Investment Round-up: Sfermion and Amber Group Pour USD 1.8 Million into Anichess; 11 Deals in China and India also Announced

In the world of technology and finance, there's been a flurry of exciting developments this week. Here's a summary of some notable announcements:

Cross-Border Payments Company Thunes Acquires Tilia

Thunes, a Singapore-based cross-border payments company, has announced its agreement to acquire Tilia, an all-in-one payments platform. The financial terms of this deal remain undisclosed.

Funding Rounds for AI Startups and Edtech Companies

Endimension Technology, an AI startup incubated at IIT Bombay, has raised INR 60 million (USD 720,000) in a pre-Series A funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures. The round was also led by Plum Ventures.

Prep, a Vietnamese edtech startup specializing in standardized language tests preparation, has completed a Series A funding round. The round was jointly led by Cercano Management and Northstar Ventures.

Gaming, Robotics, and Quantum Mechanics Startups Secure Funding

Anichess, a chess-based online strategy game developed by Animoca Brands, has secured USD 1.8 million in a funding round. The proceeds from the funding round will be allocated toward game development, marketing initiatives, and team expansion.

Yuequan Bionics, a developer of humanoid robots, has completed an extended angel funding round, raising an eight-figure RMB sum. Participation in the funding round came from Fenbushi Capital, Aspen Digital, SNZ Capital, and other investors.

Hanhai Quantum, a Hefei-based developer of software based on quantum mechanics, has bagged an eight-figure RMB sum in an angel funding round.

Oral Care Products Producer Oclean Secures Series C Funding

Oclean, a Shenzhen-registered producer of oral care products, has secured RMB 100 million (USD 13.8 million) in a Series C funding round.

Expansion of Credit Facility for BillEase and Funding for MatchLog Solutions

BillEase, an app-based consumer finance platform in the Philippines, has expanded its existing credit facility from USD 20 million to USD 40 million. Participation in this round came from the Helicap Income Opportunities Fund, several institutional credit investors, and high-net-worth individuals.

MatchLog Solutions, a supply chain solutions provider based in Mumbai, has secured INR 125 million (USD 1.5 million) in a pre-Series A funding round, jointly led by Motion Ventures and July Ventures.

Control One, Weiyi Health Technology, and Telefield Medical Imaging Secure Funding

Control One, an AI technology startup, has secured INR 30 million (USD 360,000) in a pre-seed funding round from a group of angel investors including Kunal Shah (Cred), Chaitanya Ramalingegowda (Wakefit), and Amit Singh, among others.

Weiyi Health Technology, a Shenzhen-registered medical R&D company, has completed an angel round of financing, securing RMB 10 million (USD 1.3 million).

Telefield Medical Imaging, a medtech company, has received nearly HKD 60 million (USD 7.6 million) in a pre-Series A funding round. The investment was led by Casstar, with participation from the Hefei Seed Fund.

Notable Individuals and Investments

The person who led the Anichess project launch and was involved in the joint investment by Sfermion and Amber Group is Michael Wu. The funding round for Anichess was jointly led by Sfermion and Amber Group.

Tilswall, a producer of power tools serving predominantly the US and European markets, has secured nearly RMB 25 million (USD 3.4 million) in angel funding. The round was led by the industrial fund of the Yangzhou Hangji High-tech Industrial Development Zone.

Northern Arc, a non-banking financial company headquartered in Chennai, has raised a total of USD 80 million in debt and equity funding. USD 40 million of this came from the International Finance Corporation (IFC). The round was led by the Alibaba Entrepreneurs Fund (AEF) Greater Bay Area Fund, which is managed by Gobi Partners GBA.

Lastly, FlashAid, a Mumbai-based insurtech startup, has raised INR 208 million (USD 2.5 million) in a pre-Series A funding round jointly led by the Piper Serica Angel Fund and SOSV.

In the game of business, it seems that many players are making their moves, and the game is far from over. Stay tuned for more updates!

Investment Round-up: Sfermion and Amber Group Pour USD 1.8 Million into Anichess; 11 Deals in China and India also Announced