The Rakuten Ventures Japan Fund will provide capital for startups in its parent company’s home country and is the fourth fund it has launched in the last three years.
Month: January 2016
MariaDB stores away $9m
Intel Capital returned to back a round that took database technology developer MariaDB’s overall funding to almost $40m.
Glu attaches itself to Plain Vanilla
Plain Vanilla, the developer of mobile trivia game QuizUp, has received $7.5m in financing from Glo Mobile, which joins backers including Tencent, IDG and Riot Games.
Idinvest optimises Botify in $7m series A
Search engine optimisation service Botify secured $7.2m in a round featuring corporate-backed Idinvest Partners and VC firm Ventech.
Corporates help raise BaubleBar in $20m series C
The online fashion jewellery retailer has now raised $35m altogether, after Hubert Burda and DSW contributed to a $20m funding round.
Spotify ties up Cord Project acquisition
GV exited the voice messaging app developer, which had raised $1.8m in 2014, and which Spotify acquired alongside Ireland-based social network Soundwave.
Kashyap resurfaces at Microsoft
Ex-Qualcomm Ventures head Nagraj Kashyap has now confirmed he has joined software provider Microsoft as corporate vice-president to build the venture group reporting to Peggy Johnson, the executive vice-president behind more strategic transactions, such as its investment in Facebook back in 2006.
Inivata passes Johnson & Johnson test for $45m
Johnson and Johnson reinvested in Inivata, which will use the series A funding to advance its cancer diagnostics platform through clinical studies.
HopSkipDrive reaches series A stage
BBG Ventures returned for a $10.2m round that will support the children’s ride sharing service as it expands into new markets.
Jolly Pharma helps Carsgen harvest $30m
Jolly Pharma has backed a funding round for cancer immunotherapy developer Carsgen Therapeutics through its Jolly Innovation Ventures unit.
GigaSpaces attracts Intel for $20m series C
Intel Capital has invested in big data technology developer GigaSpaces for a third time, and the funding will go to innovation, sales and marketing.
Qubole holds $30m in series C round
Wells Fargo-backed Norwest Venture Partners returned to reinvest as part of the round, lifting the big data company’s total funding to $50m.
Baofeng Mojing heads to $35m
The virtual reality headset maker has attracted funding from investors including film studio Huayi Brothers, which participated as an existing backer.
Sony to conduct $212m Altair acquisition
Sandisk is set to exit Altair Semiconductor, just over a year after it invested an undisclosed sum in the company, which had already raised about $125m.