BluSmart raises USD 24 million in pre-Series B round
BluSmart, a Gurugram-based electric mobility startup, has raised USD 24 million in a pre-Series B funding round. The investment saw participation from responsAbility Investments AG, Sumant Sinha, the family office of cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, existing investors, and the founders.
The funds will support BluSmart’s expansion plans, including expanding its fleet to 8,000 electric vehicles and building additional charging infrastructure across major Indian cities.
Alphabet in talks to acquire Wiz for USD 23 billion
Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is in advanced negotiations to acquire cybersecurity startup Wiz for approximately USD 23 billion, according to a WSJ report.
If completed, this acquisition would be Alphabet’s largest to date. The deal comes amid heightened antitrust scrutiny of major tech companies and aims to bolster Alphabet’s cloud computing segment, where it currently lags behind competitors.
Founded in 2020 by CEO Assaf Rappaport, Wiz specializes in cybersecurity software for cloud computing. It raised USD 1 billion earlier this year, valuing the company at USD 12 billion. The acquisition would provide a significant exit for investors like Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Index Ventures, and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
Telkomsel Ventures leads investment in AI startup Tictag
Telkomsel Ventures, the investment arm of Indonesian telecommunications company Telkomsel, led artificial intelligence startup Tictag’s latest funding round, according to Kontan. The round also saw participation from M Venture Partners, East Ventures, Investible, and SBI Ven Capital.
Tictag focuses on developing high-quality AI through a crowdsourcing platform for data collection and annotation. Tictag plans to use the funds to expand its business in Indonesia and Asia, enhancing its applied AI services in various sectors.
Niv Della bags USD 2 million in DSG-led round
Niv Della Beauty Innovations, the company behind D2C brands Colourette and Fresh Formula, has bagged USD 2 million in funding, according to e27. The round was led by DSG Consumer Partners, with existing investor Foxmont Capital Partners also participating.
The funds will be used to hire key talent, develop products, and launch new marketing campaigns. Founded in 2015 by Nina Dizon-Cabrera, Niv Della caters to the Philippine market with products suited for local skin tones and climate. The company has been expanding its presence in retail stores nationwide and plans further growth with this new investment.
Kindred reportedly secures USD 2.5 million
Kindred, a women’s health platform based in the Philippines, has reportedly secured USD 2.5 million in the first tranche of its pre-Series A funding round, according to a DealStreetAsia report. The round was led by Integra Partners and included participation from Kaya Founders, KSR Ventures, Pawikan Capital Group, Tenco Capital, and Ava Zobel Pessina.
An additional USD 3 million commitment for a second tranche will follow upon reaching certain milestones, totaling USD 5.5 million.
Launched in 2021, Kindred plans to use the funds to establish new clinics, enhance its digital platform, and expand its service offerings.
Recent deals completed in China:
- AusperBio, a biopharmaceutical company with operations in China and the US, has completed a USD 37 million Series A funding round. This round was led by existing investor InnoPinnacle Fund, with participation from new investors including Yuanbio Venture Capital, Qiming Venture Partners, Hankang Capital, and Genesis Capital.
- Meet Future, a Shanghai-based semiconductor automated material handling systems (AMHS) provider, has secured RMB 100 million (USD 13.7 million) in a Series C funding round. The round was led by Dazhong Juding, with participation from Jingyou Capital. The funds will be used for R&D, to expand overseas production capabilities, and accelerate the global deployment of its products. —36Kr
- Watson Rally, a Shanghai-based automobile components and systems developer, has raised tens of millions of RMB in a pre-Series A funding round. The funding was led by Blue Lake Capital, with participation from Haibang Venture and PDVC, while Cherish Capital, an existing investor, continued to invest. Gaw Capital Partners acted as the exclusive financial advisor. —36Kr
- FibroX, a Shanghai-based cell therapy solution developer, completed its angel round of financing, raising tens of millions of RMB. The round was co-led by Shanghai Kinetic Medical and Zhangke Hemiao Fund, with participation from HY Capital. The funds will be utilized to develop cell therapy products for degenerative disc disease. —36Kr
- Jingyun Intelligence, a provider of various technology solutions, has raised tens of millions of RMB in a pre-Series A funding round. The funding was led by Oriza Seed, with participation from Qianrong Venture Capital. The funds will be used to optimize Jingyun OS, its industrial artificial intelligence platform, and to develop AI products focused on specific industrial applications. —36Kr
- LimX Dynamics, a general robotics company, has raised a nine-figure RMB sum in a Series A funding round. The investors include Alibaba Group, China Merchants Venture, and Shang Qi Capital, with participation from FreesFund, Vitalbridge, and Future Capital. —36Kr
- Guimu Robot, a robotic solutions provider, has completed a Series A+ round of financing. The investment sum was not disclosed. —36Kr
HongShan, Partior, Miridih, and more led last Friday’s headlines:
- HongShan, formerly Sequoia Capital’s China unit, reportedly raised RMB 18 billion (USD 2.5 billion) for its latest fund. Backed by the Hangzhou city government and several private and state-owned insurance companies, the new fund aims to invest in technology startups in China.
- Partior, a fintech company facilitating real-time clearing and settlement over a unified ledger, announced the first close of a USD 60 million Series B round. The round was led by Peak XV Partners and included new investors Valor Capital Group and Jump Trading Group, alongside existing shareholders JP Morgan, Standard Chartered, and Temasek.
- Miridih, known for its software-as-a-service design platform MiriCanvas, secured KRW 20 billion (USD 14.5 million) in a Series B funding round. The investors include Kiwoom PE, the Industrial Bank of Korea (IBK), Shinhan Venture Investment, and GN Tech Venture Capital.
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