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☆ Sequoia Capital's Michael Moritz, who led early bets on the likes of Google and PayPal, is leaving the firm after almost 40 years
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Michael Moritz, one of Silicon Valley's best-known investors, is leaving Sequoia Capital. Moritz has spent almost 38 years at the firm and led investments into the likes of Google and PayPal. He will now focus on Sequoia's wealth management unit, The New York Times' DealBook reported. Michael Moritz, one of Silicon Valley's best-known investors, is leaving Sequoia Capital after nearly four decades at the firm, The New York Times reported on Wednesday. DealBook reported that Moritz would continue to represent the firm at a handful of companies but would be replaced on the boards over time.

Persons: Michael Moritz, Moritz, Steve Jobs, Roelof Botha, Sequoia, DealBook Organizations: Sequoia Capital, Google, PayPal, New York Times, The New York Times, Apple, Sequoia, Sequoia Heritage, . Sequoia Capital Locations: Europe, India, Southeast Asia, China

☆ Shopify has had talks to invest in marketplace company Faire
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Madeline Stone | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Shopify has had talks to invest in Faire, two people familiar with the matter said. Faire is an online wholesale marketplace that integrates with Shopify. Shopify has held talks to make a strategic investment in Faire, the wholesale marketplace company, according to two people familiar with the matter. The Canadian e-commerce company has discussed taking a stake of about 5% in Faire as part of the deal, one of these people said. While Shopify is better known for catering to DTC brands, B2B e-commerce has become a larger focus for the Canadian e-commerce company in recent years.

Persons: Shopify Organizations: Shopify, B2B, Shopify Ventures, Triple, Dragoneer Investment, Sequoia Capital, Founders Fund, Forerunner Ventures

☆ Indian gaming firms say new tax will stifle foreign investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Aftab Ahmed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NEW DELHI, July 15 (Reuters) - India's new 28% tax on online gaming companies will stifle foreign investment and put $2.5 billion already invested in the sector at risk, more than 100 gaming firms have said in a letter to India's finance ministry. India this week announced the tax on the funds that online gaming companies collect from their customers. Games such as fantasy cricket have became increasingly popular in recent years, but have also raised concerns about addiction among players. Top investors including Tiger Global and Peak XV, previously known as Sequoia Capital India, have invested in Indian gaming companies such as Dream11 and Mobile Premier League. Many Indian ministers view bets on online gaming platforms as a "social evil", Malhotra had said.

Persons: MPL, Sanjay Malhotra, Malhotra, Arpan Chaturvedi, Aftab Ahmed, Aditya Kalra, David Holmes Organizations: Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Mobile Premier League, Federal, Reuters, Indian Premier League cricket, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, Sequoia Capital India

☆ Temasek is betting on all its stars aligning
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Anshuman Daga | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That’s one consolation Temasek can take from a tricky year. But Temasek’s hopes for a more prosperous year or two ahead rely on matters mostly out of its hands. Reuters Graphics Reuters GraphicsGranted, Temasek had a busy few years propping up the tiny city-state’s companies, like Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), after the pandemic hit. Meanwhile, high valuations in the United States, where Temasek has doubled exposure over the past decade, will limit opportunities. But if Temasek wants to start shining more brightly soon, it’ll need all its stars to align.

Persons: That’s, Temasek’s, Chin Yee, There’s, Antony Currie, Pranav Kiran, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Temasek, Sequoia, Reuters Graphics, Singapore Airlines, Reuters Graphics Finance, SP Group, U.S, Chartered, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, Singapore’s, Asia, Japan, China, People’s Republic, Southeast Asia, India, Singapore, United States

☆ Microsoft-backed AI4Bharat set to raise $12 million funding from Peak XV, Lightspeed
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 7 (Reuters) - AI4Bharat, a start-up backed by Microsoft (MSFT.O), is raising $12 million from venture capital firms Peak XV and Lightspeed Venture to develop artificial intelligence-powered chatbots for Indian languages, according to three people familiar with the matter. Most seed rounds are usually up to $1 million to $2 million. AI4Bharat, Peak XV and Lightspeed did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. The investment is among the first from Peak XV Partners after rebranding from Sequoia Capital India and SEA following a split with its U.S.-based parent fund last month. Indian AI start-ups have raised $583 million this year, as of June, according to data from Venture Intelligence.

