Venture
Fund focus: Pivotal's urge to incubate
Nan Fung Group has established Pivotal Bioventure Partners China to build a concentrated portfolio of high-quality life science assets and nurture them from inception to exit
ICOs: Normalizing the future
The application of virtual tokens as investment instruments is modernizing the venture capital industry. Stakeholders are discovering a range of pitfalls and possibilities during the transition
VIDEO: China Creation Ventures' Wei Zhou
Wei Zhou, founder and managing partner of China Creation Ventures, discusses VC and technology trends
SoftBank's Japanese AI incubator targets $55m fund
Deepcore, a Japanese incubator focused on artificial intelligence (AI) that was set up last year by Softbank Corp, has launched a fund targeting JPY6 billion ($55 million) for seed to early-stage companies.
Singapore biotech player gets $20m Series A
A group of VCs including Yashang Capital and Westlake Ventures have backed a $20 million Series A funding round for Singaporean biotech developer Lion TCR.
Amazon leads $12m round for India's VC-backed Acko
Amazon has led a $12 million funding round for Acko, an Indian online insurance broker that is backed by the likes of SAIF Partners and Accel Partners.
China VC player Banyan changes name to Gaorong
Chinese venture capital firm Banyan Capital has changed its English name to Gaorong Capital. The aim is to achieve more consistent brand recognition because Gaorong is how the group’s Chinese name is pronounced.
China early-stage investment round-up
Venture capital deals involving FoxConn, China Minsheng Investment Group, Qiming Venture Partners, GGV Capital, Matrix Partners China, Hongxiu VC, Geekbeans Capital, Albatross Venture, Node Capital, and Insight Capital
Next 10 secures $50m for user-generated content fund
Next 10 Ventures, a US and Singapore-based GP headed by former YouTube and Warner Bros executives, has raised $50 million for a fund focused on user-generated media content businesses.
Vietnam start-ups: A tale of two cities
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City provide Vietnam’s nascent start-up scene with a unique double-hub structure. Ecosystem gestation remains slow but it is supported by a nuanced diversity
China early-stage investment round-up
Venture capital deals involving Fortune Capital, Sina Weibo, Sequoia Capital China, ChinaEquity Group, Cornerstone Capital, Geekbeans Capital, Atlas Capital, and Heyi Capital
Indian incubator raises $12.5m for seed fund
Indian educational institution IIM Ahmedabad has raised $12.5 million for its on-campus start-up incubator and seed fund from investors including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Q&A: IDG Ventures Vietnam's Henry Nguyen
Start-ups are attracting more attention in Vietnam as technology-oriented business models take root and local success stories emerge. Henry Nguyen of IDG Ventures Vietnam maps out the landscape
Beyond, Linear invest Hong Kong's Insight Robotics
Beyond Ventures and Linear Capital have co-led a $9 million investment in Insight Robotics, a Hong Kong-based company that specializes in advanced forest fire detection systems.
Fund focus: Sky9 seeks early-stage differentiation
Having raised two VC funds with Lightspeed China Partners, Ron Cao has closed his first at Sky9 Capital with $200 million in commitments. The industry dynamics have changed, but Cao is sticking to his early-stage roots
GGV leads $15.7m Series B for China's Synyi
Synyi, a Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) start-up that helps hospitals and medical research institutes process and manage data, has received RMB100 million ($15.7 million) in Series B funding led by GGV Capital.
Corporates embrace VC to understand disruption - AVCJ Forum
Southeast Asian corporates are becoming increasingly involved in technology investment as they seek to understand how their traditional businesses might be disrupted, executives told the AVCJ Indonesia Forum.
Japan's D4V closes debut venture fund at $46m
D4V, a firm set up by Japanese seed-stage investor Genuine Startups and US-based design consultancy Ideo, has closed its debut venture capital fund with more than JPY5 billion ($46 million) in commitments.
Sinovation confirms Fund IV close at $500m
Chinese VC firm Sinovation Ventures has confirmed a final close for its fourth fund at the targeted corpus of $500 million.
Ron Cao's Sky9 raises $200m for China VC fund
Sky9 Capital, a venture capital firm established by Ron Cao (pictured), formerly of Lightspeed China, has closed its debut US dollar-denominated fund at $200 million.
PE to find few inroads in renewable energy
Renewable energy appears set to remain a fringe interest for private equity investors despite rapid sector growth and significant opportunity for disruption.
China car-sharing business gets $20 million
Like Chuxing, a Chinese car-sharing start-up, has raised $20 million in a combination of seed and Series A funding.
Sequoia leads $48m round for China online baby products retailer
Sequoia Capital China has led a RMB300 million ($48 million) Series C round of funding for PatPat, a China-based e-commerce platform operator that exports maternal and infant products overseas.
Chinese fintech start-up raises $159m Series C
China Reform Holdings Corporation (CRHC), a Chinese state-owned asset manager, has led a RMB1 billion ($159 million) Series C round for 100Credit, a financial technology start-up that uses big data to provide credit services.