Education *really* does lead to success

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Hello readers,

Love it (“No more draining morning commutes!”) or hate it (“If I can’t step out of the house, I’ll go insane!”), the lockdown measures brought about by Covid-19 have helped us get to know our homes better.

The pandemic has also taught us to keep on keeping on, and solutions that enable us and our loved ones to work, play, and learn from our humble abodes have seen a boost. That’s why it’s no surprise to see education tech startups in China and India headlining this week’s funding news. Huohua received US$150 million in a series E round led by KKR, while Byju’s closed its series F funding at US$122 million, all from DST Global.

The markets might not always make sense, but as long as you’re helping to solve a pertinent problem, you’re probably not too far from success.

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

🇨🇳 Huohua: The Chinese online math education platform bagged US$150 million from KKR, GGV Capital, GSR Ventures, and others.

🇮🇳 Byju’s: A leading provider of supplemental school curriculum classes in India, Byju’s secured US$122 million from DST Global.

🇯🇵 Pocket Marche: Pocket Marche is a marketplace that allows farmers and fishers to sell their goods directly to consumers. The Japanese company closed a US$8 million series B, led by Inspire PNB Partners, Kobashi, Marui Group, and others.

🇸🇬 CredoLab: This Singaporean fintech company is dedicated to improving financial inclusion and access for underbanked consumers by providing smartphone-based credit scoring solutions for consumer lenders. It closed its series A round, receiving US$7 million from Access Ventures, GB Group, and Walden International.

🇰🇷 Grip: Grip is a live commerce app that allows users to directly communicate with sellers and purchase products. The South Korean company raised US$6.4 million in a series A round led by Korea Investment Partners, Neoplux, and TBT.

M&A

Going deeper

Pitch decks for your reference

Lists of most active investors in the region

List of top-funded startups in Asia