Persons: OpenAI's ChatGPT, Nandan Nilekani, Rudder, Yuvraj Malik Organizations: Microsoft, Lightspeed Venture, Indian Institute of Technology, Infosys, National Payments Corp, XV Partners, Sequoia Capital, SEA, Venture Intelligence, Thomson Locations: Madras, India, Sequoia Capital India, Bengaluru

Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) are among the banks helping Shein with its IPO preparation, according to six of the sources. Didi was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) a year later amid Beijing's crackdown on Chinese technology giants over antitrust and data security rules. Shein officials in Singapore, where the company is headquartered, declined to comment on any IPO plans or on discussions with the investment banks and exchanges. Last week, Reuters reported that Shein had filed its IPO registration confidentially with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Shein was valued at more than $60 billion in a $2 billion private fundraising round in March.

Persons: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan Chase, Didi Global's, Didi, Shein, Chris Xu, Kane Wu, Julie Zhu, Greg Roumeliotis Organizations: YORK, Shein, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq, JPMorgan, NYSE, Reuters, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, General Atlantic, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Thomson Locations: China, United States, Singapore, U.S, Beijing, Washington , U.S, Ukraine, China's Xinjiang, Xinjiang, Sequoia Capital China, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu, Hong Kong, New York

☆ Meituan's insider AI deal does not compute
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Meituan describes Light Year as a leading AI innovator in China. Its backers include Meituan CEO Wang Xin and Sequoia Capital China's HongShan fund, which is controlled by a Meituan non-executive director. Meituan is paying out roughly $234 million in cash and covering some $50 million-worth of Light Year's convertible bonds. Interestingly, Meituan's total outlay is roughly equal to the target's net cash position. For investors, understanding this AI deal is no small challenge.

Persons: Wang Huiwen, Meituan, Wang Xin, Robyn Mak, ’, crouch, Eli Lilly, Antony Currie, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Meituan, Sequoia Capital, Twitter, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, HK, China

[1/3] A Shein logo is pictured at the company's office in the central business district of Singapore, October 18, 2022. Shein has confidentially submitted its IPO registration with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the sources said. In pressing on with its IPO plans, Shein is braving heightened tensions between the United States and China over trade, sensitive technology, human rights and the future of Taiwan. The United States bans exports from Xinjiang for this reason. U.S. lawmakers are also seeking to restrict the "de minimis" tariff exemption widely used by e-commerce retailers such as Shein to send orders from China to the United States.

Persons: Chen Lin, Didi, Shein, Chris Xu, Kane Wu, Julie Zhu, Chizu Nomiyama, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, New, U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, General Atlantic, Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Thomson Locations: Singapore, New York, United States, China, Taiwan, China's Xinjiang, Xinjiang, Sequoia Capital China, U.S, Ukraine, Nanjing, China's, Jiangsu, Hong Kong

Silicon Valley is bracing for what it fears will be an "extinction event" threatening the survival of hundreds of startups. Tom Loverro, a investor at 40-year-old Bay Area venture capital firm IVP, has been loudly warning for months on Twitter and in media interviews about a coming "mass extinction event" for startups. The total volume of venture capital investment into US startups has slumped for six consecutive quarters, according to data firm Pitchbook. Even a last-ditch slashing of the startup's prospective valuation — a "down-round," in Silicon Valley parlance — didn't whet investors' appetites. Over the past year, many startups that rely on Silicon Valley funding have been steeling themselves for the slowdown to avoid similar fates.

Persons: —, they're, Jennifer Neundorfer, That's, Tom Loverro, Loverro, Consuelo Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt, Cameron Lester, I've, Lester, Linda Ahrens, Ahrens, Unown, " Ahrens, Anna Dittrich, Plastiq, Vincent Harrison, Elad Gil, Steve Brotman, Brotman, Will Hawthorne, VC's, Mike Ryan, Pitchbook's Harrison, Sell, Hawthorne Organizations: Ventures, Sequoia Capital, —, Venture, Twitter, United States Federal Reserve, Jefferies, January Ventures, Alpha Partners, Avid Capital, Sugar, Menlo, BulletPoint Network Locations: Silicon, Sequoia, IVP, Valley, Instacart, Navan, Boston, Snowflake, America

