Venture
Matrix India leads Series B for Mswipe
Mswipe Technologies, a Mumbai-based mobile payment services provider, has raised a Series B round of funding led by existing investor Matrix Partners India. Axis Bank and DSG Consumer Partners also participated.
Ventureast leads $3m round in med-tech startup
OneBreath, which makes low-cost portable ventilators, has raised $3 million from the Ventureast Tenet Fund, Villgro, former OnMobile COO Rajiv Kuchhal and BVR Mohan Reddy, founder of Infotech Enterprises, among other investors.
IDG spin-out Banyan Capital raises $206m for China fund
Banyan Capital, a China-focused VC group that spun out from IDG Capital Partners, has closed its debut fund at $206 million. High net worth individuals – primarily the founders and CEOs of companies the team backed while at IDG – contributed more than...
RedMart fills Singapore's e-groceries void
When entrepreneur Steve Melhuish moved to Asia from the UK his wife was a prodigious online shopper, having grown accustomed to ordering her groceries from Ocado or Waitrose. While he made headway in Singapore’s internet space, launching realty portal...
Vertex backs FirstCry's O2O e-commerce push
Indian baby and kids-focused e-commerce site FirstCry.com was not the first mover in its segment when it launched in 2010. Kalaari Capital-backed HushBabies and Babyoye, an Accel Partners and Tiger Global portfolio company, were among those already operating...
Strategic imperative: Chinese corporates embrace PE
Corporate private equity arms are catching on in China as companies beyond the tech space develop an appetite for investment. What does it mean for the industry’s independent incumbents?
TAL Education invests $25m in VC-backed Babytree
TAL Education, a China-based after-school tutoring services provider, has acquired a minority stake in childcare website Babytree for RMB150 million ($25 million). The online baby nursing information provider secured previous investments from Matrix Partners,...
India's National Innovation Council launches $792m fund
India's National Innovation Council (NIC) and the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MMSME) have together launched a new venture fund targeting INR50 billion ($792 million).
Legend re-ups in US sports tech manufacturer Zepp
Legend Capital has re-upped in athlete training technology developer Zepp Labs, participating in a $15 million Series B round of funding led by GGV Capital. Bertelsmann and Cherubic Ventures also committed capital.
Japan's Venture United raises $11m fund
Venture United - the corporate investment arm of Japanese media group United - has raised a new JPY1.26 billion yen ($11 million) fund focusing on internet-related start-ups.
CyberAgent Ventures backs Japan language learning site
CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate VC arm of the company behind Japanese blogging site Ameba, has invested an undisclosed amount in language learning platform Lang-8.
Singapore online grocer RedMart raises $5.4m funding round
RedMart, an online grocery service based in Singapore, has raised a $5.4 million round of funding led by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. Other investors in the bridge round included JFDI.Asia co-founder Meng Weng Wong, The Lo & Behold Group founder...
Japanese VCs invest $4m in social retail app developer
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and DBJ Capital have joined existing investors DCM Japan, Itochu Technology Ventures and Jafco Ventures, in a JPY400 million ($3.8 million) round of funding for Tokyo-based Tab, the start-up behind the location-based retail recommendation...
Profile: Globis Capital Partners' Yoshito Hori
From bust to boom, Yoshito Hori, CEO and founder of Globis Capital Management, has spent 20 years investing in Japanese VC - a story that is as much about education as it is capital
Saif invests $30m in China fashion platform
Saif Partners China has committed $30 million in a Series C round of funding for Yoho, an online fashion magazine and e-commerce platform.
Japanese VCs invest $1.5m in ad platform Logly
Voyage Ventures, Mizuho Capital, SMBC Venture Capital and strategic investor CA Mobile have together invested JPY120 million ($1.15 million) in Logly, a Japan-based start-up running an internet ad platform.
China game developer Linekong secures $80m Series C round
China online gaming developer Linekong has raised $80 million Series C round of funding led by Fosun International. Other investors include Orchid Asia, Starwish Global, SAIF Partners and Profitable Century International.
Inventus closes Fund II at $106m
Inventus Capital Partners has reached a final close on its second fund at $106 million, exceeding the $100 million target.
Sequoia invests in China Angel Group hospital
Sequoia Capital has invested in a Series B round of funding for Angel Women’s and Children Hospital, a Chengdu-based hospital chain.
IDG, IvyCap back India's FieldEZ Technologies
Bangalore-based FieldEZ Technologies has raised a first round of funding from IDG Ventures and IvyCap Ventures. The amount invested in the workforce management software company was not disclosed.
Canaan leads $5.6m round for India's SureWaves
Canaan Partners has led a INR350 million ($5.6 million) round of funding for SureWaves MediaTech, an Indian TV advertising platform operating out of Bangalore. Existing backers Accel Partners India and India Innovation Fund (IIF) also participated.
Microsoft Ventures backs 19 Asian start-ups
Microsoft Ventures, a corporate VC arm of Microsoft, has selected 19 Asian companies for the fourth batch of start-ups entering its Beijing-based accelerator program.
Matrix leads Series B round for China menstruation app
Matrix Partners China has led a $15 million Series B round of funding for Meet You, a menstruation cycle-tracking mobile app. Founder Fangyi Chen and existing investor China Renaissance K2 Ventures has reportedly participated.
Technology Crossover Ventures leads Series B for Australia's Siteminder
Australian hotel booking start-up SiteMinder has raised $30 million in funding led by Palo Alto-based Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV).