Australia’s Swoop Aero closes $16M Series B round led by Main Sequence
Australian drone firm Swoop Aero said Tuesday it has completed a $16 million Series B venture capital raise, following over two years of continuous drone delivery of medical supplies across Africa, and delivering over 800,000 items by drone.
The successful Series B raise was led by Australia’s premier deep tech venture capital (VC) fund, Main Sequence, Swoop Aero said in a statement.…
Singapore’s used car platform Carro buys 50% stake in Indonesian rental firm MPMRent – report
Southeast Asian online used-car marketplace Carro has acquired a 50 percent stake in the rental unit of Indonesian automotive group PT Mitra Pinasthika Mustika Tbk for nearly $54 million, Reuters reported on Monday.
PT Mitra Pinasthika Mustika Rent (MPMRent) is one of Indonesia's leading car rental firms with a fleet of more than 13,000 cars and provides financing services, according to the…
Singapore’s Funding Societies steps into Vietnam in fifth market expansion
Funding Societies, a Singapore-based small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) digital financing platform, has officially launched in Vietnam on Tuesday, marking its fifth market expansion.
Addressing the SME financing gap in Vietnam, where the SME landscape is growing yet financially underserved, is a natural next step for the FinTech company as it pushes further into Southeast Asia, Funding…
Singapore’s healthtech startup Biofourmis turns unicorn after raising $300 million Series D investment
Biofourmis, a global leader in virtual care and digital medicine, announced Tuesday it has surpassed unicorn status with a $300 million Series D investment led by leading global growth equity firm General Atlantic.
CVS Health and existing investors also participated in the round, which will help fuel the company's next phase of growth, Biofourmis said in a statement.
Meanwhile, former…
Indian EdTech firm Emeritus secures $350M debt financing from CPP Investments
Emeritus, an India-based EdTech firm, said Tuesday it has secured $350 million in debt financing from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board CPP Investments through its subsidiary CPPIB Credit Investments Inc.
This funding will be used by Emeritus to fuel mergers and acquisition as part of a robust global growth strategy, Emeritus said in a statement.
As remote learning continues to boom…
Indian Ethereum scaling platform Polygon raises $450M led by Sequoia Capital India
Indian Ethereum scaling platform Polygon said Monday it has raised about $450 million through a private sale of its native MATIC token in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital India.
The round also saw the participation from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Galaxy Digital, Galaxy Interactive, Tiger Global, Republic Capital and prominent investors like Alan Howard (Co-Founder, Brevan Howard) and Kevin…
Indonesian agritech start-up eFishery raises $90M Series C to expand throughout Asia
Indonesian agritech start-up eFishery announced Tuesday that it has successfully closed $90 million in its Series C round, making it the largest fundraise by an aquaculture technology start-up in the world.
This round of investment was co-led by Temasek, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, and Sequoia Capital India, with participation from existing investors including the Northstar Group, Go-Ventures,…
CT Corp, Salim, Bukalapak, Grab, Carro and Growtheum Capital Partners to buy into Indonesia’s Allo Bank right issue
Indonesian conglomerates CT Corp, Salim Group, e-commerce marketplace Bukalapak, ride-hailling firm Grab, used car marketplace Carro, and private equity firm Growtheum Capital Partners have jointly participated in the rights issue of Bank Allo to accelerate the expansion of credit services across Indonesia.
Bank Allo is a fully licensed bank offering personal, business, joint accounts…
Southeast Asia’s Top 10 tech news in 2021
In 2021, many parts of the world (perhaps excluding China and North Korea) including Southeast Asia are still very much affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, no thanks to the more infectious Delta-variant. Countries have to re-impose lockdowns and travel restrictions as the number of COVID-10 cases spiked. But the pandemic forces digital acceleration and digital transformation across various…
Hong Kong billionaire Adrian Cheng enters metaverse via investment in Animoca Brands’ The Sandbox
Adrian Cheng, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of Hong Kong-listed conglomerate New World Development Company Ltd, is the latest billionaire to invest in the metaverse. Cheng, the third-generation leader of the Hong Kong property giant, has joined and invested in The Sandbox, a decentralized gaming virtual world, and subsidiary of blockchain-focused game developer Animoca Brands.
The Sandbox…