SEA
Philippines small medium enterprise (SME) lending startup First Circle raises US$26m. The company has raised US$28.5m to date. (KrASIA)
Indonesian B2B marketplace Ralali launches inhouse digital wallet. Some e-commerce companies seem to be changing their preference from third-party payment options to those developed inhouse. (KrASIA)
Singapore’s Land Transport Authority (LTA) will grant full licences to six bike-sharing operators by the end of this month. The six include Mobike, ofo, and SG Bike. (Channelnewsasia)
Indonesian modem rental company Passpod prepares for an IPO this month on the Indonesian Stock Exchange. The company seeks to raise Rp 40 billion (US$2.6 million) by offering 130 million shares at Rp 250-Rp 375. (Dealstreetasia)
Go-Jek is rumoured to be entering Singapore soon. If it happens, Go-Jek’s expansion into Singapore will be one to watch, as the city-state has been home to its strongest and most well-funded rival Grab. (KrAsia)
China
Tencent Music files with US SEC to raise US$1 billion. The music streaming spin-off of Tencent is seeking to raise US$1b via its US public offering, trading under the ticker symbol “TME”. (KrASIA)
China’s Morningside Venture Capital has raised US$593 million for its Evolution funds. According to US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records, Morningside Venture Capital has raised US$395.5 million out of a targeted US$600 million for its Evolution Fund I and US$197.8 million out of a targeted US$300 million for its Evolution Special Opportunity Fund I. (KrASIA)
Tencent’s HR says that the company has no plans to layoff employees as the company restructures. Tencent released a statement to a Chinese news outlet saying that no massive layoff will result from its structural adjustment. (Technode)
Tencent-invested Dmall.com has opened an offline retail store with Chinese supermarket chain Wumart. The futuristic new store allows customers to make payments via WeChat and provides delivery to their doorsteps. (Technode)
Elsewhere
US- and Israel-headquartered enterprise file management company CTERA Networks has raised US$30 million in a Series D funding round. The round was led by Red Dot Capital Partners and SingTel Innov8. (KrASIA)
Emerson Electric acquires General Electric’s intelligent platforms division. News comes after General Electric’s CEO John Flannery was replaced yesterday. (Reuters)
Mazda aims for 95% of its cars to be electric hybrids by 2030. 95% of Mazda’s cars will be gasoline-electric hybrids while 5% will be all-battery electric vehicles. (Reuters)
Temasek joins US$70 million Series B funding round for US agriculture startup Pivot Bio. As a result of the deal, Dheeraj Mehta, Director at Temasek, will join Pivot Bio’s board. (Dealstreetasia)
