IoT company UnaBiz raises US$25M Series B led by SPARX Group
Other backers in the round are CDIB, G K Goh and Thaioil; The fresh funds will be used to strengthen the scaleup’s foothold in Japan, SEA and EMEA; The startup’s data platform UnaConnect aims to bridge the gap between fragmented IoT data collection technologies and enterprise systems.
‘There were stark differences in abilities, opinions, working styles among partners’: Gail Wong on Her Capital shutdown
The decision to close it down was driven more by concerns around the partnership’s ability to deliver on our commitment to LPs and founders; Her Capital was a US$10M seed fund targetting female founders in SEA.
Entity owned by Emtek exec helps Grab trim stake in OVO, comply with regulations
According to filings, Grab now holds 79.5% of shares in Ovo’s parent company after the latter’s new rights issue; That brings Grab’s stake down from the previous 90% it had after purchasing shares earlier this month from Tokopedia, Lippo, and Tokyo Century.
GoTo buys out foreign investors’ stake in GoPay to become sole owner
The move is part of the business streamlining exercise ahead of GoTo’s planned IPO; Through multiple transactions that were completed on Oct 4, GoTo increased its ownership in GoPay to 100% from 70.8% previously as it acquired shares from 9 foreign entities, including Facebook, Google, PayPal, and Tencent.
Lippo pursuing SoftBank Vision Fund-like model for Multipolar
It will follow a similar structure as the Vision Fund where SoftBank is the biggest LP as well as the fund manager; Multipolar will look to raise capital from external LPs for its big tech investments bets; With a net asset value of US$1.5-2B, Multipolar has invested in 40+ firms so far.
Airalo secures US$5.4M Series A led by Rakuten to expand its global eSIM coverage
Other backers include Sequoia Surge, Antler, Singtel Innov8, LG Technology Ventures, and GO Ventures; Airalo allows users to download an affordable plan directly to their phone without the hassle of needing to exchange a SIM card.
Upmesh scores US$3M seed financing to provide e-commerce functionality for live sellers on social media
Investors are Beenext, Prasetia Dwidharma Ventures, iSeed SEA, BukuWarung founders, and Zopim co-founders; Upmesh has onboarded nearly 300 merchants in Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines and claims it processes ~US$40M in annualised GMV.
Crypto exchange Binance says Ireland is part of its HQ plans
Regulators across the world have in recent months scrutinised Binance, the world’s largest exchange by trading volumes; Some have banned the platform from certain activities, while others have warned consumers that it was unlicensed to operate.
B2C e-commerce exports to reach US$2.6b by 2026 in SG: report
According to an Amazon and AlphaBeta report, Singapore’s B2C exports – with an estimated annual value of US$1B this year – could grow almost 3x, reaching US$2.6B by 2026; however, this growth rests on MSME accelerating their pace of using e-commerce platforms to sell overseas.
Creative Galileo raises US$2.5M Kalaari Capital
The company focuses on the six learning domains – numeracy, language, arts and aesthetics, social and emotional learning, motor skills, and discovery of the world — via narrative videos, gamification and personalised learning journeys.
Indonesia’s largest online forum Kaskus shutters its podcast platform after 3 years
Founded in 1999, Kaskus is an online forum with the most members in Indonesia; In 2011, it was backed by GDP Venture; Kaskus launched its podcast service in 2018 to increase the variety of its forum’s content; At the same time, it also launched short video platform Kaskus TV and blogging website Kaskus Creator.
Indonesian healthtech startup KlinikGo raises seed round
Investors are Risjadson Holding & Investment, Gaido Group, and 5Digital Ventures; KlinikGo provides clinic-booking, telemedicine, and homecare services; The company also has a partnership with local insurtech startup Lifepal.
AI-powered social and dating app Fika raises US$1.6M
Investors are VNV Global and unknown angels and entrepreneurs; Unlike other dating apps which rely on people returning time and again, Fika’s focus on the full spectrum of connections, and real-world interactions makes it stand out.
Talino Venture Labs banks US$1.25M to grow its inclusive fintech venture studio
Investors are Foxmont Capital, Johnsen Global Business Ventures, and Manila Angel Investors Network; Talino builds repeatable, scalable, and profitable fintech firms that empower underserved groups with financial access and mobility.
StratifiCare attracts seed funding from ADB Ventures, Sprout
StratifiCare develops a broad range of predictive in-vitro diagnostics solutions to power personalised medicine; The company says each solution can minimise hospital (re)admissions, reduce the usage of ineffective treatments, and enhance patient outcomes.
Solarvest offers seed, accelerator fund for renewables, green tech, fintech
Successful new ventures will receive a seed fund amounting to RM10,000 to prove a concept within six months; To bring them up to speed, SIL 2021 will also provide amongst others, special business workshops, business coaching, and physical workplaces.
Teen sells startup to Lazada founder-backed Una Brands for US$730K
Australian startup Bellaforte sells affordable, unbreakable drinkware – which is also reusable and recyclable – via Amazon marketplace; In 2020, Bellaforte turned profitable, which made 15-year-old Sam Richards eye an exit strategy that would allow him to capitalise on this peak success.
—
Image Credit: UnaBiz
The post Ecosystem Roundup: UnaBiz raises US$25M Series B; Airalo, Upmesh, KlinikGo secure funding appeared first on e27.