☆ China's Meituan to buy artificial intelligence firm Light Year from co-founder
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 29 (Reuters) - Chinese food delivery giant Meituan (3690.HK) said on Thursday that it is acquiring artificial intelligence (AI) company Light Year from its co-founder and former director Wang Huiwen, in a bid to develop its own generative AI. The deal comes at a time when AI has captivated investor interest across the globe, prompting a flurry of investments or acquisitions by businesses in a rush to develop generative AI like ChatGPT. The deal allows Meituan, in which online advertising giant Tencent (0700.HK) holds an 18.7% stake, to strengthen its position in the AI landscape of China. Meituan will control 100% of Light Year after completion of the deal. Reporting by Navya Mittal and John Biju in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh KuberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Wang Huiwen, HongShan, Meituan, Wang, Navya Mittal, John Biju, Shailesh Organizations: HK, Sequoia Capital China Growth, Thomson Locations: China, Bengaluru

☆ How an early-stage venture capitalist is trying to separate the winners and losers in A.I.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Susan Caminiti | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Buhler says the biggest difference he sees in the AI landscape today is the accessibility of the technology. LLMs, he adds, didn't change "everything under the hood, they changed the interface and the way people can interact with AI." With almost any company able to integrate AI into any application, he invests in startups that use AI as real leverage. In the most recent CNBC Technology Executive Council survey, nearly half of the companies (47%) said that AI is their top priority for tech spending over the next year. In fact, AI budgets are more than double those of cloud computing, the second-biggest spending area at 21%.

Persons: Konstantine Buhler, Buhler Organizations: Microsoft, Engineers, Sequoia Capital, CNBC Technology, CNBC Locations: Brussels, Belgium, San Francisco

☆ Premarket stocks: Why it might be time to get optimistic about the market
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

US stocks, meanwhile, have managed to pull up from their recent bear market into bull territory. Still, there’s good reason for investors to be optimistic, says Indrani De, head of global investment research at FTSE Russell. That makes sense, since tech and energy stocks have largely been driving markets upward over the last few weeks. For instance, leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital held just more than $1 billion at SVB, according to the FDIC document. The FDIC document shows that Circle held $3.3 billion at SVB, a figure that the stablecoin company previously disclosed.

Persons: New York CNN —, Indrani De, Bell, De, froth, Matt Egan, SVB, Zhipin Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, FTSE Russell, Energy, Communications Services, Technology, Tech, Consumer Staples, FDIC, Bloomberg, Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg News, Sequoia Capital, PayPal, Google, Apple, Internet Locations: New York, Russia, disinflation, Silicon, Beijing

☆ Inside JPMorgan's handling of Jeffrey Epstein
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

This is the last week of 10 Things on Wall Street. But there remains a very large blight on JPMorgan's record that has come back into the spotlight this year: Jeffrey Epstein. Insider's Kaja Whitehouse and Emmalyse Brownstein have a breakdown of JPMorgan's long, drawn-out breakup with Epstein. Read more on JPMorgan's handling of Jeffrey Epstein. The Treasury secretary isn't particularly worried about the potential for more bank mergers this year, per The Wall Street Journal.

Persons: Dan DeFrancesco, I've, I'm, we've, Goldman Sachs, Jeffrey Epstein, Rick Friedman, hasn't, Kaja Whitehouse, Emmalyse, Epstein, Kaja, Read, Janet Yellen, isn't, Moody's, Francis Bacon, We've, Jeffrey Cane, Jack Sommers Organizations: Getty, JPMorgan, Dow, Norges Bank Investment Management, CNBC, Goldman, Street, Financial Times, Sequoia Capital, FDIC, Bloomberg, Dassault Falcon, LinkedIn Locations: NYC, Cambridge, Republic, dealmaking ., New York, London

Byju's leadership is in talks with the investors to try to convince them to reverse their decision, the three sources, who declined to be named as the talks are private, told Reuters. Its rise was seen as a boost for India's startup scene as investors including General Atlantic made big bets on Byju's. Two of the sources said the investors took the decision collectively to resign from the board as they were not getting answers from Byju's founder and senior management. The departures mean Byju's board is now only made up of its founder and chief executive Byju Raveendran, his wife Divya Gokulnath, and his brother Riju Raveendran. While the investors are holding talks with Byju's, it has not yet been decided whether or not their decision to resign would change, one of the sources added.

