Messaging company Line is continuing to burrow deep into the crypto space after it announced the launch of a $10 million investment fund. The fund will be operated by Line’s Korea-based blockchain subsidiary Unblock Corporation, which is tasked with research, education and other blockchain-related services. The fund will be called Unblock Ventures and it’ll initially have […]
View More Messaging firm Line launches a dedicated crypto fundCategory: Indonesia
WeWork China rival Ucommune raises $43.5M more at a $1.8B valuation
Barely weeks after WeWork China raised $500 million, one of its main rivals is refueling its tanks too. Ucommune — the company formerly known as UrWork until a WeWork lawsuit forced a rebrand — announced its $43.5 million Series C round. Beijing-based Ucommune’s new round was led by real estate-focused investment firms Prosperity Holdings and RK […]
View More WeWork China rival Ucommune raises $43.5M more at a $1.8B valuationThree Indonesian tech unicorns unite to back digital insurance startup
It’s almost unheard of to see three unicorns join forces to fund a startup, but that’s exactly what has happened in Indonesia. Ride-hailing company Go-Jek, e-commerce firm Tokopedia and travel booking startup Traveloka — each of which is valued in the billions of U.S. dollars — have come together to provide a Series A funding […]
View More Three Indonesian tech unicorns unite to back digital insurance startupGrab picks up $2 billion more to fuel growth in post-Uber Southeast Asia
Grab, the ride-hailing service that struck a deal to take Uber out of Southeast Asia, has announced that it has pulled in $2 billion in new capital as it seeks to go beyond ride-hailing to offer more on-demand services. The $2 billion figure includes a $1 billion investment from Toyota which was announced in June, […]
View More Grab picks up $2 billion more to fuel growth in post-Uber Southeast AsiaGo-Jek kicks off Southeast Asia expansion with Vietnam launch
Go-Jek, the Indonesia-based ride-sharing company valued at $5 billion, has begun its ambitious plan to increase its rivalry with Grab by expanding into three new markets after it opened shop in Vietnam. The service — which is known as Go-Viet — covers an initial 12 districts in Ho Chi Minh City with a motorbike on-demand service. Rival […]
View More Go-Jek kicks off Southeast Asia expansion with Vietnam launchExperian leads $28M investment in Southeast Asia fintech startup C88
Experian is making its first major bet on Southeast Asia and its population of over 650 million consumers after the financial credit giant backed Singapore-based C88 Financial Technologies, which operates financial marketplaces that help lenders reach new audiences. C88 today announced a $28 million Series C investment round that’s led by Experian with participation from a host […]
View More Experian leads $28M investment in Southeast Asia fintech startup C88Chat app Line gets serious about gaming with its latest acquisition
Line, the company best-known for its popular Asian messaging app, is doubling down on games after it acquired a controlling stake in Korean studio NextFloor for an undisclosed amount. NextFloor, which has produced titles like Dragon Flight and Destiny Child, will be merged with Line’s games division to form the Line Games subsidiary. Dragon Flight […]
View More Chat app Line gets serious about gaming with its latest acquisitionKredivo raises $30M to build a digital credit card for Southeast Asia
FinAccel, a Southeast Asia-based startup that offers a digital credit card service in Indonesia, has closed a $30 million Series B round as it begins to consider overseas expansion. The company launched its ‘Kredivo’ service two years ago to help consumers pay online in Southeast Asia, where credit card penetration is typically low, and it is essentially […]
View More Kredivo raises $30M to build a digital credit card for Southeast AsiaIndia’s BookMyShow pulls in $100M to grow its online ticketing business
BookMyShow, an online ticketing service for cinemas, theatres and sports in India, has pulled in $100 million in new capital for growth. The Series D round was led by private investment firm TPG Growth and it included participation from undisclosed existing investors. BookMyShow, which is headquartered in Mumbai, has now raised a total of $225 million […]
View More India’s BookMyShow pulls in $100M to grow its online ticketing businessChat app Line to launch crypto exchange in July but it won’t cover US or Japan
Messaging app firm Line has confirmed it will launch a cryptocurrency exchange called BitBox next month. The company said back in January that it planned to enter the crypto space with an exchange, but today it said that the BitBox service won’t be available for users in the U.S. and Japan — that’s presumably down […]
View More Chat app Line to launch crypto exchange in July but it won’t cover US or JapanGo-Jek prepares to launch ride-hailing services in Vietnam and Thailand
It looks like Indonesian ride-hailing firm Go-Jek will finally initiate its long-awaited expansion in Southeast Asia over the next month. The company announced today that it’ll launch businesses in Vietnam and Thailand under the names of Go-Viet and Get, respectively, using a model that sees local founders run each business independently with backing from local […]
View More Go-Jek prepares to launch ride-hailing services in Vietnam and ThailandAlibaba’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 expansion