Venture
SAIF, Tiger in $50m round for online discount start-up
Paytm has joined SAIF Partners and Tiger Global to lead a $50 million round of funding for Little, an Indian online discount start-up launched by the founders of fashion e-commerce platform Zovi.
PE-backed online liquor retailer Jiuxian gets another $81m
Jiuxian.com, a Chinese e-commerce site that sells wines and spirits, has raised RMB500 million ($81 million) in a new round of funding.
Golden Gate reaches first close on SE Asia VC fund
Singapore-based Golden Gate Ventures has reached a first close of $35 million on its second Southeast Asia-focused fund, Golden Gate Ventures Fund II.
Chunxiao invests $16m in China agri e-commerce player
Chunxiao Capital has provided RMB100 million ($16 million) in Series A plus funding for Cloud Farm, a China-based e-commerce platform dedicated to the agricultural sector.
New Horizon backs China B2B plastics trading platform
New Horizon Capital has led a $36 million Series B round of funding for Zhaosuliao.com, a Chinese B2B plastics trading platform.
Sequoia leads $12.5m round for China app tech developer
Sequoia Capital has led a $12.5 million Series B round for Easemob.com, a Chinese provider of mobile communication services, with participation from SIG China and Matrix Partners China.
Chinese celebrities in VC: Profile booster
Chinese celebrities are entering the venture capital space, offering start-ups endorsement as well as financial support. But can a pop star’s cachet translate into long-term sustainable growth?
Deal focus: MedGenome aims to fill the sequencing gap
India's vast assortment of ethnic groups represents a golden opportunity for MedGenome. The 2,000 groups that inhabit the subcontinent are a treasure trove of information waiting to be harvested and put to work.
Deal focus: NSI Ventures in robot kitchen play
The old proverb is that necessity is the mother of invention, but in an age of robotics it seems that simple inconvenience is enough to give birth to the next great innovation. Such is the case with the Rotimatic, a “robot” invented specifically to make...
New Zealand's Booktrack receives $5m Series B round
Booktrack, a New Zealand-based company that provides movie-style soundtracks and ambient audio for eBooks, has raised $5 million in Series B funding led by Coent Venture Partners and Sparkbox Ventures.
VCs invest $4.4m in Japanese filter technology start-up
The state-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), shipping conglomerate investment arm Tsuneishi Partners and Future Venture Capital (FVC) have together invested JPY550 million ($4.4 million) in NanoMist Technologies, creator of a filtering...
Japan's VC-backed Metaps files for IPO
Metaps, a Japanese mobile software developer and IT services start-up backed by a slew of VC investors, has filed for its Tokyo IPO and is expected to raise as much as JPY3.8 billion ($30.6 million).
China P2P lending site Firstp2p raises $41m
Firstp2p, a Chinese online peer-to-peer (P2P) financing site, has raised a $41 million Series B round of funding from San Shan Capital, CITIC Capital and China Equity.
Orios launches $150m India early-stage fund
Indian VC firm Orios Venture Partners has launched a new $150 million fund to support start-ups in various branches of the technology sector.
GGV leads round for China B2B drug retail platform
GGV Capital has led an extended Series A round of funding for Ypzdw.com, a Chinese online B2B drug retail platform. Existing investor Matrix Partners China also participated.
Sequoia commits $20m to Indian gene researcher MedGenome
Sequoia Capital has committed $20 million in Series B funding to Indian genomic diagnostic and research service provider MedGenome.
NLVC leads Series A for China online car retailer
Northern Light Venture Capital (NLVC) has led a Series A round of funding for Maihaoche.com, a Chinese automotive e-commerce platform that specializes in parallel imports.
Ex-TPG Growth executive joins Singapore's Jungle Ventures
Singapore-based Jungle Ventures has appointed David Gowdey, previously of TPG Capital’s growth investment unit, as a managing partner.
DCM closes second Android fund at $100m
DCM has raised $100 million for its second Android-focused fund, which will target start-ups building apps for Google’s mobile operating system.
China angels: Divine intervention
Angel investors, both unsophisticated amateurs and industry-savvy professionals, are flooding into China’s tech sector in search of stellar returns. Everything looks great as long as the market keeps on going up.
Fund focus: Shunwei raises $1b, eyes growth deals
The line between venture and growth capital in China has always been blurred, and in recent years it has become more so as start-ups raise ever larger private rounds. Nevertheless, based on AVCJ Research’s records, with $1 billion at its disposal across...
Deal focus: Blume re-ups with RoadRunnr
With the mega-rounds raised by the likes of Snapdeal and Flipkart grabbing headlines over the past 18 months, the e-commerce space has been at the vanguard of India’s venture capital boom. But as well as offering a platform for a new generation tech start-ups,...
Singapore's Temasek, UOB to offer $500m in venture debt
Singapore's government-sponsored investment fund Temasek Holdings and United Overseas Bank (UOB) have agreed to form a joint vehicle which will offer $500 million in venture debt financing to start-ups in China, India and Southeast Asia.
Vivo Capital leads Series B for China's cosmetic surgery app
Healthcare specialist Vivo Capital has led a Series B round of funding for Gengmei, a Chinese cosmetic surgery social networking app, with participation from Sequoia Capital.