Hello Group acquires majority stake in Inner Circle
Hello Group, the Nasdaq-listed operator of social and entertainment platforms, has acquired a majority stake in Inner Circle, an Amsterdam-founded dating app. The acquisition expands Hello Group’s international portfolio and strengthens its presence in Europe and Latin America. Financial terms and the exact ownership stake were not disclosed.
Founded in 2012, Inner Circle operates a dating platform centered on selective membership and shared interests. It reviews membership applications and organizes in-person events to help users establish connections beyond the app. The company says it has nearly nine million members across Europe and Latin America.
Hello Group operates several social and dating platforms, including Momo, Tantan, Soulchill, Happn, and Coffee Meets Bagel. The acquisition adds another international brand to its portfolio as it seeks to reach users with different dating preferences.
Under the arrangement, Inner Circle will continue operating from Amsterdam under its existing brand. Hello Group plans to support its expansion through the group’s technology, product development, and operational capabilities.
Multipolitan raises USD 2 million in seed funding
Multipolitan, a Singapore-based mobility technology company, has raised USD 2 million in a seed round led by EmergentX, a venture studio, accelerator, and incubator. The funding was secured at a pre-money valuation of USD 25 million.
Launched in 2024, Multipolitan develops technology and services to help individuals and families manage travel, immigration, residency, and other cross-border requirements. Its business comprises a unit serving high-net-worth individuals and affluent families, alongside a consumer application scheduled to launch in December.
The application will consolidate passport and visa records, travel requirements, flight information, and permitted lengths of stay. It is supported by three proprietary systems providing immigration intelligence, travel updates, and visa guidance.
Multipolitan said its private client business has generated more than USD 4 million in net revenue in under two years. The new capital will support the consumer app’s launch and further expansion of its private client services.
NSV secures SGD 70 million first close for inaugural biotech fund
NeoSci Ventures (NSV), a biotechnology venture builder and investor, has secured SGD 70 million (USD 54.7 million) in the first close of its inaugural institutional venture fund.
The fund’s limited partners include Taiwan’s National Development Fund, Singapore’s EDBI, Catcher Technology, and Crescendas Group, alongside family offices, entrepreneurs, and other institutional investors.
NSV will invest in biotechnology and healthcare companies developing therapeutics and technologies across the US and Asia. Its strategy also covers technologies combining biology, artificial intelligence, data, and scientific tools to support drug discovery and development.
NSV has already invested in two companies through the new fund. One is Protuoso, which it co-founded to develop protein-based therapeutics for complex diseases. The identity of the second company was not disclosed.
Amplicity raises around USD 1 million in seed funding
Amplicity, a Singapore-headquartered energy technology company, has closed a USD 1.01 million seed round backed by Loyal VC. The company develops technology that enables data centers and industrial facilities to generate value from existing backup batteries without compromising their emergency power requirements.
Its platform identifies battery capacity available beyond a site’s required backup reserve. It then manages that capacity to reduce peak electricity demand, lower power costs, and potentially generate revenue through participation in electricity markets.
Amplicity also provides optimization services for operational battery energy storage systems and supports new installations where additional storage capacity is economically viable.
The company estimates that Singapore’s data centers have approximately 160 megawatt-hours of installed backup battery capacity, although not all of it is available for flexible use. Amplicity said its technology could help operators utilize part of that capacity while maintaining emergency reserve requirements.
CoverGo raises USD 6 million in initial Series B1 close
CoverGo, an insurance technology company operating across international markets, has raised USD 6 million in the initial close of its Series B1 round. Betatron Venture Group led the financing, with participation from existing and new investors whose identities were not disclosed.
The investment brings CoverGo’s cumulative funding to more than USD 30 million.
CoverGo develops an AI-powered insurance platform that enables insurers to modernize their core systems and automate operations across distribution, policy servicing, and claims management. Its technology serves health, life, and property and casualty insurers.
The new funding will support further development of its AI capabilities, particularly AI agents designed to automate insurance workflows. It will also support international expansion and efforts to acquire additional institutional customers.
Finfra scores backing from ADB Ventures
Finfra, an Indonesia-based lending-as-a-service platform, has secured an undisclosed amount in a Series A extension round backed by ADB Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Asian Development Bank, through the NextFin Asia fund. Existing investors Cento Ventures and Accion Ventures also participated.
The investment marks the first deployment through NextFin Asia, an initiative launched in February through a partnership involving the Luxembourg House of Financial Technology, ADB Ventures, and Luxembourg’s Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Defence, Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
Founded in 2022, Finfra provides infrastructure that enables financial institutions and digital platforms to offer lending products without building their own end-to-end operations. Its platform supports loan origination, underwriting, servicing, collections, and risk analytics, allowing businesses to integrate credit products into their existing services.
The new capital will support Finfra’s growth, strengthen its technology platform, and facilitate expansion into new markets.
