China-based technology news provider 36kr, which counts financial services provider Ant Financial as an investor, has raised RMB100m ($14m) in funding, DealStreetAsia reported yesterday.
The round was led by China Merchants Venture Capital Management, a branch of financial services, real estate and infrastructure firm China Merchants Group.
Founded in 2010 as a tech blog, 36kr has since evolved into a wider ranging company that offers media as well as fundraising services for startups and a co-working space initiative called Kr Space which raised $30m in funding last month.
The latest funding was raised ahead of plans to formally divide 36kr’s businesses as it looks to prepare an initial public offering in the next few years.
Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate of e-commerce group Alibaba, provided an undisclosed amount of series D funding for 36kr in October 2015 along with Huatai Securities Company and Matrix Partners.
The company’s only earlier disclosed funding being a 2011 angel round and RMB10m of funding by Matrix Partners and E.Ventures in 2012.