Wavemaker Partners closes fourth fund above goal at $136 million
Southeast Asian venture capital firm Wavemaker Partners announced Tuesday that it just closed its fourth fund at $136 million, making it the largest fund focused on early-stage (Seed/Pre-A) enterprise, deep tech, and sustainability startups in Southeast Asia.
Surpassing its $120 million fundraising goal, Wavemaker's Fund 4 is 22 percent bigger than the previous fund ($111 million) that closed…
Singapore voice AI start-up AI Rudder bags $50M in Series B funding to propel growth and international expansion
AI Rudder, a Singapore-based voice artificial intelligence (AI) start-up, announced Tuesday it has closed a $50 million Series B funding round, bringing total funding in the last 12 months to $60 million.
New investors Tiger Global, Coatue, Cathay Innovation, First Plus and VenturesLab participated and were joined by previous investors Sequoia Capital India and Huashan Capital, AI Rudder said…
Binance launches payments technology company Bifinity
Blockchain ecosystem and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider Binance on Monday announced the launch of Bifinity, a payments technology company and its official fiat-to-crypto payments provider.
Bifinity's on- and off-ramp solutions will empower businesses to adopt crypto and reach new audiences with easy, direct fiat-to-crypto transactions, Binance said in a statement.
The announcement…
Australian FinTech firm Zeller doubles valuation to over $1B with $100M raise
Zeller, an Australia-based FinTech firm, said Thursday it has raised $100 million in Series B round at a valuation worth of $1 billion.
The Series B, which saw Zeller more than double its valuation, was led by US-based Headline, with additional funds contributed by Australian industry superannuation fund Hostplus, Zeller said in a statement.
Previous investors, including Square Peg,…
Singapore’s Funding Societies unveils virtual card Elevate, addressing 80 percent MSME corporate credit card gap
Funding Societies, a Singapore-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) digital financing platform, announced Thursday that it has launched Elevate, a virtual card solution for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Singapore.
The card is available on a credit line on the FinTech platform’s website and mobile app, and entitles qualified MSMEs to interest free credit for a period…
Sea Ltd’s Shopee exits France months after entering Europe – report
Singapore-headquartered Sea Ltd.’s e-commerce arm Shopee is said to be pulling out of France, retreating from a major market just months after launching its maiden foray into Europe, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The site will close on March 6, Shopee said in a notice on its website in the country, promising to complete all paid orders till then, according to the report.
“Following a…
Philippines social commerce startup SariSuki bags $7.1M from regional and global investors
SariSuki, a Philippines-based social commerce startup, said Wednesday it has raised $7.1 million from regional and global investors, bringing its total funding to $10.7 million in 2021.
The company said in a statement venture capital investors included Openspace, Susquehanna International Group (SIG), Global Founders Capital (GFC), Saison Capital, JG Digital Equity Ventures, and Foxmont…
Society Pass acquires Vietnam online grocery delivery service Handycart
Society Pass Incorporated (SoPa), a Vietnam-based data-driven loyalty platform, announced Monday that it has acquired Dream Space Trading Company Limited, the operator of Handycart, an online grocery delivery service based in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The newly acquired company will be integrated into SoPa's food and beverage delivery vertical with SoPa's existing merchant software platform #HOTTAB,…
Alibaba halts talks to raise $1B before Lazada IPO – report
China-based e-commerce giant Alibaba Group discussed raising at least $1 billion for its Southeast Asian arm Lazada before calling off negotiations with potential investors when talks bogged down over Lazada’s valuation, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, quoting people familiar with the matter.
Alibaba had aimed to secure financing for Lazada as a precursor of a spin-off of the Singapore-based…
Singapore FinTech firm Thunes expands further into Latin America
Thunes, a Singapore-based fintech company, said Tuesday it is speeding up its global expansion with the setting up of a regional hub in Miami to expand into new Latin American markets.
This development follows the company’s recent announcement ramping up its presence in Greater China.
"Thunes is actively expanding into new markets and regions and becoming a truly global player. Given the…