Transport

Sector focus: Consumer

Alibaba and Tencent are reportedly both investing in a round expected to close this month which will value the ride hailing service at over $25bn.

Statoil's newly formed $200m cleaner energy-focused fund will look to build up a portfolio of 15 to 25 companies in the next four to seven years, according to SEV managing director Gareth Burns.

Hertz has led a $50m series B round for the on-demand valet parking service, boosting its total funding to $75m.

Chinese VC funding continues to go strong as Alibaba's touted 10-figure investment in food delivery platform Ele.me appears to have been closed while Didi Kuaidi prepares to complete its own $1bn round.

The logistics platform has expanded its series C round to $45m, following an extension that added to an initial $30m tranche led by Tencent.

The enterprise messaging company took its total funding to $540m, securing $200m at a $3.8bn valuation from backers including Alphabet and Comcast, showing there is still big late-stage money available for the right kind of company.

Discussion at Kyushu University, Japan, identifies that Fukuoka, under its youthful mayor Soichiro Takashima (he was elected in 2010 aged 36), is one region continuing to explore its options to be a growth centre.

All the VC deals (with named investors) on Friday had effectively corporate or government venture capital angles, including sole rounds by CVCs.

Alibaba has denied reports that it has taken a 10% stake in chauffeured ride service UCar despite apparent documented evidence of the investment.