Chinese Copycats Segway to U.S. for Innovations Push 
 

As Sequoia Capital venture investor Neil Shen says about the recent acquisition of American scooter maker Segway by Chinese rival Ninebot, "Today, it's not just copycat China. China will expand through its own innovations and acquisitions."

Chinese brands are going global and becoming more innovative, and increasingly, the path to getting there is acquisitions of US companies. 

This could be called a short cut. A question remains too over whether there will be push back to this trend by the US tech founders and their investors.

For now, it's working as both sides benefit from combined resources.

Read Silicon Dragon's post at Segway to China.

Chinese Brands Get Smart About The Value of Brand Marketing 

Chinese tech companies are becoming more adept at marketing and brand image, and will become better known in the West as their products and services go global.

Hank Paulson on the Chinese Economy, Xi Jinping and What Americans Don't Get 

For the last two decades, China's rise could be explained in a string of cliches: explosive growth, strong one-party rule, and fledgling diplomatic clout. This era of simplicity is over now. The economy is slowing, and while cronyism is eroding the Communist Party's authority, the country wields ever-more clout abroad.

 China's handling of these new complexities bears huge consequences for the rest of the world-a point that former US treasury secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. drives home in his new book, Dealing with China: An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower.

See Q&A excerpt from Asia Society interview.

China's Wealthy Are Fleeing the Country 

For U.S.

Last year, Chinese millionaires maxed out the quota for EB-5 visas under the U.S.'s Immigrant Investor Program. All over the world, immigrant investor programs are being flooded with applicants from China.

Since 1990, China has gone from being the 7th largest exporter of immigrants to the 4th largest, an increase of more than 125%. Chinese people are emigrating in ever greater numbers, particularly the wealthy.
  

Percentage of Wealthy Individuals Who Plan to Move Abroad Within the Next 5 Years

 

Meanwhile, a recent survey from Barclays shows that 47% of wealthy Chinese would like to emigrate.

So where do wealthy Chinese want to go?

The U.S. is first choice for wealthy Chinese looking to emigrate.  Read more at Chinafile.

STARTUP ASIA DEALS, FUNDS

The drone industry is one of the hot topics in the technology world at the moment, and Chinese firm DJI, a leading manufacturer, is now seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in funding that would give it a valuation of $10 billion.  

Word is that Kleiner Perkins and Accel Partners may be funding the helicopter drone manufacturer.

See DJI drone.

Mortgage Marketplace LendingHome Reels In $70 Million From China's Renren  See Renren's Timely Investments 

Alibaba Injects Online-Pharmacy Business Into Hong Kong Unit In $2.5 Billion Deal http://onforb.es/1ysWulW 

Q&A: Bertelsmann on China's New Wave of Tech Startups http://on.wsj.com/1PQwqH4 

Chinese Video Streamer Letv Launches Smartphone, Opens Up US Headquarters http://onforb.es/1ysWr9W

JD.com Launches Equity Crowdfunding Platform in China

See CrowdFundBeat

GO Scale Capital, managed by GSR Ventures and Oak Investment Partners, has agreed to acquire an 80.1% stake in Philips NV's LED lighting components and automotive lighting business in a deal that values the business at approximately $3.3 billion. 

The new company will continue under the name Lumileds. The transaction includes the transfer of 600-plus patents related to LED manufacturing and automotive lighting from Philips to Lumileds.

GSR's Sonny Wu will serve as interim chairman of Lumileds. See Lumileds.

INDIA 

Urban Ladder, the online marketplace for furniture, has raised $50 million in new funding led by Sequoia Capital. Hong Kong-based TR Capital and existing investors Steadview Capital, SAIF Partners and Kalaari Capital also participated in the latest round of funding. 

See Urban Ladder. 

Sequoia Capital has added another $210 million to its existing $530 million-India fund at a time when India's 's thriving startup ecosystem is awash with risk capital from myriad investors. This gives Sequoia, which has backed companies leaders such as Just Dial, Mu Sigma and Zomato, a bigger warchest and a leg up over other VCs amid rising valuations of tech companies. 

See Sequoia Capital India fund.

Venture Money In Search Of An Alibaba In India: Good Luck! http://onforb.es/19OgxQo