A diverse pool of startups on our funding list

Lenskart, Xinyi Information Technology, Rebeelo, and more raised funds this week. [Read from your browser]( FOMO Saturday Welcome to Tech in Asia's free Saturday VC newsletter! Get full access to our subscribers-only premium content and other insightful analysis on the big and messy topics of Asia’s tech and startup community by [registering here](. --------------------------------------------------------------- Hello {NAME} The startup world is truly an incredibly diverse place, with companies doing all sorts of things across different verticals and industries. It truly showcases how ingenious humans can be when it comes to tackling world’s problems. Looking at this week’s top-funded businesses, we’ve got an eyewear brand, a company that makes IoT communication chips, and a startup focused entirely on helping people sell refurbished tech, among others. That’s quite an assorted bunch - but these firms are all doing something that is really cool and will make an impact on businesses and consumers. You can find all other important investment deals that happened in the last few days in our [weekly funding news wrap-up](. Let’s dive into the biggest deals and M&As that recently took place. --------------------------------------------------------------- THE BIGGEST DEALS BY COUNTRY  IN Lenskart is an omnichannel eyewear retailer that manufactures and distributes eyeglasses, sunglasses, and contact lenses. Hailing from India, it [raised US$500 million]( in a strategic investment from Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. CN Xinyi Information Technology is a China-based company specializing in the development and sales of IoT communication chips. It bagged US$43.5 million in series C money from China Internet Investment Fund, Haitong Innovation Capital, Hanqian Investment, Junshan Investment, and Shanghai Pudong Intelligent Manufacturing Industry Fund. SG Singapore-based Reebelo, a marketplace for refurbished tech, took home US$29 million in series A funding. Antler, Cathay Innovation, Gandel Invest, and Moore Strategic Ventures participated in the round. HK Auros, an algorithmic trading and market making firm based in Hong Kong, [netted US$17 million]( in a bridge round from Bit Digital, Epoch Capital, Primal Capital, Trovio Group, and Vivienne Court. JP LexxPluss is a Japanese firm working on automated transfer robots for distribution warehouses and manufacturing plants. It banked US$10.1 million in series A money from DBJ Capital, Drone Fund, Incubate Fund, Logistics Innovation Fund, Mirai Souzou Capital, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, Mizuho Capital, SBI Investment, SMBC Venture Capital, and SOSV. Here’s the complete list of this week’s funding chart: [71 deals worth over US$1 billion](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  M&As  AE Knowledge Planet is an edtech platform that offers exam preparation services. Based in the United Arab Emirates, the startup was acquired by PhysicsWallah for an undisclosed sum. KR AroundFollie, a South Korean startup offering a new concept of outdoor accommodation in Jeju Island, has been acquired by Stayfolio. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. IN M.I.T.R.A. Agro Equipments develops spraying machines for farmers who are growing horticulture crops. The India-based firm was acquired by Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services for an undisclosed sum.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  STARTUPS THAT ARE RAISING FUNDS Fundraising is hard. To make things slightly easier, we’ve compiled this list of fundraising startups for our subscribers. Do you run a startup that’s raising at the moment or know someone who does? Sign your company up for listing [here](.  IDTokban is an Indonesia-based B2B platform for hardware and building materials, simplifying procurement for stores and projects. US Continuum is a US-based social education platform that allows users to earn cryptocurrency and NFTs as they learn. IN Endeavour Trading Company hails from India and focuses on creating and trading gold-leafing works. You can find the full list of fundraising startups in Asia [over here](.  ---------------------------------------------------------------  KILLER PITCH DECKS 1️⃣ This pitch deck helps a blockchain company raise its seed round Based in Singapore and the Philippines, Okipo Studio is a design collective that uses near-field communication and blockchain tech to authenticate art objects and track their origins. Currently fundraising for its seed round, the firm uses [this deck](. The presentation is decorated with bright colors and motifs that reflect Okipo Studio and clearly outlines the firm’s objective, how it works, and its roadmap for the future. 