Persons: Chan Zuckerberg, Byju's, Byju Raveendran, Divya Gokulnath, Riju Raveendran, Aditya Kalra, Alexander Smith Organizations: Peak XV Partners, Sequoia Capital, Deloitte, Reuters, Byju's, General Atlantic, Thomson Locations: DELHI, Sequoia Capital India, U.S

☆ FDIC mistakenly releases confidential information on Silicon Valley Bank depositors, revealing major tech giants that benefitted from government help
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Katie Hawkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The FDIC sent Bloomberg an unredacted list of Silicon Valley Bank depositors by mistake. The list reveals that Silicon Valley Bank's biggest depositors included tech giants like Sequoia. Some of these depositors kept their relationship with the bank confidential, Bloomberg reports. After Silicon Valley Bank failed in March, U.S. officials — including President Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen — described its rescue as a necessary step to protect small businesses. While many early-stage startups banked with the SVB, new documents obtained by Bloomberg show that several global tech giants with significant deposits also benefitted from the government's intervention.

Persons: Joe Biden, Janet Yellen —, Jeff Bezos, — Organizations: FDIC, Bloomberg, Silicon, Morning, Valley Bank, Sequoia, Apple, Google, Altos, Inc, Treasury Department, Federal Locations: Silicon Valley, Sequoia, U.S, SVB

☆ FDIC accidentally reveals details about Silicon Valley Bank’s biggest customers
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

New York CNN Business —The FDIC mistakenly revealed to Bloomberg News details on the biggest customers at Silicon Valley Bank, the failed bank whose depositors were rescued through emergency action by regulators. According to Bloomberg, that document was accidentally released unredacted by the FDIC in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. For instance, leading venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, held just more than $1 billion at SVB, according to the FDIC document. The FDIC document indicates the Chinese firm held about $903 million at SVB. The FDIC, charged with insuring deposits at banks, apparently did not intend to release the details on SVB’s biggest customers.

Persons: SVB, Zhipin, Dennis Kelleher, ” Kelleher, Mike Pence, ” Organizations: New York CNN Business —, Bloomberg, Silicon Valley Bank, Bloomberg News, FDIC, Sequoia Capital, PayPal, Google, Apple, Sequoia, CNN, Better Markets, Internet, Better, Main Street Locations: Silicon, Beijing

The resignations of GV Ravishankar of Peak XV Partners, earlier Sequoia Capital India, Russell Dreisenstock of Prosus, and Chan Zuckerberg Initiative's Vivian Wu mean Byju's board now only comprises the founder's family. In a statement to Reuters on Friday, Byju's said it is in discussions with investors about reshaping the board, including the addition of independent directors. A "few" investors had to vacate their board seats as their shareholding dropped below the required minimum threshold, necessitating a board reshuffle, it said. The confirmation of the resignations comes after Reuters and other media outlets reported on Thursday that three Byju's board members had quit recently. On Friday, sources told Reuters that the edtech was asking its three global investors to reconsider their decision to quit its board.

Persons: Russell Dreisenstock, Chan Zuckerberg, Vivian Wu, Byju's, Akriti Sharma, Shivani Tanna, Shounak Dasgupta, Anil D'Silva Organizations: GV, XV Partners, Sequoia Capital, Blackrock, Reuters, Deloitte, Thomson Locations: Sequoia, Sequoia Capital India, Bengaluru

☆ EDX crypto exchange goes live offering bitcoin and ether trading, backed by Schwab and Fidelity
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Tanaya Macheel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

A crypto exchange backed by financial giants Charles Schwab , Fidelity Digital Assets and Citadel Securities has officially launched trading in four crypto assets, the company said Tuesday. EDX Markets first announced its launch plans for a "non-custodial" exchange in September, about two months before the collapse of FTX. The EDX exchange allows trading of bitcoin , ether , litecoin and bitcoin cash – none of which were named "crypto asset securities" in the lawsuits the Securities and Exchange Commission brought against Binance and Coinbase two weeks ago. EDX also has plans to launch a clearinghouse business this year to facilitate the settlement process but will still keep customer assets held at third-party banks and a crypto custodian. The company is set to announce Tuesday that it has closed a second funding round with new investors, including the options-exchange operator Miami International Holdings and affiliates of proprietary trading firms DV Trading, GTS, GSR and Hudson River Trading.

