Japanese fintech leader SmartPay has secured $7 million in a pre-Series A funding round, oversubscribed and led by SMBC Venture Capital. Other participants in the round include Japanese venture capital firm Angel Bridge, European venture capital firm Global Founders Capital, and American venture capital firm Matrix Partners. Smartpay, one of the leading fintech startups in […]

Netherlands-based investment firm Orient Growth Ventures has successfully closed its second fund, Orient Growth Fund II, amassing $90 million in commitments. This fund is a major increase from its inaugural $25-million fund raised in 2020. The firm has shown an escalating focus on backing early-stage venture capital managers across Southeast Asia and India. With Orient […]

Japanese bioplastic startup Bioworks has secured undisclosed funding through a third-party allotment of new shares. Purpose Venture Capital, alongside Lavender Hill Capital, 18 Salisbury Capital, and Yagi & Co, participated in the funding, although the exact amount invested by Purpose Venture Capital remains undisclosed. This latest investment round has propelled Bioworks’ cumulative capital raised to […]

Indonesian agritech startup Semaai has successfully secured $4.7 million in a pre-Series A funding round, combining equity and debt financing. Tokyo-based venture capital firm CyberAgent Capital led the round. For Semaai, it brings its total funding to $7.6 million. New investors joining this funding round include Sumitomo Corporation Equity Asia, Ruvento, MyAsiaVC, and Heracles Ventures. […]

Bain Capital has successfully concluded the final closing of its fifth pan-Asia private equity fund, Bain Capital Asia Fund V, securing $7.1 billion in capital commitments. This achievement exceeds the initial target by 40%, signaling robust investor confidence despite the challenging global economic and geopolitical landscape impacting fundraising efforts across the industry.  The U.S.-based investment […]

MUFG, also known as Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, and its subsidiary Mitsubishi UFJ Innovation Partners Co., Ltd. (MUIP) have jointly announced the establishment of the MUFG Innovation Partners No. 3 Investment Partnership, a fund with a capitalization of JPY 20 billion.  MUFG has been actively engaged in various initiatives to meet the financial needs of […]

Singapore’s Hydroleap, a green wastewater technology company, has raised $4.4 million in its Series A funding round. The funding was led by Real Tech Holdings, a prominent Japanese Venture Capital firm, with the participation of corporate investors, including Mitsubishi Electric, Seeds Capital, Wavemaker Partners, New Keynes Investments, and the State Government of Victoria in Australia. […]

Singapore’s state-owned investment firm, Temasek Holdings, has announced that its venture capital arm, Vertex Venture Holdings, has successfully raised more than $900 million in the initial round of fundraising for its latest fund, Nikkei Asia reported.   The company, headquartered in Singapore, manages a total of six funds, including five early-stage funds that target investments in […]

The American corporation IBM has pledged its support to Rapidus Corp., a chipmaking startup in Japan, recognizing its significance in securing the long-term global supply of chips. As part of the recently formed Japanese consortium Rapidus, IBM will serve as the technology provider, enabling the production of 2-nm chips within Japan by 2027. IBM’s Japanese […]

Singapore-based startup UnaBiz is aiming to secure $100 million in a Series C funding round this year. The company seeks to meet the rising demand from retailers and manufacturers for cost-effective tracking solutions during the delivery of goods.  UnaBiz intends to allocate the raised funds towards customer acquisition efforts and expanding its business operations in […]