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Welcome to another edition of 🔍 Startup Researcher - Asia Pacific, your essential digest delivering the latest news and premium insights on startups and venture capital across the region 🌏️ 

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📰 Important News

• Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs has launched a $301 million AI investment plan to drive digital growth and strengthen its AI industry.

• Zomato laid off 600 employees from its customer support team due to AI automation integration, citing performance issues.

• China launched a plan to enhance financial services for tech firms, focusing on credit, insurance, and risk management through a multi-level ecosystem.

• Carsome partnered with Google Cloud and Searce to consolidate its cloud infrastructure while saving costs and improving customer engagement.

• Strong Room AI is facing a court battle over its assets after raising $17 million, with creditors meeting on April 8.

💸 Top Funding Rounds

• Japan increased funding by $5.4 billion for semiconductor maker Rapidus, bringing total support to $11.5 billion for advanced 2-nanometer chips.

• Aiper, a Chinese robotic pool cleaner maker, has secured $137 million in funding, with Spain’s Fluidra investing $100 million.

• Spinny, a used-car platform backed by Tiger Global, raised $131 million in a funding round led by Accel Leaders Fund, valuing the company at $1.8 billion.

• Wrtn has closed a $73.5 million Series B round, becoming the first Korean AI service platform to exceed $69 million in funding.

• Spirit AI raised $72.8 million in a Pre-series A round led by Aramco’s Prosperity7 Ventures to support early-stage growth.

💰️ Notable Exits

• AC Ventures sold 6.5% of GCash to Mitsubishi for $321.5 million, with Mitsubishi also acquiring 18 million shares of AC Ventures.

• Delhivery acquired Ecom Express for $164.45 million to expand operations and improve efficiency with tech investments.

• TVS Motor acquired assets from Ion Mobility for $1.7 million while divesting its stake in the company and planning to relaunch Ion’s M1-S scooter.

• Ray Chan, co-founder of 9GAG, acquired Howking Technology, renamed it MemeStrategy Inc., and launched Asia’s first public virtual asset hub.

• Mayank Kumar’s talent mobility startup BorderPlus has acquired Onea Care, marking its first acquisition as part of a $10 million strategy.

🏦 About Investors

• GLP launched the $357 million GLP China IDC Income Fund I to acquire a data center in Greater Beijing, driven by demand for AI and cloud services.

• Sanofi and Cathay Capital launched a $275 million fund to invest in clinical-stage innovative drugs in China, focusing on regional pharmaceutical development.

• Granite Asia and Integral formed a $100 million joint venture to support tech scale-ups entering Japan and Japanese companies expanding globally.

• The Radical Fund partnered with the IFC to support women-led climate tech startups in Southeast Asia with funding and gender inclusion initiatives.

🚀 Startup of the Week

Introducing our Startup of the Week 🏆

Aiper

Aiper, founded in 2015 by Richard Wang in Shenzhen, China, is a developer of cordless robotic pool cleaning technology designed to simplify pool maintenance through smart, eco-friendly solutions. The company recently secured a $137 million strategic investment led by Spain’s Fluidra, which invested $100 million for a 27% stake to combine its global scale, industrial expertise, and distribution with Aiper’s agile, direct-to-consumer model. With around 470 employees—including over 270 engineers—and 2024 sales reaching $195 million (up 75% year-on-year), Aiper is poised to meet growing global demand for automated pool cleaning; the deal, expected to close in late 2025, includes a path for Fluidra to gain majority ownership if performance targets are met.

💼 Investor of the Week

Introducing our Investor of the Week 🏆

Granite-Integral

Granite-Integral is a joint venture formed between Granite Asia and Integral Corporation with an initial $100 million in committed capital, aimed at supporting technology companies in their cross-border growth. Granite Asia is a leading multi-asset investment platform with extensive experience in technology investments across Asia-Pacific, while Integral Corporation is Japan’s top publicly listed private equity firm, specializing in buyouts and operational value creation. The venture focuses on helping global tech scale-ups enter Japan and assisting Japanese companies expand internationally, leveraging Granite Asia’s tech expertise and Integral’s market knowledge of Japan. By combining their strengths, Granite-Integral facilitates expansion opportunities and navigates the complexities of the Japanese market.

🤑 Opportunity Radar

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