Venture
Smart cars: Picking up speed
Internet-capable cars are a novelty now, but as they gain acceptance they could remake the way we drive. What are the most important factors for investors to watch down the road?
Accel raises $305m for India fund
Venture capital firm Accel Partners has raised $305 million for its fourth country-focused fund to invest in Indian start-ups.
Chinese smart bicycle maker raises $15m
700Bike, a Chinese smart bicycle manufacturer, has raised a Series A round of funding worth $15 million from Banyan Capital, China Growth Capital and IDG Capital Partners.
VC-backed Gunosy files for Tokyo IPO
Gunosy - a Japanese news app developer backed by the venture capital firm Jafco, telecoms company KDDI Corp. and B Dash Ventures - has filed for a Tokyo IPO.
INCJ consortium invests $21m in Japan stem cell start-up
Megakaryon, a Japan-based stem cell technology developer, has raised JPY2.54 billion ($21.2 million) from a consortium of investors including existing backers Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ), Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, SMBC Venture Capital...
JD.com invests in VC-backed Chinese payment platform Fenqile
Chinese online retailer JD.com has invested in Fenqille.com, a Chinese installment payment platform backed by several VC investors.
PE-backed Asia-targeted remittance service raises $12.5m
Remitly, a US-based remittance service that targets Asian expatriates, has raised $12.5 million in a Series B funding round led by DFJ.
India mobile payment start-up raises Series B round
India-based mobile payment provider Mosambee has raised a Series B round of funding from Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund (RVCF) and existing investor SIDBI Venture Capital.
Valiant backs Mahindra-owned used car trading platform
Indian used car trading platform Mahindra First Choice Wheels (MFCWL) has raised $15 million from Valiant Capital Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund. It will take a minority stake in the business.
Vertex to support parenting site's India expansion
Vertex Ventures, a VC subsidiary of Singapore's Temasek Holdings, has led a funding round for online parenting portal theAsianparent, bringing the total raised by the site to S$4.5 million ($3.3 million).
India's Trifecta secures RBL as anchor, raises target to $64m
Trifecta Capital, the venture debt firm set up former Canaan Partners Managing Director Rahul Khanna, has secured a INR500 million ($8 million) anchor investment from RBL Bank for its debut fund, and set a new target of INR4 billion.
China's Tiantu commits $32m in dining mobile app
Chinese consumer-focused GP Tiantu Capital has invested RMB200 million ($32 million) in a Series A round of funding for Kaizhuo, a mobile app can be used to make restaurant bookings and payments.
Chile's Grupo Arcano to invest $100m in Australian start-ups
Chilean private equity firm Grupo Arcano plans to invest up to $100 million over the next two years in Australian start-ups.
Taiwan incubator AppWorks raises $50m start-up fund
AppWorks, a Taiwanese incubator, has raised NT$1.5 billion ($50 million) for a new fund to support domestic internet start-ups.
INCJ invests in Japan laser manufacturer Spectronix
The government-backed Innovation Network Corporation of Japan (INCJ) has agreed to invest up to JPY500 million ($4.2 million) in laser manufacturer Spectronix.
Sequoia supports Noah's online China financial platform
Sequoia Capital has invested in Shanghai Noah Yijie Financial Tech, an internet finance subsidiary owned by Noah Holdings. The investment amounts to multi-millions of dollars.
VC-backed Snapdeal buys stake in logistics platform
Jasper Infotech, the VC-backed enterprise behind Indian online marketplace Snapdeal, has bought a 20% stake in QuickDel Logistics, operator of e-commerce logistics platform Gojavas.
HK's Nest appoints ex-Intel executive to set up accelerator franchise
Hong Kong-based seed investor Nest has appointed Peter Dingle, formerly of Intel Corporation, to lead its newly-established Branded Accelerators program.
Australia's VentureCrowd partners with Sydney Angels
VentureCrowd - an Australian equity crowdfunding platform - has formed a partnership with angel investor group Sydney Angels in order to allow start-ups to tap new sources of capital.
Indonesia start-ups: Growth inflection
Indonesia has relatively incubators, angels and entrepreneurs with businesses of investible quality. Does the recent large investment in Tokopedia suggest the start-up ecosystem is now coming of age?
India Value Fund commits $50m to taxi firm Meru
India Value Fund Advisors (IVFA) has injected a fresh $50 million in radio taxi service Meru Cab, and is understood to be in talks to invest an additional $100 million in the next two months.
China P2P car-sharing site uuzuche raises $10m
Uuzuche.com, a Chinese peer-to-peer (P2P) car-sharing platform backed by Lightspeed China Partners, has raised $10 million in a Series A+ round of funding from Bitauto, a Chinese auto information web portal.
Japanese restaurant app Retty raises $8.2m
Fidelity Growth Partners Japan has led a JPY1 billion ($8.24 million) Series C investment in Retty, a Japanese social restaurant guide. Existing investors also took part.
Indian game developer Moonfrog raises Series A round
Indian mobile gaming start-up Moonfrog has raised $15 million in a Series A round of funding led by Tiger Global and existing investor Sequoia Capital.