Japan’s Kawasaki ups stake in DRB-Hicom’s two-wheeler unit for $9.7m

April 28, 2019 Japan’s Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd (KHI) has upped its stake in DRB-Hicom-backed national motorcycle company Motosikal dan Enjin Nasional Sdn Bhd (Modenas), from 19 per cent to 30 per cent, it said in a statement on Friday. DRB-Hicom Bhd has entered into an agreement with KHI to sell an additional 14.3 million… Continue reading Japan’s Kawasaki ups stake in DRB-Hicom’s two-wheeler unit for $9.7m

India Dealbook: Quick Ride raises VC money, Omnivore closes second fund at $97m

April 25, 2019 Sequoia Capital, Naspers and Venture Highway have invested Rs 100.78 crore ($14.4 million) in car- and bike-pooling startup Quick Ride to help the company expand its operations. Meanwhile, Impact investment fund Omnivore announced the close of its second fund at $97 million, higher than its target of $75 million. Sequoia, Naspers, Venture… Continue reading India Dealbook: Quick Ride raises VC money, Omnivore closes second fund at $97m

India Dealbook: Vue.ai, Leadstart, EnKash, Sensivision, Kozhnosys raise early-stage funding

April 25, 2019 AI start-up Vue.ai, publishing firm Leadstart Publishing and EnKash, a B2B payments management and automation platform, join the burgeoning list of elite startups to raise capital, signalling an increased investor interest in the sector. And they are not the only ones. As many as two medical devices startups also garnered funds to… Continue reading India Dealbook: Vue.ai, Leadstart, EnKash, Sensivision, Kozhnosys raise early-stage funding

India’s bike taxi startup Rapido raises $11.2m led by Nexus Venture Partners

April 23, 2019 Roppen Transportation Services Pvt. Ltd, which operates bike taxi startup Rapido, has raised about $11.2 million (Rs 78.2 crore) in a Series A funding round led by venture capital firm Nexus Venture Partners. According to the company’s latest filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) sourced by paper.vc, the company has issued… Continue reading India’s bike taxi startup Rapido raises $11.2m led by Nexus Venture Partners

India’s bike rental startup Bounce raises $3m from Innoven Capital

April 22, 2019 Two-wheeler rental startup Bounce has raised $3 million in debt funding from Innoven Capital, according to a company statement on Monday. This is Bounce’s second round of funding from the InnoVen, taking their total debt investment to $6 million. Till date, the company has raised over $22.5 million across two rounds. Mint… Continue reading India’s bike rental startup Bounce raises $3m from Innoven Capital

Dutch chipmaker NXP makes strategic investment in China’s Hawkeye

April 17, 2019 NASDAQ-listed NXP Semiconductors, a Netherland-based producer of automotive radar sensors, has made a strategic investment in China’s Hawkeye Technology to advance its radar technology for cars, according to an announcement. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. With the strategic tie up, NXP and Hawkeye will now work together to create… Continue reading Dutch chipmaker NXP makes strategic investment in China’s Hawkeye

Japan’s Nippon Paint makes $2.7b bid for Australia’s DuluxGroup

April 17, 2019 Japan’s Nippon Paint Holdings Co Ltd has proposed buying Australia’s biggest paint maker DuluxGroup Ltd for A$3.8 billion ($2.7 billion), expanding its global footprint though entering Australia just as a housing boom falters. The deal – recommended by the Dulux board – is the latest in a slew of Japanese acquisitions in… Continue reading Japan’s Nippon Paint makes $2.7b bid for Australia’s DuluxGroup

Malaysian logistics startup TheLorry snags strategic investment from Unilever

April 16, 2019 Southeast Asian logistics startup TheLorry has secured an undisclosed strategic investment from global FMCG major Unilever, less than a month after it raised $5.85 million in a Series B funding round. The investment will see Unilever acquire equity in the form of convertible preference shares in TheLorry, according to a statement by… Continue reading Malaysian logistics startup TheLorry snags strategic investment from Unilever

China’s Kunlun Tech to invest $50m in autonomous driving startup Pony.ai

April 12, 2019 Shenzhen-listed Beijing Kunlun Tech has announced plans to invest $50 million in exchange for a 3 per cent stake in autonomous driving technology startup Pony.ai. Pony.ai, co-founded by former Baidu executives, claims to be the first to offer fully self-driving car rides to the public in China. It did a soft launch… Continue reading China’s Kunlun Tech to invest $50m in autonomous driving startup Pony.ai

Ford may end independent India operations, eyes JV with Mahindra

April 10, 2019 Ford Motor Co is nearing a deal with Mahindra & Mahindra to form a new joint-venture company in India, a move that will likely see the U.S. automaker cease independent operations in the country, two sources with direct knowledge of the talks told Reuters. The deal would make Ford the latest automaker to pare back… Continue reading Ford may end independent India operations, eyes JV with Mahindra