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Hello reader,
Way back when, the hunt for trading cards meant regular trips to the card shop or hanging out below the block with friends after school. But today, platforms like Singapore-headquartered Rario have changed how the game is played by taking it all online.
The fiat-only NFT startup, which recently scored US$120 million in a series A funding round, allows cricket fans to buy, sell, and trade NFTs of player cards, video moments, and artifacts using credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers.
If only such platforms were around when I was younger – it would’ve calmed my parents’ nerves to know I’d be home from school early instead of hanging around dank shophouses, poring over trading cards. (Even though they might not have been pleased with how much time I’d spend on the computer.)
By the way, this newsletter will be taking a break next Saturday for the Eid al-Fitr holiday. We’ll be back the following weekend with all your startup investment news!
Image credit: Timmy Loen
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
🇰🇷 MetaFines: The South Korea-based biotech firm raised US$160 million in series B funding from S&S Investment, Prodigy Investment, Meritz, Meritz Capital, DSC Investment, Industrial Bank of Korea, Korea Investment and Securities, and BMI Korea.
🇸🇬 Rario: The Singapore-based cricket NFT platform bagged US$120 million in series A money from Alpha Wave Global and Dream Capital.
🇨🇳 ShadowBot: The Chinese automated office solutions provider got US$100 million in series C funding from GGV Capital, GLV, and Goldman Sachs.
M&As
Startups that are raising funds
Killer pitch decks
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