Participated · Series B · Jul 2018

Advance.ai builds AI-driven digital identity verification, fraud detection, and alternative credit-scoring technology to expand and democratize access to credit in emerging markets. The company serves banking, fintech, telecommunications, e-commerce, and retail customers and reports more than 1,000 clients. It says its platform creates a more holistic and accurate alternative to existing credit scoring methods and aims to reduce fraud risk and improve operational efficiency. The startup plans to scale up operations and accelerate expansion following its latest financing. Advance.ai was founded in 2014 by Chun Dong Chau, Dong Shou, and Jefferson Chen and is headquartered in Singapore. Financially, the company has raised a total of $336M over six rounds and its latest raise positions it among a small group of Southeast Asia unicorns valued at $1 billion or more. Advance.AI is a Singapore-based artificial intelligence and big data company. The article reports the company has raised $80 million in a Series C funding round. The Series C was led by Temasek-backed Pavilion Capital and Gaorong Capital. No other investors, valuation, use of proceeds, revenue, user metrics, or product details are disclosed in the article. The piece focuses solely on the announcement of the Series C financing and provides no information on past rounds, founding year, or future plans. Advance.AI is a data-driven financial technology company. The firm focuses on applying data-driven solutions within the financial sector. It operates offices in Singapore, Beijing, Jakarta, and Manila. Advance.AI raised $50 million in a Series B+ funding round. The round was backed by Chinese investors, including Vision Capital, GSR Ventures, and Zhen Fund. The article does not disclose additional operating metrics or financing terms.

Participated · Series B · Mar 2018

Danke Apartment offers renovated, fully furnished smaller rental units by slicing larger family-style flats into individual rooms and handling housekeeping and maintenance. The company targets young professionals, office workers and recent college graduates and has expanded to 10 major Chinese cities. Its pricing is set by AI-driven algorithms that use market data to determine rents and the startup emphasizes business intelligence and digitized operations. Danke plans to use new funds to upgrade its data processing system, boost operational efficiency, and further digitize day-to-day operations. The company will also invest in improving apartment amenities and tenant experiences and explore the housing market for blue-collar workers. Danke presents its platform as a way to increase transparency and efficiency for landlords and tenants while enabling faster scaling. Danke Gongyu operates an apartment-listings aggregation platform targeting young white-collar workers. Founded in January 2015, it has established a presence in eight Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. The company currently aggregates over 120,000 apartments and aims to add 180,000 more to reach a total of 300,000 listings as it expands into additional first-tier cities. Its growth strategy emphasizes scaling inventory on the platform. Danke has faced a recent PR issue after reports that it made tenants pay rent in installments without explicit consent. Financially, the company has raised large external capital, including a US$100M Series B in February and a US$70M Series B+ announced in June. Danke Gongyu operates an internet-powered long-term rental platform that lists standardized, re-decorated individual apartments on its app. Launched in January 2015 and headquartered in Beijing, it targets young white-collar workers three to five years out of graduation. The company currently offers nearly 80,000 rental units across eight large Chinese cities including Beijing, Shenzhen and Shanghai, with an occupancy rate around 95% and an average single-flat rent of 2,600 yuan (~$412) per month. Danke Gongyu profits mainly through markups on rent and positions itself as a comprehensive service provider integrating asset management, service and finance. It employs about 1,500 people, with core members from Nuomi, and says it will use new funds to optimize services, expand its business portfolio and build brand awareness. The company plans to improve its internet-based big data system to better understand tenants and landlords and to develop more value-added services.

Participated · Equity · Oct 2010

Veebeam offers a $99/£99 USB dongle plus a wireless transmitter/receiver that streams anything viewable on a laptop to a TV. The product aims to bridge PC-based Internet video and televisions, making it more versatile than dedicated Internet-TV services. The company was formed in 2008 through a merger of Staccato Communications (San Diego, CA) and Artimi (Cambridge, UK). Hardware development and distribution have required substantial capital; the company is thought to have previously raised $20 million in equity during the merger and Staccato had reportedly raised $77.5 million prior. Market trends toward Internet-connected TVs and set-top boxes could reduce reliance on PC-to-TV solutions, which the article notes may challenge Veebeam’s longer-term position. The company’s financial position includes the newly announced $6 million investment round described in the reporting.

Led · Equity · Jan 2002

Sphera is a long-standing provider of sustainability and operational risk management solutions delivered through cloud software, proprietary data and consulting services. Its platform spans Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability (EHS&S), Process Safety, Product Stewardship and Supply Chain Transparency, enabling customers to surface, manage and mitigate a wide spectrum of operational risks. The company serves more than 8,500 customers and over one million users across 100 countries, helping organizations keep their people safe, their products sustainable and their operations productive. Operating for more than 30 years, Sphera has built a differentiated repository of risk and sustainability data that underpins its software. With the backing of Blackstone and the newly announced investment from Neuberger Berman Capital Solutions, management plans to accelerate product innovation and extend the firm’s global reach. No revenue figures were disclosed in the article, but the large customer base underscores its established market presence.