Vertex Ventures HC | Invests in Series A of Epirium Bio

Epirium Bio, Inc. (“Epirium”) formerly, Cardero Therapeutics, Inc., today announced it has raised $85 million in Series A financing provided by Longitude Capital, ARCH Venture Partners, Bluebird Ventures, Adams Street Partners, Vertex Ventures HC, and The Longevity Fund. Epirium is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutics that optimize both tissue bioenergetics and structure through a novel mechanism of action discovered by the company.

Vertex Growth Fund | Leads $30m funding in Indian meat startup Licious

Gourmet meat start-up Licious, run by Delightful Gourmet Pvt. Ltd on Monday raised $30 million in a Series E round, led by Singapore-based Vertex Growth Fund (“Vertex Growth”), to help in fast tracking growth and fostering transformation of the meat and seafood ecosystem of India. Existing investors 3one4 Capital, Bertelsmann India Investments, Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India, and Sistema Asia Fund also participated in the round.

Vertex Holdings raises USD70m from Japan's Marubeni and SMBC

Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. and trading house Marubeni are investing a total of $70 million in a new fund, aiming to nurture Asian technology startups.

Companies | JCB and Singapore's Socash to tie up for cardless cash advance service in Southeast Asia

Major Japanese credit card issuer JCB Co. will partner with Singaporean fintech startup Socash Pte. Ltd. to launch its first cardless cash advance service in Southeast Asia after spring 2020. The two are in discussion on the new service, which will in effect see cash registers at retail outlets turned into automated teller machines.