HD snags USD 5.6 million to build the Sierra AI of Southeast Asia
HD, a health tech startup, has secured USD 5.6 million in a Series A funding round led by SBI Ven Capital, through its joint fund with Kyobo Securities and NTUitive (Nanyang Technological University). M Venture Partners, Febe Ventures, Partech Partners, Ratio Ventures, Orvel Ventures, and TA Ventures also participated in this round.
Founded in 2019, HD operates a marketplace for healthcare and surgery services, serving Thailand, Indonesia, and other countries in Southeast Asia.
In an interview with TechCrunch, co-founder and CEO Sheji Ho said that HD is aiming to build the Sierra AI of Southeast Asia.
HD is training chatbots with data accumulated over the years from various sources, enabling them to handle part of the workload traditionally borne by staff. This approach not only reduces costs but also assists staff in focusing on higher-value tasks, thereby improving operational efficiency.
Recognizing the disparity in available resources compared to US providers of similar solutions, HD’s focus is on building vertical AI, utilizing domain-specific data proprietary to a certain business or industry.
With this funding, HD intends to introduce a new chatbot for its marketplace within the next three months and to open up the technology for third-party use by the end of 2024.
WasteX raises USD 450,000 to expand across Indonesia
WasteX, a climate tech startup, has raised USD 450,000 from P4G Partnerships.
Operating in Indonesia and the Philippines, WasteX collaborates with farmers to turn biomass into biochar using its proprietary carbonizer technology. While such equipment usually runs on electricity, WasteX’s solution utilizes biomass fuel and gas captured from burning organic matter.
WasteX told Tech in Asia that it plans to use the newly raised capital to partner with mills and poultry farms in Indonesia, establishing biochar production facilities across the archipelagic nation.
Viruma secures funding from Cyber Agent Capital
Viruma, an Indonesian prop tech platform, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding from Cyber Agent Capital, a Japan-based venture capital firm.
According to Kontan, this investment is aimed at supporting the development of digital technology for property marketing. Viruma told the media outlet that the capital will be used to develop the Viruma Apps platform, which will comprise tools to create virtual mockups and models of homes, thereby enhancing the experience of consumers searching for and purchasing properties.
Animoca Brands invests in Xion
Animoca Brands, a Hong Kong-based Web3 company, has participated in the USD 25 million funding round of Xion, a US-headquartered blockchain platform. The round included participation from other investors including Laser Digital (Nomura), Multicoin, Arrington Capital, Draper Dragon, Sfermion, and Golden Tree.
According to a statement by Burnt, the entity overseeing Xion, the capital will be used to further develop the blockchain platform and its ecosystem.
Recent deals completed in China:
- Zhongjin Semiconductor, a Shenzhen-registered company focused on the development of plasma-based dry etching systems, has raised an eight-figure RMB sum in an angel funding round from Guoke BOE, State Nuclear Power Investment Corporation, and Wangzhong Investment. The funds will primarily be used for platform construction, procurement of prototyping equipment, core process development, and talent acquisition. —36Kr
- Keruisi (Precise Numerical Control Technology), a Guangdong-registered developer of computer numerical control (CNC) technology, has raised an undisclosed sum of capital from CDH Investments. —36Kr
- OriOsmo, a Huzhou-based company specializing in high-performance membrane separation materials, has bagged new funding after completing sequential investment rounds, including a Series A round that raised over RMB 100 million (USD 13.8 million). The lead investors include Zheshang Venture Capital (ZSVC), Caitong Innovation, and Glory Ventures. Other investors that participated in these rounds include Changxing Financial Holdings, Caitong Capital, Zhangpei Capital, Minsheng Securities, Ruixia Investment, and other institutions. —36Kr
