SoftBank is best known in Japan as a mobile operator but the company, which is behind the near-$100 billion Vision Fund, is increasingly getting into other types of consumer services in its homeland. The Japanese firm last month launched a parking app, it is in the midst of rolling out a taxi-hailing service in conjunction […]
View More SoftBank’s move into new services continues with plan for a payment service in JapanCategory: Ant Financial
Alibaba’s Ant Financial fintech affiliate raises $14 billion to continue its global expansion
Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate connected to Alibaba which operates the Alipay mobile payment service, has confirmed that it has closed a Series C funding round that totals an enormous $14 billion. The rumors have been flying about this huge financing deal for the past month or so, with multiple publications reporting that Ant […]
View More Alibaba’s Ant Financial fintech affiliate raises $14 billion to continue its global expansionEquity podcast: More funding for scooters, Cruise gets a boost, and Chinese IPOs
Hello and welcome back to Equity, TechCrunch’s venture capital-focused podcast where we unpack the numbers behind the headlines. This week was fun. Back in the studio, Connie Loizos, Matthew Lynley, your humble servant, and Ramneek Gupta, managing director of Citi Ventures was with us to provide the venture perspective. As you can probably guess, we got […]
View More Equity podcast: More funding for scooters, Cruise gets a boost, and Chinese IPOsChina’s SenseTime, the world’s highest-valued AI startup, closes $620M follow-on round
SenseTime, the world’s highest-valued AI company with a valuation of over $4.5 billion, is back in the money again. The company raised $600 million in an Alibaba-led financing round announced last month, and now it has added a further $620 million to that with a “Series C+” round announced today. Alibaba led the previous deal, […]
View More China’s SenseTime, the world’s highest-valued AI startup, closes $620M follow-on roundAlibaba beats forecasts with 61% growth and predicts more of the same for the next year
Alibaba is forecasting yet more growth for its business after it beat analyst forecasts with its fourth-quarter results. Revenue came in at 61.9 billion RMB ($9.9 billion), an increase of 61 percent year-over-year, which topped a 59.6 billion RMB prediction from analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence. The company’s net income for the quarter did […]
View More Alibaba beats forecasts with 61% growth and predicts more of the same for the next yearAsia-based recruitment app GetLinks nabs investment led by Alibaba’s Hong Kong fund
GetLinks, a Thailand-based startup that offers a job finder app in six countries Southeast Asia and neighboring regions, has closed new funding led by Australia’s Seek group and Alibaba’s Hong Kong Entrepreneur fund. The size of the investment was not disclosed. GetLinks previously raised $500,000 in 2016, and it later added $150,000 more to that […]
View More Asia-based recruitment app GetLinks nabs investment led by Alibaba’s Hong Kong fundDespite IPO surge, Hong Kong investors aren’t tech savvy, warns Razer CEO
Xiaomi and Ant Financial are two of a cluster of major tech names being linked with IPOs in Hong Kong. But, despite a burst of upcoming tech listings and new measures that are tipped to encourage more, the country still has some way to go to match the U.S. as a destination for startup exits, […]
View More Despite IPO surge, Hong Kong investors aren’t tech savvy, warns Razer CEOReport: Smartphone usage set to overtake time spent watching TV in China
2018 is the year that smartphone usage eclipses time spent watching TV in China and it’s all down to the growth of digital video platforms, according to a new report from eMarketer. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this had already happened in China, which happens to be the world’s largest smartphone market, but eMarketer forecasts […]
View More Report: Smartphone usage set to overtake time spent watching TV in ChinaAlibaba’s Ant Financial is reportedly raising billions more at a valuation of at least $100B
Ant Financial, the Alibaba affiliate that looks after the firm’s hugely popular Alipay service, is reportedly gearing up for an enormous funding round that could take its valuation to $100-$150 billion. The Wall Street Journal reported that Ant is in talks to raise upwards of $9 billion at the $100 billion mark, while Bloomberg suggested […]
View More Alibaba’s Ant Financial is reportedly raising billions more at a valuation of at least $100BSoftBank leads $450M investment in Paytm’s e-commerce business
SoftBank is at it again giving money companies that rival startups it has already invested in. The Japanese firm and its long-time ally (and existing Paytm backer) Alibaba have come together to invest $450 million more into Paytm’s e-commerce business, Paytm Mall, as first reported by Mint. The deal is said to value the business at $1.6-$2 […]
View More SoftBank leads $450M investment in Paytm’s e-commerce businessAlibaba is picking up 33% of Ant Financial, its fintech affiliate that’s valued at over $60B
Alibaba has added an additional angle to the announcement of its latest financial report today with news that it is taking a 33 percent stake in Ant Financial, its fintech affiliate that operates Alipay and other financial services. The deal, which both parties said stems from an agreement made in 2014, will see Alibaba pick up newly issued shares in Ant, seemingly paving the way for a… Read More
The US government blocks MoneyGram’s $1.2B sale to Alibaba’s Ant Financial
The proposed acquisition of global payment service MoneyGram by Alibaba’s Ant Financial is off after the U.S. government blocked the $1.2 billion deal.
Ant Financial, the Alibaba affiliate which controls Alipay — China’s top mobile wallet — and other financial services, announced a deal to buy Nasdaq-listed MoneyGram in April 2017 after it beat off a rival bid from… Read More