SMBC Asia Rising Fund makes follow-on bets in Easy Home Finance, Vayana, DPDzero

The investments come after all three companies raised fresh capital or hit key business milestones over the past year.

Easy Home Finance raised a $30 million Series C funding round in January to expand its affordable housing finance business, particularly across Tier II and Tier III markets, taking its total funding to $80 million. Vayana, which secured an NBFC licence last year had raised $20.5 million in 2024. Bengaluru-based DPDzero, which develops AI-powered debt collection software for financial institutions, raised $7 million in a Series A round led by GMO Venture Partners in August last year.

SMBC ARF said the follow-on investments reflect its increased conviction in the companies' execution, operating maturity and ability to address structural gaps across housing finance, trade credit and collections infrastructure.

"Our follow-on investments reflect a simple principle: we increase conviction where we see sustained execution and expanding opportunity," said Rajeev Ranka, partner for India investments at SMBC Asia Rising Fund, in a statement.

Launched in 2023 by Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) and Incubate Fund, the Singapore-based corporate venture fund has a corpus of $200 million and a 10-year tenure. It invests in growth-stage fintech companies across Asia spanning lending, payments, supply chain finance, banking-as-a-service and digital assets.