Venture
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.
India's VC-backed Mobikwik attracts $35m investment
Indian non-banking financial company (NBFC) Bajaj Finance has agreed to invest about INR2.2 billion ($35.3 million) in Mobikwik, a domestic mobile wallet developer backed by a number of venture capital firms including Sequoia Capital.
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.
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.
Eight Roads, F-Prime invest $25m in India's PlasmaGen
Indian biopharmaceuticals company PlasmaGen BioSciences has raised a $25 million funding round led by Eight Roads Ventures.
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.
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).
Chinese financial tech firm Qiancheng gets $30m
Qiancheng Technology, a Chinese financial technology company that provides micro-lending services, has raised a RMB200 million ($30 million) Series B round of funding from existing investors Tiantu Capital and U51.com, a VC-backed credit card management...
Goldman, Accel invest $25m in India's FabHotels
FabHotels, an Indian technology-enabled budget hotel chain, has raised a $25 million Series B round led by Goldman Sachs, with participation by existing investor Accel Partners.
China's VC-backed DotC United raises $350m Series B
Chinese mobile app publisher and developer DotC United, which is backed by several VC investors, has raised a Series B round of funding worth $350 million.
Singapore tech group launches $150m VC fund, incubator
Singapore-based industrial technology company ST Engineering has launched a $150 million venture capital unit and associated start-up incubator.
China project funds: Cut to fit
Project funds have become popular in China on the back of increased demand for PE exposure from corporates and high net worth individuals. It remains to be seen if they have true staying power
Chinese self-driving car start-up Momenta raises $46m
Momenta, a Beijing-based start-up that develops road sensors and mapping software for self-driving cars, has raised a $46 million Series B round of funding led by NIO Capital, an investment unit of local electric-vehicle maker NIO.
SoftBank, Didi Chuxing invest $2b in Southeast Asia's Grab
Southeast Asian ride-hailing app operator Grab has received $2 billion from SoftBank and Chinese peer Didi Chuxing as part of what is expected to be a $2.5 billion funding round.
IDG leads $50m round for China online pet store
IDG Capital has led a Series B round of funding worth $50 million for Epet.com, a Chinese e-commerce platform that sells pet-related food products and other services.
Thailand's Zanroo receives $7.4m Series A
Zanroo, a Thailand-based company that uses big data analytics to offer clients real-time marketing services, has received a $7.4 million Series A funding round from domestic investor Shift Ventures.
China self-service karaoke booth operator raises $15m
Xingtang MiniKTV, a three-month-old Chinese start-up that operates self-service karaoke booths, has raised $15 million across three tranches of funding.
China smart convenience store operator raises $19m
Xiaomai, a Chinese cashier-free convenience store operator much like US-based Amazon Go, has secured RMB125 million ($19 million) in funding led by Aplus Fund and Chenshan Capital.
IDG, Jungle back India's Vayana Network
IDG Ventures India and Jungle Ventures have jointly invested $4 million in a Series A funding round for Indian financial services company Vayana Network.