Weekly Roundup: Asian tech news and startup deals

Techloy -

Here are the technology news, startup, and VC deals we tracked across the Asian region this week.

  • 🇸🇬 Singapore-based StaffAny, which provides a management platform for SMEs with shift workers in seven countries, including Malaysia and Indonesia, has raised a $3.4 million Series A led by GGV Capital, to expand into more markets.
  • 🇲🇾 Malaysia-based Dropee, a B2B wholesale platform that offers financial services to SMEs in Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, has closed $7 million in a Series A round comprising $3 million in equity and $4 million in debt, led by Vynn Capital.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian-based VerSe Innovation, the parent company of vernacular news aggregator Dailyhunt and maker of short video entertainment app Josh, raised close to $28 million from The Canada Pension Plan (CPP) Investment Board, per Entrackr.
  • 🇰🇷 South Korean agritech startup Greenlabs has closed a $140 million Series C round led by BRV Capital Management, with participation from Skylake Incuvest and SK Square, to expedite its global expansion.
  • 🇮🇩 Indonesian-based Moladin, a marketplace for used cars and motorbikes, has raised $42 million in a Series A funding round led by Northstar Group and Sequoia Capital India.
  • 🇻🇳 Vietnam-based Ancient8, a blockchain gaming guild that connects more than 10,000 blockchain game players, has raised $4 million in a seed funding round led by Dragonfly Capital, Pantera Capital, and Hashed, to democratize social and financial access in the Metaverse.
  • 🇮🇩 Indonesia-based e-commerce enabler Lummo (formerly BukuKas) has raised $80 million in a Series C funding led by Tiger Global and Sequoia Capital India.
  • 🇵🇭 Philippines-based BNPL startup BillEase has raised $11 million in a Series B round led by BurdaPrincipal Investments.
  • 🇮🇳 Bengaluru-based general insurance provider Digit Insurance has raised $70 million from Wellington Hadley Harbor and Ithan Creek Master Investors, at a valuation of $372 million, per Fintrackr's estimates.
  • 🇰🇷 South Korea-based HR management platform flex.team has secured a $32 million Series B round, led by Holm oaks with participation from DST Global Partners, at a valuation of $298 million.
  • 🇮🇳 Agritech startup Arya, which helps farmers in South Asia store and sell their produce and secure credit, has raised $60 million in a Series C round led by Luxembourg-based Asia Impact SA at a valuation of $300 million.
  • 🇮🇳 Student housing startup Your-Space.in has raised $10 million in Series A funding through a combination of pure equity and convertible debentures from a number of investors for the expansion and growth of its business.
  • 🇻🇳 Vietnamese social commerce platform Mio has raised $8 million in a Series A round led by Jungle Ventures.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian AI-driven health-tech startup Heaps Health Solutions, which offers AI-based patient engagement platforms to insurers, hospitals, and corporations, has raised $7.45 million in a Series A funding round led by NVS Wealth Managers and Rajiv Dadlani group.
  • 🇹🇷 Turkish mobile game developer Dream Games has raised $255 million in a new round of funding that would value the firm at $2.75 billion.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian-based ZingHR, which offers tech-driven solutions in the human resource sector, has raised $10 million from Tata Capital Growth Fund.
  • 🇨🇳 Chinese artificial intelligence startup Axera has raised $126 million from investors including food delivery giant Meituan.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian online beauty and grooming products marketplace Purplle has raised $38 million in its extended Series D round from Sequoia Capital and others, according to Entracker.
  • 🇸🇬 Singaporean industrial robotics company Sesto Robotics has raised $5.7 million in a Series A funding round from TRIVE, WTI, and SEEDS Capital.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian short-video platform Chingari has raised $15 million in funding led by Republic Capital.
  • 🇹🇼 Taiwan-based Zowie, a customer service automation platform has raised $5 million in funding led by Gradient Ventures and 10xFounders, with participation from Jack Altman, Markus Giesswein, and Inovo Venture Partners.
  • 🇸🇬 Singapore-based blockchain startup Web3Auth has raised $13 million in a Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India, with participation from Union Square Ventures and Multicoin Capital.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian IT company Tech Mahindra says it has acquired a 100% stake in Europe-based Com tec Co IT (CTC) and a 25% stake in two IT platforms - SWFT and Surance platform - for a total of €330 million to strengthen its digital engineering and insurance technology businesses.
  • 🇸🇬 Singapore-based logistics platform Haulio has raised $7 million in a Series A round led by Temasek unit Heliconia Capital, with participation from B7 Capital and Iterative.
  • 🇹🇷 Istanbul-based casual gaming startup Spyke, which builds multiplayer social games, has raised $55 million in a seed round from Griffin Gaming Partners, making it the largest Turkish seed round ever.
  • 🇸🇬 Singaporean live-streaming startup BeLive raised $4.5 million in fresh funding to expand its local operations across international markets such as Europe, the US, and the Middle East.
  • 🇰🇷 South Korean game ecosystem platform GXC has raised $9.1 million in funding led by KNET Investment Partners, with participation from Korea Development Bank, Tiger Asset Management Discretionary Invest, Vision-Creator, and Megazone.
  • 🇮🇳 Indian wealth management company INDmoney has raised $75 million in its latest round of funding from existing investors including Tiger Global.
  • SaaS Labs, which builds business automation tools for sales and support teams worldwide, raised $42 million in a funding round led by Sequoia Capital India.
  • Bengaluru-based silver jewelry startup Giva raised $10 million in a Series-A funding round led by Sixth Sense Ventures, A91 Partners, and other investors such as India Quotient, Grand Anicut Angel Fund, and Founder’s Bank Capital.
  • Bengaluru-based agritech firm BigHaat Agro raised $13.5 million in a round led by JM Financial Private Equity.
  • Online wealth manager Scripbox raised $21 million in debt and equity from Accel Partners and other investors.
  • M2P Fintech, a financial infrastructure provider, raised $56 million in a funding round led by New York-based private equity firm Insight Partners.
  • Robotics startup Addverb Technologies sold 54% of its stake to Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd., the retail unit of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries for $132 million.
  • Indian agritech startup Bijak raised around $20 million in a Series B round led by Bertelsman.
  • Social investment startup StockGro raised $32 million in a funding round led by Bitkraft Ventures, General Catalyst, and Lightricks cofounder Itai Tsiddon.
  • SaaS startup Rocketlane raised $18 million in a Series A funding round to expand its product offerings, hire more people and accelerate its marketing.
  • Indian cryptocurrency staking management platform Stader Labs raised $12.5 million in a funding round led by Three Arrows Capital, bringing its valuation to $450 million.
  • Edtech startup MyCaptain, which allows students to directly learn from young professionals, raised $3 million in a funding round led by Ankur Capital.
  • AppX, a platform that helps creators monetise their apps and websites, raised $1.3 million from Y Combinator, Global Founders Capital, and Rocket Internet.
  • Fresh produce foodtech venture Pluckk raised $5 million in a seed capital round from Exponentia Ventures.
  • NFT marketplace Diginoor raised $1 million in its seed funding round from Contrary Capital, Polygon Fund, and others.
  • Online social investing platform Threedots raised $4 million in a funding round led by Kalaari Capital.
  • Recruitment automation platform Kula raised $2.7 million in funding from Venture Highway, Together Fund, and Global Founders Capital.

The Draft provides a weekly roundup of the most important tech news across key emerging markets in Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East. Follow the rest of our coverage @techloy on Twitter.