Asia

Frontier Fund II and Climate Fund II have each received $150m to further explore technologies like AI and renewable energy for the carmaker.

The joint fund will invest in strategic areas like supply chain and sustainability for Tesco, Ahold Delhaize, Woolworths, Empire and Shoprite.

Shunji Takehana, a 25-year veteran at the food seasoning provider, is now SVP and general manager for Ajinomoto Corporate Venture Capital.

The UK-headquartered health insurer has set up a A$20m fund in Australia to back young startups in healthcare areas like genomics and wearables.

A few months after LG Tech Ventures lifted its capital to $768m, the parent firm has backed Vista to seek AI, bio and automotive companies.

Kyocera Ventures Innovation Fund I will back developers of technologies including energy, mobility AI, chips and nuclear fusion.

After a promising start the Thai startup ecosystem has slowed. Some say too much corporate money may have been part of the problem.

Husk Power Systems has just raised $100m from investors including Shell to build 1,500 solar mini-grids in India and Nigeria in the next four to five years.

Turkey has the ingredients to be a top tech market, but it needs investors to take more risk if its startups are to get past early stage.

The corporates both committed further nine-figure sums to back startups in the rapidly growing Indian venture market.