Asia

JCB, IDEMIA and Soft Space launch “JCBDC” phase 2 pilot to trial CBDC offline P2P payments

Japan's international payment brand JCB Co., Ltd. (JCB) has launched the JCB Digital Currency (JCBDC) phase 2 pilot project with France-based identity technologies firm, IDEMIA, and Malaysia-based fintech company Soft Space Sdn Bhd.

Hong KongOneDegree secures funding from Dubai Insurance; launches partnership for digital asset insurance

OneDegree, a Hong Kong-based licensed insurer for digital assets, has partnered with Dubai Insurance Company to offer digital asset insurance in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As part of the partnership, Dubai Insurance has also made a strategic investment in OneDegree’s Series B funding round.

India’s Aye Finance raises $37M in Series F funding led by British International Investment

Aye Finance, an India-based micro-enterprise lender, has entered into definitive agreements for INR 310 crores ($37 million) in Series F funding, led by United Kingdom's development finance institution and impact investor British International Investment (BII).

India’s PlasmaGen Biosciences completes $27M equity financing

PlasmaGen Biosciences, a biopharmaceutical company focused on blood plasma-derived pharmaceutical products for India and emerging markets, announced that it has raised 225 crores ($27 million) in equity financing. The funding was coming from United Kingdom based Artian Investments, prominent public market investor Ashish Kacholia, pharmaceutical…

Australian health tech company Vantari VR raises $4.7M in funding led by Co:Act Capital

Australia-based virtual reality (VR) medical training provider Vantari VR, has secured AUD $7 million ($4.7 million) via a Pre Series A capital raise. The oversubscribed round was led by Co:Act Capital and supported by Acova Capital, Significant Early Venture Capital, Sirius Capital and other investors from the medical device and insurance ecosystem.

India’s Vegrow raises $46M in Series C funding round led by GIC

Vegrow, an India-based business to business (B2B) fruits marketplace, announced it has raised $46 million in primary and secondary funding. The new funding round is led by GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, with significant participation from existing investor Prosus Ventures, and continued support from Matrix Partners India, Elevation Capital, and…

South Korea’s LINE NEXT raises $140M to expand Web3 ecosystem

LINE NEXT Corporation., South Korea-based LINE’s venture dedicated to developing and expanding the non-fungible token (NFT) ecosystem, announced Wednesday that it has secured a $140 million investment from a consortium led by the private equity firm Crescendo Equity Partners.

Taiwan’s Gogoro launches battery swapping ecosystem in India, unveils India-made CrossOver smartscooter

Gogoro Inc., a Taiwan-based technology leader in battery-swapping ecosystems that enable sustainable mobility solutions for cities, has on Tuesday announced the immediate availability of its battery swapping ecosystem and Smartscooters in India.

Gobi GBA drives positive environmental change and circular business models through strategic capital allocation

Gobi Partners, a leading pan-Asian venture capital firm, is firmly dedicated to promoting sustainable development and is poised to make significant investments in circular economy sectors across the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with a particular focus on the vibrant Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Animoca Brands Japan and Apas Port introduce new digital toy platform developed by OnChain Studios for Japanese collectors

Animoca Brands Japan, a strategic subsidiary of Animoca Brands, announced Monday that the firm and Apas Port Inc. have partnered with Cryptoys, a digital toy platform developed by OnChain Studios, to deliver a new toy experience to Japanese collectors.