2️⃣ The pitch deck that a foodtech startup used to score series A funding Founded in 2019, YouKuai is the creator of a plant-based ground pork product called Zrou. In 2021, the company used [this pitch deck]( to bag US$7.3 million in series A funding. The presentation has a neat design with a helpful content list. There are also lots of details about the firm, but the amount of information isn’t overwhelming. 3️⃣ A community group-buying platform for fresh produce raised US$32 million with this deck Otipy is the first platform of its kind in India. Since launching in 2020, the company said it has completed 5 million orders to over 400,000 customers and supported more than 10,000 farmers. This [this pitch deck]( which clearly maps out the Indian grocery industry landscape, helped the firm lock down its series B funding. ---------------------------------------------------------------  EVENTS HAPPENING You can also check out a curated list of trending tech events [over here](. [AD] [Startup Cost Optimization Bootcamp - Foundation]( on March 30 Startups benefit greatly from cloud services, but the costs can add up pretty quickly. If you want to get the most bang for your buck, don’t miss this four-part online bootcamp by Amazon Web Services (AWS). The first session will take place on March 30 and explore the five pillars of cost optimization, different pricing models and saving plans, as well as effective cost monitoring and control with AWS’ suite of tools. Sign up today! --------------------------------------------------------------- EXCLUSIVE LISTICLES Lists of most active investors in the region [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Japan]( | [Singapore]( | [Southeast Asia]( List of top-funded startups in Asia [China]( | [India]( | [Indonesia]( | [Israel]( | [Japan]( | [Hong Kong]( | [Singapore]( | [South Korea]( | [Vietnam](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  THOUGHTFUL READS  1️⃣ Alleviating anxiety A recent study revealed that in the wake of news about layoffs, remote employees are 32% more likely to feel anxious than their peers who work in an office setting. Forcing people back into the office is obviously not the solution, but what can managers do to help reduce staff’s anxiety and improve their well-being, even in a remote setting? [This piece]( from the Harvard Business Review offers some guidance. 2️⃣ SVB and the venture capital boom You’re probably well aware about what’s happened with Silicon Valley Bank (SVB). As the fallout ensues, [this Bloomberg article]( examines SVB’s role beyond just being a bank for startups, including how it offered capital call lines of credit and partner lending to help VCs move fast. The piece also looks at what the bank’s collapse means for VCs. 3️⃣ Some kind of exit crystal ball PitchBook, the venture capital and private equity database, [has launched]( VC Exit Predictor, an algorithm trained on PitchBook data to estimate a startup’s success. It’s not perfect, but it could certainly be useful for investors. 4️⃣ R for resilience Newsflash: “Resilient” isn’t the compliment people often think it is, especially when it comes to people from marginalized groups. This can actually be an insensitive and othering remark. In fact, the term “resilience” has become too celebrated that it can be used as a cop-out - so [here’s how]( leaders can check their biases on the matter. 5️⃣ Angel or devil Angel investors play an important role in the startup ecosystem - they often help a startup get off the ground at the very early stages. But as with all things, there are good and bad angel investors. How can you tell? [This Reddit discussion]( shares some insights.  --------------------------------------------------------------- [ADVERTISE]( | [SUBSCRIBE]( | [HIRE]( | [FIND JOBS]( P.S. Don't miss out on the biggest tech news and analysis. Add newsletter@techinasia.com to your address book, contacts, or safe sender list. Or simply move us into your inbox. Too many emails? Switch to a different frequency or get new content through our [preference center]( or [unsubscribe](. You can also break our hearts and remove yourself from all Tech in Asia emails over [here](  ---------------------------------------------------------------  Tech in Asia’s newsletters are handcrafted daily with love - and sometimes powered by good kopi. Today’s edition was written by Stefanie Yeo. It’s edited by Dhania Putri Sarahtika. Copyright © 2023 Tech in Asia, All rights reserved. 63 Robinson Road, Singapore 068894