Former Korbit CEO Tony Lyu has joined the SoftBank unit as a venture partner and will contribute his entrepreneurial knowledge and experience to its portfolio.
Author: Edison Fu
Edison Fu is a reporter and Asia liaison at Global Corporate Venturing.
Brasil ao Cubo gets Gerdau funding
The modular construction company has received $10.5m from Gerdau, which had helped with its business development in an acceleration scheme last year.
Innovation Fund 25 gets more corporate backing
Daikin and Nippon Life are the latest LPs for the vehicle formally called Kansai Innovation Network, whose investors already include corporates Eneserve, Hankyu Hanshin, Iwatani, Rohto and Shionogi.
Powerlist Q&A – John Banta, Blue Venture Fund
Q&A with John Banta, president and managing director, Blue Venture Fund
SoftBank Vision Fund team loses members
Ruwan Weerasekera, Penny Bodle, Avi Golan, Ted Fike and Justin Wilson have all left SoftBank Investment Advisers following earlier departees Maria Khan and Carolina Brochado.
Marui recruits Samurai Incubate for pitch contest
Marui Co-Creation Pitch 2021 will be made up of early-stage developers of sustainability, customer service and inclusive finance technology and products.
Idein identifies corporates for fresh funding
Aisin, KDDI Open Innovation Fund, Sojitz, CTC, DG Ventures and DG Daiwa Ventures contributed to a $19.2m round that will support work on Idein’s internet-of-things platform.
OpenLogi receives series C delivery
Sumitomo, Sojitz CVC, Seino Holdings’ Logistics Innovation Fund and Shinsei Corporate Investment all chipped into a $16.7m round expected to close at the end of this year.
Public markets to get a taste of Creema
The handcrafted product marketplace is set to list on TSE’s Mothers Market in a late November offering that will enable Globis, Japan Post, KDDI, Mitsui Fudosan, Mixi, SMBC and SBI to exit.
Genesia Ventures gathers corporates for Fund II
Canon, Dai Nippon Printing, Gree, Hakuhodo DY, Marui, Mixi, Mizuho, Nihon Unisys, Oriental Land and Tokyu Fudosan all contributed to the venture firm’s $76.3m second fund.
Minna-Denryoku electrifies with pre-series C funding
DIP Labor Force Solution and Marui have participated in a $14.3m round for the blockchain-powered electricity marketplace also called MinDen, lifting its total funding to nearly $29m.
Powerlist Q&A – Oreoluwa Adeyemi, HSBC Strategic Innovation Investments
Q&A with Ore Adeyemi, managing director and head, HSBC SII
Floadia floats to corporates for series C funding
Teijin has led the second close of an $11.4m round for the flash memory technology developer, investing with backers including Marubeni Ventures and NEC Capital Solutions.
Klarna clasps on to Woilà in acquisition
Media group Schibsted has exited the aftersales experience platform, which has been purchased by financial technology developer Klarna.