Overseas:
1. France to approve first crypto-issuers as new rules loom
2. UK DeepTech VC IQ Capital launches new $125M growth fund, closes third VC fund at $175M
5. Flybits nabs $35M to build consumer recommendation engines for the financial sector
6. Billie raises €30M for its B2B invoicing and payments platform
7. Raisin picks up $28M backing from Goldman Sachs for its savings and investment marketplace
8. Esports org 100 Thieves raises $35 million in Series B
9. Tech Recruiting And Media Company ‘Built In’ Raises $22 Million Series C Round
10. Finix Raises $17.5M To Shake Up Payments ‘In A Very Un-Stripelike Way’
11. Newsletter platform Substack raises $15.3M round led by a16z
China:
2. Alibaba 阿里巴巴 says it has developed AI to help detect heart disease
4. Kwai 快手 increasing 50% revenue target from original 10 billion RMB
5. CloudMinds, cloud robotics firm, to IPO in the US, seeking to raise US$500M
6. 51qqt.cn 企企通, cloud application provider, announcing completion of 10M RMB B founding round
Cross-Border:
2. SK Telecom and Swisscom launch 5G roaming service for South Korea and Switzerland
3. 5G RailNext wins grant to bring AR to South Korean and U.K. subways
4. Uber launches in Hamburg, now live in six German cities
5. The VOID, renowned movie VR project, to enter the Chinese market this year
7. VinaCapital acquires Singapore-based robo-advisory investment platform Smartly
Emerging Market:
2. Payments giant Visa joins Gojek’s ongoing series F funding round
3. Singapore-based AI intelligence platform Near raises $100m in funding
4. India’s budget hotel startup Oyo enters co-working business with $30 million Innov8 acquisition
5. Courier marketplace EasyParcel receives US$10.6M funding from Gobi Ventures and AirAsia
6. Indian fintech firm MyMoneyMantra raises $15m from European funds
7. Abu Dhabi Capital Group pumps $10m into Indian online grocer Grofers
8. Online diamond marketplace Luxiee secures 6-figure seed funding
9. Business travel management startup Travelstop secures US$3M Pre-Series A funding led by Accel
10. Brazil fintech Nubank takes aim at small business owners
Image credits: GMW.cn