Persons: Charles Schwab, Binance, EDX Organizations: Fidelity Digital Assets, Citadel Securities, EDX, Sequoia Capital, Virtu, BlackRock, Securities and Exchange Commission, Miami International Holdings Locations: U.S, Hudson

☆ Pirelli: Italy ties China's hands over fears about chip technology
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Hanna Ziady | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Italy has imposed several curbs on Pirelli’s biggest shareholder, Sinochem, in a move aimed at blocking the Chinese government’s access to sensitive chip technology. The government order risks inflaming tensions between Europe and Beijing, and follows similar intervention by Germany and the United Kingdom to protect their semiconductor technology. The order sets a host of limitations on Sinochem’s involvement in Pirelli, including a bar on it devising the company’s strategy and financial plans, or appointing a CEO. It requires that Pirelli refuse any requests from Sinochem’s owner — China’s State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council — for information sharing, including any information connected to the “know-how” of proprietary technologies. Separately, Rome is also assessing whether to renew its partnership with Beijing on the Belt and Road Initiative — China’s global infrastructure and investment megaproject.

Persons: Pirelli, Antony Blinken, Sinochem, Pirelli’s, —, — Laura Organizations: London CNN —, ASML, CNN, Pirelli, Union, Supervision, Administration Commission, State, AstraZeneca, Financial Times, Sequoia Capital, European Commission, Reuters Locations: London CNN — Italy, Europe, Beijing, Germany, United Kingdom, Netherlands, China, Ukraine, — China’s, Rome, Italy, Hong Kong

June 15 (Reuters) - Defense startup Mach Industries has raised $5.7 million in a seed round led by Sequoia Capital, the first-ever defense tech investment in the venture capital giant's history, the two companies said. "Defense technology is central to our safety. However, aging defense systems and ailing supply chains mean the U.S. has a big opportunity to innovate in service of national security," Shaun Maguire, partner at Sequoia, who led the deal, told Reuters via email. "There is a major modernization effort underway to advance the U.S. defense technology and build a new generation of military systems." Founded by MIT dropout and Thiel Fellow Ethan Thornton in 2022, Mach Industries focuses on building a hardware solution using field-sourced hydrogen creation and combustion techniques.

Persons: Shaun Maguire, Ethan Thornton, Mach, We've, ” Thornton, Thornton, Krystal Hu, Leslie Adler Organizations: Defense, Industries, Sequoia Capital, U.S, Department of Defense, Sequoia, MIT, Mach Industries, Reuters, Pentagon, Thomson Locations: Silicon Valley, U.S, Austin , Texas, Boston, Austin, San Francisco

☆ Scoop: The founders of PopSugar raise $33 million for their second VC fund, and launch a bespoke investment bank to advise startups on M&A
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Melia Russell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Brian and Lisa Sugar, the married founders of PopSugar, have raised a second venture capital fund. The $33 million fund will invest in consumer brands and software powering the future of retail. The eponymous firm, Sugar Capital, began to raise the sophomore fund a year ago and closed in May, Brian Sugar told Insider. For her part, Lisa stepped back from managing PopSugar in 2021 and joined Sugar Capital as a partner in 2022. Sugar Capital set out to raise $75 million for its second fund and reduced the target size last summer, Sugar said.

Persons: Brian, Lisa Sugar, Brian Sugar, MrBeast's Feastables, Will Hawthorne, Krista Moatz, PopSugar, Hawthorne, Sugar, Sam Altman, Jason Calacanis, Everlane, Ben Lerer's, Lisa, Brian Ach Organizations: PopSugar, Sugar Capital, Avid Capital Advisors, Avid, Sugar, JPMorgan, Advisors, Sequoia Capital, Nine Media, Bain Capital, Pritzker Group Venture, Consumer Locations: Olive

☆ 10 Things in Tech: Apple Vision Pro, Big Tech's big AI salaries, and Marc Andreessen's plan to save the world
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Nathan Rennolds | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Apple Vision Pro. Apple's Vision Pro looks amazing, but why buy it? The Vision Pro also comes with a host of caveats beyond the price tag, such as a battery life of just two hours. Read more about the Apple Vision Pro's limits here. He said AI companies should be able to build fast and aggressively — and without regulation.

