INFOGRAPHIC: Top Asian Startup Funding—Week 48, 2025

Asia’s startup scene didn’t slow down this week. From billion-yuan robotics deals in China to new capital flowing into fintech, real estate, and deep-tech ventures across Singapore, India, and the Philippines, investors poured serious money into the region. And the biggest cheques landed at the top. Here’s this week’s funding story in Asia, in descending order.

Robot Era in China led the week with a massive Series A+ round, securing nearly RMB 1 billion (about $140 million). The embodied intelligence company drew strong backing from Geely Capital, alongside BAIC Capital, the Beijing AI Industry Investment Fund, and the Beijing Robot Industry Development Investment Fund. The new capital will push product development and accelerate commercialisation as China doubles down on next-generation robotics.

Following closely, Thai digital insurer Roojai pulled in $60 million in its Series C round. The raise was led by Apis Partners and Asia Partners, signalling ongoing confidence in Southeast Asia’s expanding digital insurance market.

In India, real estate and mortgage platform SquareYards secured $35 million (about INR 312 crore) in a round led by Korean investor Smile Gate and existing backers. The deal pushes the company’s valuation to $900 million, putting it within reach of unicorn status.

Back in China, ExploMar, known globally for its high-performance electric propulsion systems for boats, raised more than $10 million in its Series A round. The deal was co-led by major private equity funds and a publicly listed Chinese company, with DCM Ventures returning as an investor.

Deeptech momentum was equally strong in Singapore, where LightSpeed Photonics raised $6.5 million in a pre-Series A round led by pi Ventures. The round included contributions from angel investors, 500 Global, Indian Accelerator, 8X Ventures, Java Capital, and several Silicon Valley backers.

Fintech also had a busy week in the Philippines. Banking infrastructure startup Higala closed a $4 million seed round, while OneLot, a financing platform for used car dealerships, raised $3.3 million in a seed round co-led by Accion Ventures and 468 Capital. Everywhere Ventures, Seedstars, and existing investors also joined the deal.

India’s biotech and aerospace scenes saw notable early-stage activity. CrisprBits raised $3 million in a Pre-Series A round, pushing its valuation to $12 million. Arctus Aerospace secured $2.6 million in pre-seed funding from Version One Ventures, South Park Commons, gradCapital, and angel investors including Balaji Srinivasan and Srinivas Narayan of OpenAI. The company was also selected earlier this year for the South Park Commons Founder Fellowship.

Rounding out the list, India-based Enerzi, a deep-tech manufacturer working on microwave-plasma hydrogen production and advanced carbon materials, raised INR 16.5 crore (about $2 million) in a seed round led by Capital-A.

And in the Philippines, health-tech startup Eluvo secured new investment in a round led by Foxmont Capital Partners, according to e27. Exact transaction details were not disclosed.