Asia Digest Vietnam’s Hoozing raises funds; Japan’s Persol invests in Freecacy
26/5/2020| 13:49Vietnam’s proptech startup Hoozing has announced that it raised an undisclosed amount from South Korean investor Smilegate Investment while Persol Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Japanese recruitment firm Persol, has invested in Southeast Asia-operated HR-technology startup Freecacy.
Vietnam’s Hoozing raises funding from Smilegate Investment
Vietnam’s proptech startup Hoozing has announced that it raised an undisclosed amount from South Korean investor Smilegate Investment. Backed by Singapore-based venture capital firm Expara Ventures, Hoozing seeks to digitalize real estate transactions in Vietnam, make the process more transparent. The company claims its ecosystem has data of more than 50,000 properties and 7,000 agents. It plans to launch its real estate transaction supporting platform that will help landlords and customers find the right deals effectively. Smilegate Investment, established in 1999 initially as MVP Venture Capital, has operated 50 funds and invested in about 400 companies. The firm specialises in investments in M&A, buyout, early and mezzanine stages. We recently have reported that Smilegate is planning to launch a second country-focused fund this year. Called Kairo Fund II, the second vehicle is expected to be larger in size. The firm has also invested in Vietnam-based multi-channel sales and management platform Sapo Technology.
Japanese recruitment firm Persol invests in Freecacy
Persol Asia Pacific, a subsidiary of Japanese recruitment firm Persol, has invested in Southeast Asia-operated HR-technology startup Freecacy, per a report on Staffing Industry. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Freecacy operates ‘freeC’, a platform that supports AI research in Southeast Asia. The purpose of this financing was to find a partner that can generate business synergies not only in financing but also in the development of Southeast Asia in the years ahead, according to President and CEO of Freecacy Kazumoto Kunimoto.
