Axel Springer AG, a Germany-based mulit-media company, has committed €30m ($41m) to Project A Ventures, a company builder which specializes in funding and establishing start-ups in the fields of internet, mobile and online advertising technologies and which has experts based in Berlin and Sao Paulo. Project A Ventures was founded in January 2012 by its… Continue reading Axel Springer joins Otto in Project A
Month: October 2013
Minted is truly minted with $41m
Minted, a US-based online marketplace for design and art, which counts itself as a pioneer in crowd-sourcing product design through vote-based competitive challenges, has raised $41m in its series C financing led by IT-focused venture capital firm Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV). Boutique investment bank Allen & Company and existing investor, venture capital firm Benchmark Capital… Continue reading Minted is truly minted with $41m
Wonga buys BillPay
Wonga, a UK-based lender which offers short-term loans, has acquired Germany-based online payment and financing platform BillPay. a portfolio company of e-commerce incubator Rocket Internet. Investors in BillPay include Rocket Internet and its co-investors Holzbrinck and AB Kinnevik. Terms of the acquisition have not been disclosed. BillPay, founded in 2009, provides technology that allows customers… Continue reading Wonga buys BillPay
UK could become a ‘CVC powerhouse’
A report by the BVCA on the state of corporate venture capital (CVC) in the UK describes CVC as the missing piece in the puzzle of how to engage corporate investment in the UK, if only the policy mix can be got right.
Cisco invests in Cinarra
Cinarra Systems, a US-based technology startup which provides real-time mobile data analytics, has raised $4.5m led by venture capital firm Almaz Capital, with participation from US-based networking equipment company Cisco and individual investors. Geoffrey Baehr, a general partner at Almaz Capital, will join the company’s board. The company is currently in stealth mode. Alex Zinin,… Continue reading Cisco invests in Cinarra
Comcast joins Dollar Shave Club
Dollar Shave Club, a US-based e-commerce company which sells razors on a monthly subscription, home delivery basis, has raised $12m in a series B investment round supported by previous investor, venture capital firm Venrock and including participation from Comcast Ventures, the venture capital affiliate of cable television company Comcast Corporation, and venture capital firms New… Continue reading Comcast joins Dollar Shave Club
Google leads Enterproid across Divide
Enterproid changes name into Divide, after its secure mobile platform for BYOD-based enterprises, and raises $12m series B funding led by Google Ventures and including Comcast Ventures and Qualcomm Ventures.
Hearst goes for a Swirl
Hearst Ventures leads $8m financing, including participation of SoftBank, for Swirl Networks, provider of in-store mobile marketing platform which makes use of micro-location targeting to influence shoppers.
Alibaba catches Shoprunner in $206m round
E-commerce company Shoprunner has reportedly raised more than $200m, as Alibaba joins its backers and eBay divests its stake.
Intel backs Basis and its multi-sensor band
Basis Science, maker of the Basis wristband for collecting personal health data, extends series B financing by $11.75m to $23m, with investments from Intel Capital, Stanford University and others.
Smartling speaks right language for $24m
Cloud-based enterprise translation software company Smartling raises $24m series C funding led by Tenaya Capital and including IDG Ventures.
GE looks to advanced manufacturing
US-listed industrial conglomerate General Electric (GE) is preparing its fourth area for corporate venturing with a team to look at advanced manufacturing. GE already manages corporate venturing units looking at software, healthcare and clean-tech under its GE Ventures unit. At the NCET2 Global 1000 conference last month, Rafael Torres (pictured), managing director at GE’s Healthymagination… Continue reading GE looks to advanced manufacturing
Deutsche Telekom leads $55m financing for Lookout
As the security of mobile platforms becomes increasingly critical amid the huge uptake of smartphones, Deutsche Telecom leads a $55m strategic financing, supported by Qualcomm Ventures and others, for mobile security firm Lookout.
Europe’s strategic and financial approach
Over the past decades, well established firms have understood the importance of opening up their innovation process and secure technologies residing outside their boundaries, thus resulting in their growing interest for Corporate Venture Capital. Allegedly, they invest in CVC to obtain strategic and/or financial benefits. However the concrete interplay between these two seemingly opposite objectives… Continue reading Europe’s strategic and financial approach