Global VC funding increased nearly 50 per cent year-on-year to more than $164bn invested across 11,042 deals, according to the survey. In Asia, funding more than doubled while in the US it rose 17 per cent year-on-year but deal volume fell to 5,052, the lowest level since 2012. 該顯示報(bào)告,全球風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資基金的投資額同比增長(zhǎng)近50%,超過(guò)1640億美元,達(dá)成了11042筆交易。在亞洲,投資額同比增長(zhǎng)逾100%;而在美國(guó),投資額同比增長(zhǎng)17%,但交易數(shù)量下降至5052,為2012年以來(lái)最低水平。
Europe remained the world’s laggard, despite a 40 per cent rise in financing to $17.6bn across 2,483 deals. 歐洲仍是接受風(fēng)險(xiǎn)投資方面的落后地區(qū),盡管達(dá)成了2483筆交易,投資額增長(zhǎng)40%,至176億美元。
China is proving a magnet for capital, with money pouring into everything from ride-hailing apps and shared bikes to artificial intelligence and car-charging stations. 中國(guó)正成為吸引資本的一塊“磁石”,資金涌入了從叫車(chē)應(yīng)用到共享自行車(chē)、再到人工智能(AI)和汽車(chē)充電站的各個(gè)領(lǐng)域。
Didi Chuxing late last month announced a $4bn investment from a consortium that included Japan’s SoftBank and Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala Capital as well as domestic investors. That valued the ride-hailing group at $56bn, making it the world’s biggest unicorn behind US rival Uber. 上月下旬,滴滴出行(Didi Chuxing)宣布獲得了一個(gè)財(cái)團(tuán)的40億美元投資,該財(cái)團(tuán)由日本軟銀(SoftBank)、阿布扎比國(guó)家基金Mubadala Capital 以及國(guó)內(nèi)投資者組成。這使這家叫車(chē)服務(wù)集團(tuán)的估值達(dá)到560億美元,成為僅次于美國(guó)競(jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手優(yōu)步(Uber)的全球最大獨(dú)角獸。
Other top-ranked Chinese unicorns, including Meituan-Dianping, an app that enables users to book and buy meals, manicures and many other services, raised $4bn late last year for a valuation of $30bn. 在中國(guó),其他排名靠前的獨(dú)角獸公司包括美團(tuán)-大眾點(diǎn)評(píng)(Meituan-Dianping),它的應(yīng)用能讓用戶(hù)完成訂餐、美甲和許多其他服務(wù)。去年下半年,該公司融資40億美元,估值達(dá)到300億美元。
Abundant funding has helped fund cut-throat business practices, including costly subsidies — which precipitated Uber’s retreat from China, throwing its lot in with Didi. Meituan last week marked its own entry into ride-hailing. 充裕的資金支持了殘酷的商業(yè)行為,包括高額補(bǔ)貼——這導(dǎo)致優(yōu)步退出中國(guó)市場(chǎng),并與滴滴達(dá)成合作。上周美團(tuán)也進(jìn)入了叫車(chē)服務(wù)市場(chǎng)。
Some one-time start-ups such as handset maker Xiaomi are now eyeing the public markets, where liquidity is also abundant and tech companies in particular, including China’s tech titans Tencent and Alibaba, are seeing their prices propelled higher. 一些曾經(jīng)的創(chuàng)業(yè)企業(yè)——比如手機(jī)制造商小米(Xiaomi)——目前正在籌備股票上市。在股市中,資金也很充足,尤其是科技公司——包括中國(guó)的科技巨頭騰訊(Tencent)和阿里巴巴(Alibaba)——都看到自己的股價(jià)被推得越來(lái)越高。
The duo are also big investors in start-ups in China and Asia, with Tencent in particular out-spending traditional VC firms. 這兩家公司也是中國(guó)和亞洲創(chuàng)業(yè)企業(yè)的大型投資者,其中騰訊的投資額尤其高于傳統(tǒng)風(fēng)投公司。
Corporations, including their VC arms, were involved in one more than a third of last year’s deals in Asia.