And, Brazilian dental technology company SouSmile raised a $ 10 million Series A financing; Japanese coral capital launched a $ 25 million growth fund.
India
India ’s digital lender Capital Float completed a $ 15 million financing. According to DealStreetAsia, Bangalore-based digital lender Capital Float announced on Monday that it has raised $ 15 million in equity financing from existing investors such as Amazon, Ribbit Capital, SAIF Partners and Sequoia. The company will use the funds raised to expand its loan business to SMEs and retail consumers.
Temasek-backed NIIF funds seek foreign investment for shadow banking. According to DealStreetAsia, the fund mainly invests in Indian companies that build power plants, airports and highways. According to its chief executive, Sujoy Bose, the fund will begin to provide long-term loans through its new shadow banking subsidiary, Aseem Infrastructure Finance Ltd.
Paytm First Games partnered with ESPL to host a mobile esports competition in India. According to Venturebeat reports, the Indian mobile gaming platform Paytm First Games has partnered with the Esports Players League (ESPL) to host mobile eSports tournaments in India. ESPL, based in Singapore, has created an eSports competition and media network since the eSports competition in Asia. It hopes to provide amateur players with a path to become professional players.
Southeast Asia
Singapore travel company ComfortDelGro partnered with online grocery platform RedMart to develop grocery delivery business in Singapore. According to KrASIA reports, since the Singapore Land Transport Authority relaxed the rules and allowed taxi drivers to start delivery business, there have been more than 1,000 ComfortDelGro taxi drivers are interested in the plan and will receive RedMart training to start delivery work at the end of April.
Indonesia ’s digital payment platform LinkAja has officially launched the Shariah-compliant wallet service. According to KrASIA reports, LinkAja officially launched a wallet service that complies with Sharia law. LinkAja is the first mobile wallet approved by the National Shariah Council, which allows the platform to facilitate various payment methods that comply with Islamic rules.
Latin America
Brazilian dental technology company SouSmile raised $ 10 million in Series A financing. According to Latamlist, venture capital firm Global Founders Capital, Latin American VC Kaszek Ventures and Canary participated in this round of investment. SouSmile is a dental company that develops invisible braces as an alternative to braces. The company currently has five stores in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Middle East
Saudi Aramco said it will negotiate with the bank to seek a loan of about US $ 10 billion. According to DealStreetAsia, the participating banks include HSBC, JPMorgan Chase and lenders in the Gulf region. The loan is intended to help it acquire a 70% stake in Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).
Africa
The Nigerian biotech startup 54gene has raised $ 15 million in Series A financing. According to Techpoint, this round of financing was led by New York venture capital firm Adjuvant Capital. Investors included US investment companies Y Combinator, Fifty Years, KdT Ventures, Better Ventures, Aera VC and Pioneer Fund. Abasi Ene-Obong, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, said the funding would expand 54gene’s biobank to 200,000 copies.
Other
Japan Coral Capital launched a US $ 25 million growth fund. According to DealStreetAsia, Coral Capital has launched a $ 25.2 million growth fund to make post-investment in its most successful portfolio company. The company established a $ 45 million fund in March 2019. Investors include the brother of Mizuho Bank, Mitsubishi Real Estate, New World Bank and SoftBank CEO Sun Zhengyi.
Softbank-backed Korean e-commerce company Coupang’s operating losses in 2019 have decreased. According to DealStreetAsia, Coupang Corp, one of South Korea ’s largest e-commerce companies, said on Tuesday that its operating losses fell by a third last year, thanks to its expanded customer base and consumer demand for online appliances and groceries Surge.
Text | Luo Linqi @ 出海
Picture | Pexels
