The music entertainment app developer has raised $4m in a Qualcomm-backed series A round that will fuel expansion.
Month: December 2013
Play-i takes $1.4m in pre-orders
Google-backed toy robot maker Play-i raises $1.4m in pre-orders for its Bo & Yana robots, in a product crowdfunding campaign run through its own site.
Horizons improves Misfit’s health
Misfit Wearables, a US-based wearable computing company which makes Shine, an activity monitoring and motivation device, has raised $15.2m series B financing led by Hong Kong-based venture capital firm Horizons Ventures; existing investors, O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures (OATV), a corporate venturing fund backed by O’Reilly Media, Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Max Levchin and… Continue reading Horizons improves Misfit’s health
Unilever invites marketing tech startups to “Go Global”
Unilever, a UK/Netherlands-based consumer products company, has launched “Go Global”, a partnering programme and prize competition for digital marketing startups. Unilever, although not committed to investing any equity in the startups, is offering US$100,000 in cash, mentorship, and in-kind services in exchange for a customised digital marketing pilot in the area of content, mobile, or… Continue reading Unilever invites marketing tech startups to “Go Global”
Persistent Venture Fund kicks off with Ustyme investment
Indian software company launches SMAC-focused fund and makes inaugural investment in video call app Ustyme.
Amadeus launches travel tech fund
Amadeus, a Spain-based travel operator, has launched Amadeus Ventures, a funding programme “which aims to drive strategic value through early stage minority investments in start-ups sitting at the crossroads of travel and technology.” Katherine Grass, head of Amadeus Ventures, Amadeus IT Group, said in a blog: “The main objective of the fund is to identify… Continue reading Amadeus launches travel tech fund
Qihoo puts funds in PSafe
Chinese antivirus firm Qihoo 360 leads $30m funding for Brazilian peer PSafe.
Saudi Aramco powers up Utilidata
Energy technology company Utilidata is reported to have raised $20.5m funding from Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures and Formation 8.
Homejoy sweeps in Google
Homejoy, a US-based domestic cleaning services company which provides online booking of a home cleaner at $20 an hour, has closed an additional $38m in financing to its A and B rounds: Google Ventures, the venturing arm of internet firm Google, led the series A investment and contributed to a series B led by venture… Continue reading Homejoy sweeps in Google
Box packs Itochu, Macnica, Mitsui and Telefónica into $100m funding
Box, a US-based cloud storage provider, has raised a series E funding round of $100m, at a valuation approaching $2bn, with the participation of a number of corporate investors. The funding comprises commercial agreements and strategic investments from Japanese partners, Itochu Technology Ventures, the venture investment arm of general trading company Itochu, technology products and… Continue reading Box packs Itochu, Macnica, Mitsui and Telefónica into $100m funding
Synchrony Innovations launches strategic software
Synchrony Innovations, the software as a service provider recently spun out of strategically focused advisory firm Synchrony Venture Management, is today launching TiCR Innovation Analytics, software to help corporate venturing (CVC) units and wider innovation-focused corporate personnel to analyse strategic value. Adam Caper, chief executive of Synchrony, said TiCR, which stands for Total Innovation Capital Returns, was… Continue reading Synchrony Innovations launches strategic software
Strategic value debate could be eaten by software
Software is eating the world, according to Marc Andreessen, and it may soon eat debates on corporate strategy, if strategy analytics firm Synchrony Innovations gets its way. Although Synchrony’s launch of a software as a service tool to measure strategic value is a welcome experiment in innovation in the world of corporate venturing, it is… Continue reading Strategic value debate could be eaten by software
Merging venturing with acquisitions
The joining up of corporate venturing units into the broader innovation toolkits of companies, including M&A, will increasingly be important next year.
DuMont plus-sizes Navabi funding
German e-tailer of fashion for plus-sized women raises $13.6m led by Index Ventures and including existing investor, German media group DuMont’s digital media venturing unit.