Persons: Nathan Rennolds, let's, Tony Fadell, Apple, Salesforce's Marc Benioff, Justin Sullivan, Marc Benioff, Marc Andreessen, Travis Kalanick's, Adam Beswick, he's, grads, Z, Leigh Thompson, Jack Sommers Organizations: Apple Vision, Apple, Companies, Meta, Sony, Getty, Salesforce, Amazon, Oracle, Big Tech, CloudKitchens, Stanford, UCLA, USC, Sequoia Capital, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Locations: London

☆ Private equity hurtles towards hard Asia reset
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Una Galani | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

SINGAPORE, June 7 (Reuters Breakingviews) - Sequoia’s decision to carve out its China business formalises a push for a hard reset in Asia that private equity firms have until now largely been grappling with behind the scenes. These country-agnostic funds accounted for just over half the money raised in 2022 in the region, a 22-year high. Granted, these South and Southeast Asia markets are small at present compared to China; that’s why more firms are seeking bigger-ticket buyouts in Australia and Japan. That will eventually weigh on performance in the region, which for top-quartile Asia funds last year was a very respectable median 25% net internal rate of return, per Preqin. Private equity’s cooling relationship with China, though, is likely to hit hard for most.

Persons: Neil Shen, Shailendra Singh, Singh, Zhang Lei, There’s, Shen, Antony Currie, Katrina Hamlin Organizations: Reuters, Bain & Co, Bain Capital, KKR, XV Partners, Sequoia, Twitter, NEWS Venture, Sequoia Capital, Thomson Locations: SINGAPORE, China, Asia, Republic, Sequoia, India, Southeast Asia, Greater China, Malaysia, Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Hillhouse, Singapore, Australia, Japan, U.S

Economic challenges and geopolitical tensions have made fundraising and investment difficult, and eaten into global venture funds' returns. "It has become increasingly complex to run a decentralized global investment business," Sequoia said in the statement. Sequoia China will retain its current Chinese name and adopt the name HongShan in English, while Sequoia India and Southeast Asia will become Peak XV Partners, the firm said. Sequoia started to invest in local companies in China, India and Southeast Asia more than 15 years ago, according to the statement. Sequoia China, founded and led by former entrepreneur and investment banker Shen, has invested in more than 1,200 companies in sectors ranging from technology to healthcare.

Persons: Sequoia, Roelof Botha, Neil Shen, Shailendra Singh, Shen, Biden, Weiheng Chen, Wilson, Steven Yu, Yu, Trump, we've, Singh, Oyo, Kane Wu, Julie Zhu, Sriram, Roxanne Liu, Krystal Hu, Bernadette Baum, Mark Potter, Paul Simao Organizations: Sequoia Capital, Economic, Investment, Sequoia, XV Partners, HK, PDD Holdings, Reuters, Global Law, China -, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, India, Southeast Asia, COVID, Sequoia China, Sequoia India, Shanghai, U.S, China - U.S, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Beijing, San Francisco

☆ Sequoia to separate China, India and Southeast Asia operations by March 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

HONG KONG, June 6 (Reuters) - Global venture capital giant Sequoia announced Tuesday that it is planning to separate its China, and India and Southeast Asia businesses into two independent firms. The China and India and Southeast Asia businesses will become independent and distinct with separate brands, by March 31, 2024, Sequoia said in a statement signed by managing partners Roelof Botha, China head Neil Shen and India head Shailendra Singh. Sequoia China will retain its current Chinese name and adopt the name HongShan in English, while Sequoia India and Southeast Asia will become Peak XV Partners, the firm said. The firm partnered with local leaders in China and India and Southeast Asia over 15 years ago, according to the statement. Singh and his team raised a $2.5 billion India and Southeast Asia fund last year, its biggest yet.

Persons: Sequoia, Roelof Botha, Neil Shen, Shailendra Singh, Shen, Singh, Kane Wu, Julie Zhu, Sriram, Louise Heavens, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Sequoia, Sequoia Capital, XV Partners, HK, PDD Holdings, Thomson Locations: HONG KONG, China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe, Sequoia China, Sequoia India, Oyo, Mumbai

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