Deals in brief: Atome secures USD 75 million facility, Sam Altman backs Coco Robotics again, 12 new China deals, and more

Atome secures USD 75 million facility to expand BNPL access in the Philippines

Atome, a buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform under Advance Intelligence Group, has secured a USD 75 million asset-backed financing facility from Lending Ark, advised by CITIC Securities CLSA Capital Partners.

The capital will support the company’s expansion of sustainable, risk-managed consumer credit in the Philippines, with the goal of advancing financial inclusion. Lending Ark previously backed Atome’s operations in Indonesia and has invested over USD 1 billion across Asia.

Coco Robotics raises USD 80 million to scale autonomous delivery fleet

Coco Robotics, an autonomous vehicle company focused on last-mile logistics, has raised USD 80 million. The company will use the capital to advance its artificial intelligence capabilities, grow its fleet, and deepen partnerships with enterprise clients.

Investors in the round include returning backers Sam and Max Altman, Pelion, Outlander, and SNR, along with new participation from Offline, DeepWater, and Ryan Graves. Coco has completed over 500,000 deliveries in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Miami, and has launched operations in Helsinki. The company aims to deploy thousands of vehicles globally this year.

Allay Therapeutics raises USD 57.5 million in Series D funding

Allay Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company, has raised USD 57.5 million in Series D funding to support trials of ATX101, its ultra-sustained non-opioid pain therapy for total knee replacement.

The round was co-led by Lightstone Ventures and ClavystBio, with support from NEA, Vertex Growth, EDBI, SGInnovate, and other investors. HSBC Innovation Banking provided venture debt. Japan-based Maruishi Pharmaceutical, which expanded its licensing agreement with Allay to include South Korea and Taiwan, also joined the round.

Voltavate raises AUD 850,000 to develop next-gen battery components

Voltavate, a Melbourne-based battery tech startup, has raised AUD 850,000 (USD 552,170) in a pre-seed funding round led by Artesian, with support from Investible, Electrifi Ventures, and several angel investors.

The company is developing a battery component platform, beginning with nanomaterial-based separators aimed at enhancing safety, performance, and scalability while minimizing environmental impact. Proceeds will go toward product validation, team expansion, and partnerships, particularly across Southeast Asia.

Piston lands USD 7.5 million to rebuild fuel payments for fleets

Piston, a cardless payments platform targeting commercial fleets and gas stations, has landed USD 7.5 million through its pre-seed and seed funding rounds. Spark Capital led the seed round, with participation from Pear VC and Bond.

The platform links payments to vehicle-specific QR codes, aiming to eliminate fraud and card overhead while giving fuel stations direct access to commercial demand. Operating in the US and India, Piston processes over USD 20 million in annualized volume and serves more than 120 fleets across 800 gas stations. The funding will support go-to-market efforts and hiring, particularly in Kolkata.

Recent deals completed in China: Syfe, Bolttech, Neuralink, and more made recent headlines:

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