korean developer of touchscreen controller technology for mobile devices. The funding will help the company expand into other rapidly growing markets...
Helion, Ventureast invest in tech firm Selcore
Indian VCs Helion Venture Partners and Ventureast Proactive have made a joint investment in enterprise information rights management (IRM) provider Selcore. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
Nexus-backed Eka Software acquires Canadian tech firm
Nexus Venture Partners-backed Eka Software Solutions, an Indian commodity trading software provider, has acquired EnCompass Technologies, a Canadian energy and commodity trading technology firm.
Vickers Venture exits Singapore’s Asian Food Channel
Singaporean venture firm Vickers Venture Capital has exited its investment in the Asian Food Channel after it was acquired by USA’s Scripps Networks Interactive. The details of the transaction were not disclosed.
SingTel Innov8 leads $5m Series A round in China's Yodo1
SingTel Innov8, the VC unit of Singapore's SingTel Group, has led a $5 million round of Series A funding in Chinese smartphone game publisher Yodo1. Original investor Chang You Fund also took part in this latest round.
China’s VC-backed Light in the Box files for $86m IPO
VC-backed Chinese online retailer Light in the Box could raise up to $86.3 million through an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
Caspian launches its first debt fund
Caspian Advisors is targeting $40 million for the first pure debt fund in India's social impact segment. The Caspian Impact Investments (CII) fund already has $10 million in commitments from FMO, Triodos Doen and Hivos-Triodos Fund and Gray Ghost Microfinance...
Omnivore Partners buys stake in India's Arohan Foods
Venture capital firm Omnivore partners has bought a significant minority stake in pork integrator Arohan Foods for an undisclosed sum. Assam-based Arohan works with pig farmers across Northeast India and retails pork products across the country.
Formation 8 raises $448m, eyes US-Asia VC opportunities
Formation 8, a start-up venture capital firm that targets US businesses with the potential to expand into Asia, has raised $448 million for its debut fund. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, the firm has eight operating professionals based out of offices...
India’s Satin Creditcare raises new VC funding, Lok Capital exits
Satin Creditcare Network, a New Delhi-based microfinance institution (MFI) has raised INR410 million ($7.49 million) from three venture capital firms’ three funds. The transaction facilitates the exit of Lok Capital, an early investor in the company.
Indix raises $4.5m from Nexus, Avalon
Nexus Venture Partners and Avalon Ventures have jointly committed $4.5 million to Indian data and analytics start-up Indix.
India’s Just Dial wins IPO approval
Indian search engine Just Dial has won approval for its IPO, putting VC backers Sequoia Capital, SAIF Partners and Tiger Global on course for a partial exit.
NVP pumps another $8m into Pepperfry
Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) has led a second round of funding for Mumbai-based online lifestyle store Pepperfry.com, putting in $8 million.
Three Australian VC firms receive IIF backing
Venture capital funds run by M.H. Carngie & Co, GBS Venture Partners and Innovation Capital will receive A$100 million ($105 million) from the Australian government through the Innovation Investment Fund (IIF) scheme. This capital will be matched dollar-for-dollar...
Australia VC: New faces
A new generation of VC firms is emerging in Australia, despite little appetite for the asset class from domestic LPs. Success hinges on leveraging Silicon Valley networks and targeting particular market niches
Canaan Partners to invest $100m in Indian tech
Silicon Valley venture capital investor Canaan Partners is to invest $100 million in India over the next four years from its $600 million ninth fund.
Qiming, KPCB lead $21.3m Series C investment in Origene
Qiming Venture Partners and KPCB China have led $21.3 million of Series C funding in OriGene Technologies, a biotech company based in the US and China.