Catherine Shu
Writer
The Latest from Catherine Shu
Ajaib raises $65M Series A extension led by Ribbit Capital, increasing the round’s total to $90M
Ajaib, the Indonesian investment app, has added $65 million to its Series A, bringing the round’s new total to $90 million. The extension was led by Ribbit Capital, the fintech investor that also le
‘Link-in-bio’ company Linktree raises $45M Series B for its social commerce features
If you browse Instagram, you are probably familiar with the term “link in bio.” Links aren’t allowed in post captions, and users are only allowed one URL in their bios, so many create a
YC-backed Homebase is an alternative to traditional mortgages for home buyers in Vietnam
The home ownership rate in Vietnam is about 90%, but many millennials are struggling to join that number. Rising property prices in cities, coupled with a lack of financing options, mean more people h
Hong Kong-based viAct raises $2M for its automated construction monitoring platform
Hong Kong-based viAct helps construction sites perform around-the-clock monitoring with an AI-based cloud platform that combines computer vision, edge devices and a mobile app. The startup announced t
UI-licious gets $1.5M led by Monk’s Hill Ventures to simplify automated UI testing for web apps
UI-licious, a Singapore-based startup that simplifies automated user interface testing for web applications, announced today it has raised $1.5 million in pre-Series A funding. The round was led by Mo
Indonesian social commerce app KitaBeli gets $10M led by Go Ventures
KitaBeli, an Indonesian social commerce app for group buying, announced today it has raised a $10 million Series A. The round was led by Go Ventures, whose cornerstone investor is Gojek, with particip
Cross-border fintech Airwallex raises $100M Series D extension at new valuation of $2.6B
Airwallex, the fintech company for cross-border businesses, announced today it has added $100 million more to its Series D round, bumping its valuation up to $2.6 billion. The extension was led by Gre
Jeff raises $1M to build alternative credit scoring and other fintech products for Southeast Asia
According to the World Bank, more than one billion people in South and East Asia lack access to a bank account. For many, this makes it difficult to secure loans and other services because they don’
Indonesian savings and investment app Pluang gets $20M in pre-Series B funding
Indonesia-based fintech Pluang announced today it has raised $20 million in a pre-Series B round led by Openspace Ventures, with participation from Go Ventures and other returning investors. The compa
Singapore-based M Capital Management closes $30.85M debut fund to invest in Southeast Asian startups
M Capital Management, a Singapore-based venture capital firm, announced today it has closed its debut fund, M Venture Partners (MVP), totaling $30.85 million USD. It plans to invest in 40 early-stage
Sentry adds performance monitoring for React Native, Android and Xamarin
Sentry, the company that helps developers catch bugs before they result in downtime, has added support for React Native, Android and Xamarin to its Performance Monitoring software. The company, which
Financial API provider Brick is building the infrastructure for open banking in Southeast Asia
The adoption of financial apps is surging in Southeast Asian markets like Indonesia, the region’s most populous country. Founded by fintech veterans last year, Brick develops APIs that make it easie
How localization leader Iyuno Media Group opens entertainment to international audiences
Video-streaming platforms have signed up more subscribers during COVID-19 lockdowns, and that growth is expected to continue after the pandemic, showcasing more international content. When subtitles
Building-code compliance startup UpCodes gets $3.36M in pre-Series A funding
UpCodes, a startup that develops building-code compliance tools, announced today it has raised $3.36 million in pre-Series A funding. This brings its total raised so far to $4.15 million. The new fund
Zeller, a fintech founded by Square alumni, raises $25M AUD Series A led by Lee Fixel’s Addition
Zeller, a payment and financial services startup founded by former Square executives, quietly raised a $25 million AUD (about $19.4 million USD) Series A last year, it announced today. The funding was
How Coupang is ‘out-Amazoning even Amazon,’ according to Goodwater Capital
Korean e-commerce giant Coupang is expected to hold one of the biggest tech IPOs of the year on March 11. The company disclosed earlier this month that it is seeking up to $3.6 billion at a potential
SIP Global Partners announces first close of its $150M fund to bring U.S. startups into Japan
Japan is under discussed as an expansion target for American startups, but in the past few years it has become a top market for companies like Slack, Salesforce, Twitter and, more recently, Clubhouse.
Pegasus Tech Ventures and Japanet launch new $50M fund to bring global startups to Nagasaki
Pegasus Tech Ventures, a firm that helps corporations launch startup investment funds, announced a new partnership with Japanet today. Japanet, one of Japan’s largest television shopping compani
Taipei-based Influenxio gets $2M from DCM Ventures for its ‘microinfluencer’ marketing platform
“Microinfluencers” are gaining clout among marketers. Though they may have as little as a thousand followers, microinfluencers tend to focus on specific content and be seen as more engagin
Praava Health raises $10.6M to increase access to quality healthcare in Bangladesh
Before launching Praava Health, a company that combines telemedicine with physical clinics, Sylvana Sinha had a successful career in international law, including serving as a foreign policy advisor to