- UniXell, a Shanghai-registered developer of cell therapy drugs, has announced the completion of a nine-figure RMB sum Series A funding round, with Tasly and leading domestic funds jointly leading the investment. The capital will be used to accelerate the company’s pipeline research and clinical trial processes, furthering the development and industrialization of cell therapy drugs. —36Kr
- ScieHome, a life sciences company focused on developing ultrasonic technology and drug-device combination products, has announced the completion of a pre-Series A funding round led by Oriza Seed, with Ruihong Investment participating as a follow-up investor. The company raised an eight-figure RMB sum. —36Kr
- Tianyi Microelectronics, a microdisplay chip design company, has raised an undisclosed amount of equity funding from Hangjin Investment Fund. The funds will support the company’s R&D and product development efforts. —36Kr
Latest funding deals in India:
- BeepKart, a retailer of refurbished two-wheelers, has extended its Series A round by securing INR 540 million from its existing investors including Chiratae Ventures, Stellaris Venture Partners, and Vertex Ventures. The company currently operates in Bengaluru and Chennai and plans to expand its operations to other cities in India. —Entrackr
- Planys Technologies, a provider of underwater robotic inspection and surveillance solutions, has raised USD 4 million in its ongoing pre-Series A round. The investors consist of Himalaya Finance, Golden Birch Investments, Krishna Defence, Impact India Investments, SiriusOne Capital, and several individuals including Ashish Ramesh Kacholia, Shalini Chhabra, and Puneet Gupta. —Entrackr
- SiftHub, an artificial intelligence-powered sales platform, has raised USD 5.5 million in a seed funding round jointly led by Matrix Partners India and Blume Ventures. The round also saw participation from Neon Fund as well as several angel investors. SiftHub is headquartered in the US and has an R&D office in Mumbai. —VCCircle
- Rocksport, a provider of adventure and sports programs, has closed its Series A funding round at USD 3 million, securing funding from Brand Capital (The Times of India). According to VCCircle, Rocksport CEO Amit Goyal said the company would use the funds to finance advertising and brand-building initiatives.
- Vodex, an AI-powered sales assistant developer, has raised USD 2 million in a seed funding round from Unicorn India Ventures and Pentathlon Ventures. The funds will be used to expand Vodex’s footprint and for hiring. —VCCircle
- Ono, an agriculture-focused digitization platform, has raised USD 1.3 million in a seed funding round led by Aeravti Ventures. The round also saw participation from Indigram Labs. Ono’s platform is aimed at addressing pain points within the agricultural ecosystem, including access to formal credit, price intelligence, market discovery, and operational inefficiencies. —VCCircle
- Arch0, a cloud security solutions provider, has emerged from stealth following the completion of a pre-seed funding round, raising USD 1.25 million. The round was led by Leo Capital and saw participation from Village Global, Indian Silicon Valley Capital, Appreciate Capital, SuperMorpheus, and undisclosed angel investors. Arch0 will use the capital for R&D, talent acquisition, and to strengthen its marketing and educational initiatives. —VCCircle
- Mave Health, a mental health startup using neurotechnology to treat depression, has raised INR 60 million (USD 718,960) in a pre-seed funding round jointly led by All-In Capital and iSeed Fund. The round also saw participation from Bharat Founders Fund and various angel investors. This investment will support Mave Health in launching Arc, a non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) wearable. —VCCircle
Singlife, FishLog, AUO, and more led yesterday’s headlines:
- Singlife Philippines, a digital insurance company, has received PHP 600 million (USD 10.6 million) from its parent company, Singapore Life Holdings. The company said it will use the funds to promote further growth and innovation in Southeast Asia, particularly in the field of digital technology.
- FishLog, an Indonesian aquaculture-focused cold chain logistics company, has closed its pre-Series A funding round, with investment from Accel, Insignia Ventures Partners, and Saison Capital, among others. The amount raised was undisclosed.
- AUO Corporation, a display panel maker based in Taiwan, finalized its acquisition of automotive parts manufacturer BHTC for EUR 600 million (USD 636.4 million).
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