Investments Summarized: a16z and Lightspeed jointly lead Series A funding for k-ID; Pawprints Group expands seed round with additional financing; Earth VC backs Orbillion Bio, with further investments detailed.

In the world of tech and finance, several exciting developments have taken place recently. Here's a roundup of some of the latest news:

Funding Rounds

k-ID, a Singapore-based startup offering a cross-platform instant registration solution for children and teenagers, has secured USD 45 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Venture Partners. The key investor involved in the round is the a16z speedrun program, which led the pre-seed round and provided strategic guidance, securing talent, and connecting with design partners. The funding round brings k-ID's total funding to USD 51 million.
Zeron, a new energy vehicle company, has secured nearly RMB 100 million (USD 13.7 million) in a Series A1 funding round.
AnDiConBio, a developer of drugs designed to counteract respiratory infections, has completed a RMB 200 million (USD 27.5 million) Series A funding round.
Orbillion Bio, a US-based cultivated meat startup, has secured strategic investment from Earth VC, a climate tech venture capital firm based in Vietnam.
VidAU, an AI-powered video creation platform, has secured angel funding from River Jin Technology to further develop its algorithms and AI models.
Pawprints Group, a Singapore-based company specializing in "biologically ideal and allergy-friendly pet nutrition," has announced an extension to its seed funding round led by Asia Fund X.

Dachin Etech Global, a Singapore-headquartered D2C brand creator, has secured an undisclosed sum of seed funding from Northstar Ventures.
Stride, a Ho Chi Minh City-based clean tech company, has secured a USD 3 million debt financing facility from Trine, a Sweden-based solar investment platform.
Atome Financial, a digital financial technology platform, has secured a three-year term debt facility from EvolutionX Debt Capital, with an accordion feature that could increase the total amount to up to USD 100 million.
Food Empire Holdings, a Singapore-based multinational food and beverage group, has bagged USD 40 million from private equity fund Ikhlas Capital.
Tiger New Energy, a Bangladeshi clean energy startup, has raised an additional USD 1 million in funding from ADB Ventures, augmenting the USD 2.5 million seed round led by Wavemaker Partners in 2023.
Jheat Technology, a Shanghai-registered temperature control technology company, has secured an undisclosed amount in an angel funding round from Qingyuan Huaxin Investment.
AdvanSol, a developer of micro-string inverters for solar power systems, has completed an extended angel round of financing, led by Edge Ventures.

Plaza Premium Group has announced a USD 300 million investment to drive innovation and growth over the next three years.
Opilot, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence startup focusing on data privacy and protection, has raised an undisclosed amount of pre-seed investment from Iterative Capital.
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) has announced two new investments: USD 195 million in Ascend Money and an investment in LanzaJet, a US-based company specializing in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production.
Canterly, a startup developing a platform for equestrian businesses, has secured pre-seed funding from early-stage investor Antler.

Stay tuned for more updates in the world of tech and finance!