Asia
Softbank, Tencent invest in Indian online used car platform Cars24 Services – report
Cars24 plans to use the fresh capital to deepen its presence in the United Arab Emirates and Australian markets, where it has made recent forays, and build its cars, bikes and financing business in India while investing in technology.
Airwallex raises $200M in Series E led by Lone Pine Capital, reaches $4B valuation
The investment will support Airwallex's global expansion and enable the company to accelerate multiple product development initiatives across its engineering hubs, grow its sales teams and increase its breadth of offerings for SMEs and larger enterprises.
Pakistan EdTech startup Maqsad raises $2.1M pre-Seed funding led by Indus Valley Capital
The COVID-19 pandemic created a global education crisis, which was more pronounced in developing countries. This gave rise to EdTech startups globally, with ventures in countries like India and Indonesia scaling rapidly to make education more accessible for the wider population.
L Catterton-backed dental firm Zenyum plans expansion across Asia as clear aligners gain popularity
Zenyum's fundraising and expansion plans come as clear aligners are gaining popularity across Asia and Southeast Asia, trailing trends in the US and Europe. Since its founding in 2018, Zenyum said the company has grown exponentially, seeing a 4x revenue increase in 2020 alone.
Bank of China, DBS & HSBC join GSBN to form Trade Finance Advisory Group to transform global trade
The advisory group will explore the technical, legal, and regulatory frameworks needed to break the siloes between the global supply chain and financial institutions.
Alternative protein investor Lever VC announces $80M final close of Lever VC Fund I
Lever VC is also actively speaking with investors interested in Lever VC Fund II, which will begin raising early next year.
EY: Asia-Pacific M&A hit highest value on record, fuelled by technological innovation & ESG agendas
M&A targeting technology companies hit a record high in Asia-Pacific with tech, advanced manufacturing and mobility sectors topped regional deal activity.
Malaysia SPAC AEI CapForce II Investment plans to raise $100M from IPO
At the proposed deal size, AEI CapForce II Investment would command a market value of $129 million.
PayPal to acquire Japan BNPL unicorn Paidy for $2.7B
The acquisition will expand PayPal's capabilities, distribution and relevance in the domestic payments market in Japan, complementing the company's existing cross-border ecommerce business in the country, PayPal said.
Singapore e-commerce startup Rainforest raises $20M pre-Series A funding round led by Monk’s Hill Ventures
Funds will be used to drive Rainforest’s growth strategy, including expanding its portfolio of e-commerce brands in the home goods, mother & kids, personal care and pet categories by three times and growing its leadership team.
