Jon Russell
Writer
The Latest from Jon Russell
Alibaba proposes share split ahead of reported $20B Hong Kong IPO
Alibaba is being heavily linked with a public listing in Hong Kong, which could reportedly happen in Q3 and raise up to $20 billion. The firm is keeping quiet on those rumors, but it did let slip a ma
Binance begins to restrict US users ahead of regulatory-compliant exchange launch
The world’s largest crypto exchange is going legit. Binance, which processes more than $1 billion on a daily basis and for so long has embodied crypto’s Wild West culture, announced that i
Go-Jek doubles down on India with yet another talent acquisition
Go-Jek may be based in Southeast Asia, but the multi-billion-dollar ride-hailing firm continues to tap India for engineering talent. The Indonesia-headquartered firm announced today that it has acquir
Telegram’s crypto tokens are (kind of) going on sale to the public for the first time
Telegram, the most hyped ICO in the history of ICOs, is finally making its tokens available to retail investors through a limited listing that will precede a full sale later this year — but ther
Korean hotel platform Yanolja raises $180M at a valuation of over $1B
The travel tech industry has got another unicorn. Following the likes of Airbnb, OYO, Traveloka and Klook, Korea’s Yanolja said today it has closed a $180 million Series D round that takes it va
Fintech platform Synapse raises $33M to build ‘the AWS of banking’
Synapse, a San Francisco-based startup that operates a platform enabling banks and fintech companies to easily develop financial services, has closed a $33 million Series B to develop new products and
Line teams up with Visa to boost its mobile payment service
Messaging app Line has partnered with Visa to bring traditional financial clout to its mobile payment service. The deal will see Line Pay become compatible with Visa’s 54 million merchant partne
This entrepreneur is donating unwanted bike-sharing cycles to underprivileged students in Myanmar
What is the world to do with the graveyards of dockless bicycles left over after China’s bike sharing startups retreated from global markets? One man has come up with the best idea to date: dona
China’s Didi kicks off expansion in Latin America with moves into Chile and Colombia
The wheels are turning on Didi Chuxing’s first major expansion in Latin America after the Chinese ride-hailing firm announced moves into Chile and Colombia to double its presence in the region.
YouTube says homophobic taunts don’t violate its policies
YouTube is a confusing mess of an internet platform. In what appears to be a moment that draws a line in the sand around how online platforms regulate content, YouTube has told a gay reporter that hom
Sleek lets companies incorporate and operate in Singapore — without the pain of paperwork
Singapore is keen to exert itself as an epicenter for startups and tech worldwide. But beyond the government-backed startup programs, which include grants, investment checks and more, a key point is s
Oppo and Xiaomi tease under-screen selfie cameras for smartphones
The next innovation in mobile is peeking its head for all to see today after Chinese companies Oppo and Xiaomi both showed off under-screen cameras. Apple’s notch set the ball rolling as a new w
Key Vision Fund investors are reportedly lukewarm on a second fund
SoftBank shook up the venture capital world with its unprecedented $100 billion Vision Fund, and the speculation continues around its follow-up. The fund hasn’t quite closed $100 billion —
Tesla’s new China-made Model 3 opens for pre-order with a 13% price cut
Tesla’s big bet on China-based production is key to a new effort to lure Chinese consumers with cheaper prices. Today the U.S. firm revealed that its incoming Model 3, which will be produced in
Kurly, a grocery e-commerce startup in Korea, closes upsized $113M Series D round
Kurly, a startup that operates a grocery delivery service in Korea, said today that it has closed an upsized Series D round that reached a total of $113 million. The company announced the round in Apr
EV Growth closes $200M fund to cover Southeast Asia’s Series B funding gap
East Ventures has long been known as one of Indonesia’s longest-serving and most active seed-stage investors, but now it has officially moved up the food chain after it announced a final close o
Agritech startup TaniGroup raises $10M to help Indonesia’s farmers grow
In 2016, former World Bank analyst Eka Pamitra teamed up with five friends to start a business that would help farmers in their native Indonesia. Today their company — TaniGroup — closed a
Indonesia’s vegetable hawkers are going digital thanks to a new startup
Few things are more interesting than the convergence of old and new. It’s with that in mind that we once again look to Indonesia, where East Ventures, an early-stage VC that’s behind a pro
SoundCloud buys artist distribution platform Repost Network
The past year has seen Spotify embark on a series of acquisitions to beef up its service, particularly on podcast content. Now it is the turn of SoundCloud, another European music startup — albe
China’s largest chipmaker is delisting from the NYSE
The U.S-China trade war is increasingly influencing tech. Huawei has suffered a turbulent past week with key suppliers pausing work with the company, and now China’s largest chipmaker is plannin