Venture Capital

500 Startups rebrands Southeast Asia fund to 500 Southeast Asia

It remains dedicated to seed-stage investing, cutting checks of up to $500,000, but is now open to larger follow-on checks of up to $5 million, as well as potential investments through special-purpose vehicles, such the $21.2 million vehicle it previously executed for Carousell.

Vietnam’s Loship raises $12M in pre-Series C funding led by BAce Capital, Sun Hung Kai & Co

Loship marks a Vietnam foray for both of the lead investors BAce Capital and SHK & Co, as part of their strategies to capture the emerging market opportunities in Southeast Asia.

Pandemic has served as a catalyst for accelerating ESG innovation in Southeast Asia, says Ee Ling Lim of 500 Startups [Q&A]

In this TechNode Global Q&A with Ee Ling Lim, Head of APAC Business Development, 500 Startups, we learn how the pandemic has served as a catalyst for companies in the region to accelerate their ESG initiatives. We also learn about the nuances in incorporating and implementing such criteria, which may include the need for a shift in corporate culture, as…

Temasek, SoftBank invest in India EdTech unicorn Unacademy’s Series H funding round

The latest fundraise takes the valuation of Unacademy Group to $3.44 billion.

Airwallex founders launch new venture capital fund Capital 49, aims to raise $200M

Capital 49 will look for opportunities to invest in companies within Airwallex’s ecosystem, across a number of industries including e-commerce, SaaS, digital and technology, business services and enablers, and FinTech.

Singapore’s Partipost bags $5M extended funding on Series A led by Quest Ventures

The funds raised will further develop Partipost’s tech platform and accelerate business expansion into Vietnam, as well as strengthen current operations in Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Philippines VC Gentree Fund allocates $40M for SEA startups looking to expand in the country

Gentree Fund, a Philippines-based sector-agnostic fund that focuses on investments into early-stage B2C and B2B companies, has just announced that it has earmarked an initial $40 million to invest in early and growth-stage Southeast Asian startups with plans of expanding into the Filipino market.

VC industry benefits from having diverse perspectives, says Amra Naidoo of Accelerating Asia [ORIGIN Innovation Awards Q&A]

In the TechNode Global Q&A, Amra Naidoo shared her story of how she started the early stage VC firm Accelerating Asia and her journey working in the male-dominated VC industry. She also shared the challenges she met working with startups and how Accelerating Asia is positioning itself to tap into opportunities that are overlooked by others.

Global founder collective MAGIC Fund raises $30 Million Fund II to continue backing early-stage startups

MAGIC Fund II is currently looking at global startups that are focused on building infrastructure while delivering a quality customer experience. The firm typically writes checks of $100,000 to $300,000 for early-stage startups and will continue to do so in this fund.

Australian early-stage investor Investible has announced the first close of $37.4M fund for startups in Southeast Asia and Down Under

Investible plans to use its second fund to invest in tech startups mostly in Australia. The VC fund has earmarked 30 percent of the fund’s committed capital to be used for global investments, the majority of which they expect to put towards Southeast Asian investments.