VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Melbourne, Victoria-based diamond mining firm Merlin Diamonds raised $2 million by selling 26 million of its shares at $0.75 apiece to Singapore-based investment holding firm Blumont Group for the development of its diamond mine in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Japanese gaming platform and web services provider DeNA invested an undisclosed amount in Between, a chat app for couples created by South Korean firm VCNC, to help the app become an open platform.

India-based travel booking website MakeMyTrip bought Amsterdam, Netherlands-based hotel booking portal EasyToBook in a deal valued at around $5 million to increase its revenue through online hotel bookings.

Bukit Batok Crescent, Singapore-based fruit and produce firm Sunmoon Food Company has agreed to buy $250,000 (S$317,200) worth of stocks in Nevada, US-based beverage company True Drinks Holdings at $4 apiece.

California, US-based enterprise software startup Elementum, a spinoff from Singaporean firm Flextronics International Inc, bagged $44 million in a Series A funding round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners for a cloud-based supply chain tracking software.

The Singaporean government launched iSTART, a financing program designed to fund the expansion of local telecommunication and mobile app startups into Indonesia, which could potentially be an avenue for growth for the Singaporean and IT industry.

Singapore-listed investment holding company Yoma Strategic Holdings agreed to pick up a 30% stake in Myanmar-based consumer goods firm Asia Beverages Co in a deal valued at $11.1 million (S$14.2 million).

Singapore-based shipbuilder ASL Marine Holdings agreed to acquire Miclyn Express Offshore's shipyard in Batam, Indonesia for $20 million through it subsidiary PT Sukses Shipyard Indonesia.

Singapore-based shipbuilder ASL Marine Holdings agreed to acquire Miclyn Express Offshore's shipyard in Batam, Indonesia for $20 million through it subsidiary PT Sukses Shipyard Indonesia.

San Francisco, California-based online car booking service Uber planned to venture into the Asia Pacific market and start hiring staff members across 14 cities, according to an Uber representative.

Singapore-based online grocery store RedMart secured $5.4 million in a bridge round that will be used to construct its logistics infrastructure and technology in preparation for growth and expansion.

India-based online baby and kids store FirstCry.com scored $15 million in a Series C funding round led by Vertex Venture Management to expand its online, offline, and mobile presence.

Singapore-based private equity firm Nalanda Capital has increased its holding in Mumbai, India-based underwear manufacturer Lovable Lingerie Ltd to 8.79% in a deal valued at $3.25 million.

China-focused private equity group Boyu Capital is set to close $1.5-billion for its second buyout fund within a few weeks, according to people familiar with the matter.

Singapore-Malay asset manager and property investor Aquaint Capital is looking to raise fresh capital to acquire distressed property assets across Australia, according to sources familiar with the matter.