SWFI First Read, November 27, 2018
Posted on 11/27/2018
Small Number of Google Employees Protest Censored Search Engine Project for China
Alphabet Inc’s Google is moving forward on creating a search engine in China that allows for more censorship in a bid to have a larger presence in the country. The search app is known as Project Dragonfly. Google is facing complaints from its own employees, including engineers and managers, requesting the company end development over the censored search engine. Google knows that it needs Chinese communist party approval to compete with Chinese internet service comapnies.
Koch Brothers Get Stake in Getty Images
Koch Equity Development LLC is the private equity division of Koch Industries. Koch Equity Development is investing US$ 500 million via non-controlling preferred equity investment in Seattle-based Getty Images, an American stock photo agency. Getty Images was created in 1995 by Mark Getty and Jonathan Klein. Under the cash infusion, the Getty family will maintain control over Getty Images.
Can Malaysia be a Place for More Data Centers?
On November 26, 2018, the Alpha Data Centre Fund (Alpha DC Fund) and Keppel Data Centres Holding (Keppel Data Centres) signed agreements to construct and run their first greenfield data center in Malaysia. The data centre will be situated within an industrial park in Johor, Malaysia. Keppel Data Centres will lead the initial development and and subsequent facilities management of the data center.
Warburg Pincus Leads Round in Geek+
Beijing-based Geek+ is an artificial intelligence and robotics company. Created in 2015, Geek+ raised US$ 150 million in a Series B round led by Warbug Pincus. Other investors in the round include Singapore-based Vertex Ventures (owned by Temasek Holdings) and Volcanics Venture. Geek+ was created by Yong Zheng and its logistics solution is operational in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Europe, and the United States.
Deskera Raises Series A Round
Singapore-based Deskera, a maker of business management software for small businesses, raised US$ 60 million in a Series A round. Investors in the round include Jungle Ventures, Cisco Investments, Tembusu Partners, Susquehanna International Group (SIG), and Innoven Capital.
