Sometimes companies do supersede their own expectations. And, it could be sensed from Ant Financial’s massive $14 billion fundraising round.
While Alibaba-owned payment group was reportedly raising $10 billion, it ended up $14 billion from the likes of Singapore’s GIC and Temasek, General Atlantic and Warburg Pincus.
Importantly, Ant Financials is valued at $150 billion pre-money which makes it the most valuable private company globally. It’s valued more than 2X Uber’s worth – $70 billion.
Meanwhile, eyeing a miniscule pie, Ratan Tata-founded UC-RNT Fund would buy .1 per cent equity for about 150 million in China’s payment major. It’s an alternative investment fund that partners RNT Associates (Ratan Tata) and the University of California.
The Hangzhou-based firm valuation is witnessing a 2.5X jump when it had raised $4.5 billion in April 2016 what was the world’s largest single private funding round for an Internet company.
During the last round, the operator of China’s biggest payment platform was valued at $60 billion.
After hiving off Ant Financial from Alibaba in 2011, it has diversified over the years into credit services, asset management, and online banking, besides owning the Alipay payment platform.
The company has also invested in a number of Internet-based startups including bike-sharing company Ofo, food delivery app operator Ele.me, Didi Chuxing, and several others in China.
In India, Ant Financial has invested in payment major Paytm, foodtech Unicorn Zomato, online grocer Bigbasket.
So far, UC-RNT Fund has led three investments in India while participated in one financing round. As per Crunchbase, its investment includes NestAway, YourStory, MSwipe, and CureFit.
Ant Financials investment news was reported by FT while UC-RNT probable funding was reported by ET.