Recent deals in mainland China:
- Sycsense, a Shenzhen-based developer of flexible tactile sensors and electronic skin for robots, has secured an eight-figure RMB sum in a pre-Series A++ round backed solely by Guangzhou Industrial Investment Holdings Group. The proceeds will fund R&D, product upgrades, customer validation, and commercialization. Founded in 2023, Sycsense develops sensing modules for robotic fingertips and full-body tactile applications using technology originating from the Southern University of Science and Technology. It has secured initial orders for automotive manufacturing applications, extending its business beyond robotics. —36Kr
- Echiev, a Shenzhen-based autonomous driving technology company, has completed a RMB 200 million (USD 30 million) Series C round backed by Guangdong Technology Financial Group, Shanda Capital, an Anhui state-backed fund, Foshan Venture Capital, and other investors. The company develops Level 4 autonomous transport vehicles for industrial parks, factories, warehouses, ports, and mining operations. The financing will support manufacturing capacity upgrades, technology development, and commercial deployment. Echiev said it currently has an annual production capacity of around 3,000 vehicles, which it aims to increase to 10,000. It is also developing integrated autonomous systems combining unmanned transport vehicles with robotic arms for industrial material handling. —36Kr
- Lingshi Zhifu, a Shanghai-based developer of flexible tactile sensing materials and devices, has completed consecutive seed and angel rounds totaling more than RMB 10 million (USD 1.5 million). Oriza Holdings and Huawei’s Habo Investments participated in the seed round, while Oriza Holdings continued investing in the subsequent angel round. Founded in 2025, the company develops ionic-skin materials and sensors for robotic hands, tactile data collection gloves, and consumer electronics. Its products use ion-containing polymers to detect pressure and other physical interactions. Lingshi Zhifu is establishing a pilot production line and supplying samples to potential customers for testing and validation. —36Kr
- Fuerkai,a Yangzhou-based manufacturer of specialized transport vehicles, has completed an eight-figure RMB round backed by TopoScend Capital, which is associated with Shenzhen Investment Holdings. Founded in 2016, the company develops customized vehicles for transporting oversized, heavy, and precision-sensitive equipment used in aerospace, aviation, wind power, and industrial manufacturing. Its vehicles have supported the transport of Long March and Zhuque rocket components, as well as aircraft-related projects involving the C919 and C909. Fuerkai also serves overseas markets, including Japan, which the company says accounts for approximately half its business. —36Kr
- Weizhi Aviation, a developer of unmanned cargo aircraft, has completed a Series A round of nearly RMB 100 million (USD 15 million), led by an aviation-focused equity investment fund from Zigong, with continued participation from Hangfa Fund. The proceeds will support aircraft R&D, airworthiness certification, and commercial expansion. Its WZ500 cargo aircraft is designed to carry 500 kilograms over distances exceeding 500 kilometers. According to the company, the aircraft had accumulated more than 12,000 kilometers of flight testing as of May and received a special flight permit for demonstration and test operations at four airports. Weizhi Aviation has also reported purchase intentions covering 158 aircraft. —36Kr
- Zhongke Zhuoer, a Chengdu-based semiconductor materials manufacturer, has completed a nine-figure RMB Series B+ round backed by BOC International, Jinan Chanfa Integrated Circuit, JIC Technology Investment, Jiangyin New Guolian Group, Longwater Investment, and other investors. Founded in 2018, the company develops and manufactures high-end quartz photomask blanks and precision substrates used in semiconductor and display manufacturing. The proceeds will support upgrades to polishing, cleaning, and coating processes, alongside the construction of large-scale production facilities. Zhongke Zhuoer said its products have passed customer validation and entered the supply chains of several major domestic photomask manufacturers, with deliveries progressing to small batches. —36Kr
- MoSense, a developer of full-body tactile sensing systems for humanoid robots, has completed a nine-figure RMB angel-plus round co-led by CDH Investments and Vitalbridge. LimX Dynamics, Loongson Capital, CAS Star, WestSummit Capital, Pudong Venture Capital, and an unnamed Chinese embodied robotics manufacturer also participated. Earlier angel investors included HongShan, GL Ventures, and Agibot. Founded in May by a team with roots at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, MoSense develops integrated tactile hardware, sensing algorithms, and AI models. Its product portfolio includes MoSkin electronic skin, MoTact sensing algorithms, and the MoWorld tactile action model. —36Kr
- Approaching AI, a provider of AI inference infrastructure and token production services, has completed a Series B round exceeding RMB 1.3 billion (USD 195 million), bringing its cumulative fundraising in 2026 to RMB 2.4 billion (USD 360.1 million). The round was jointly led by six investors, including ICBC Investment, ZGC Science City, and Star Chain Capital. SenseTime and Wangsu were among the participating investors, while existing backer Shangshi Fund reinvested. Founded in late 2023 with roots in Tsinghua University’s high-performance computing research, Approaching AI builds and operates facilities that generate AI inference tokens at scale. The proceeds will support computing capacity leases, domestic chip procurement, R&D recruitment, and upgrades to its inference services platform. —36Kr
Stryv, Bumi Baru Plastik, Omnichat, and others made recent headlines:
- Stryv, a personal care and home wellness brand owned by Evo Commerce, raised USD 11.5 million in a Series B round led by ACV Capital, with participation from Openspace Capital, Octave Capital, and other undisclosed investors.
- Bumi Baru Plastik, an Indonesian plastics recycling company, secured an undisclosed investment from Circulate Capital to expand its industrial recycling operations. The transaction was conducted through its Singapore-based holding company, New Earth Plastic.
- Omnichat, a Hong Kong-based marketing and customer engagement platform, raised USD 10 million in a Series A round led by Openspace Capital, with participation from Darwin Ventures and Acorn Pacific Ventures.
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Note: RMB, SGD figures are converted to USD at rates of RMB 6.67 = USD 1 and SGD 1.28 = USD 1 based on estimates as of November 3, 2026, unless otherwise stated. USD conversions are approximate and, where appropriate, rounded for ease of reference. They may not fully match prevailing exchange rates.