Access Industries-backed Acelyrin filed to go public while Lockheed Martin took part in Orbit Fab’s $28.5m series A round.
Month: April 2023
Deal Roundup: Libode New Material drives to $375m series B
GAC Group took part in the battery material producer’s $375m series B round while MetaVC Partners’ $62m fund included Corning and JSR as LPs.
Predatory investors turn screws on startups
Investors have noticed the use of convertible notes spiking over the past six months as an alternative to financing startups with equity and bank debt. But their frequency and unfavourable terms may well come back to haunt startups and investors alike.
Deal Roundup: Mitsubishi fund Marunouchi Capital takes $303m for third fund
The trading group’s Marunouchi Capital unit reached its first close while BMS and Alexandria took part in cancer drug developer Torl’s $150m series B round.
The Big Deal: Pickup pockets $40m as coffee penetrates Southeast Asia
The Go-Ventures led series A comes after Pickup Coffee opened more than 60 locations in the Philippines in its first year, bringing together localisation and tech to fuel rapid growth.
EVs trump driver assistance tech in auto sector’s future
Investors are prioritising vehicle electrification over advanced driver-assistance technology as countries rush to adopt EV targets, according to Denso’s Tony Cannestra.
Deal Roundup: Infogrid charges up with $120m
Novo Holdings took part in Alentis Therapeutics’ $105m series C round while SoftBank and JLL Spark contributed to Infogrid’s $120m series B.
MassMutual puts $100m into a second diversity-focused fund
The insurer is following up a $50m first fund with a sophomore vehicle that will continue to invest in Massachusetts-based startups along with those led by black founders.
Nouri bids farewell to Lam Research
America’s Frontier Fund hired Faran Nouri, formerly global head of Lam Capital, for a role focusing on microelectronics investments.
Brazil’s Agrosmart wants to save the planet — one farm at a time
The corporate-backed startup informs more 100,000 farmers in Latin America about precise soil and climate conditions to optimise planting.
Deal Roundup: CapitalG expands AlphaSense series D to $325m
Alphabet unit CapitalG added $100m to a round valuing market data provider AlphaSense at $1.8bn while Nestlé paid $235m for a 49.95% stake in meal replacement brand Yfood.
SoftBank to divest $2bn SoftBank Ventures Asia unit
Newly formed fund The Edgeof is set to acquire the $2bn SoftBank unit and expand its investment scope to cover the wider Asian region.
Krysiek becomes MassMutual Ventures’ latest managing partner
Massachusetts Mutual Life’s strategic investment arm has hired Timothy Krysiek, formerly a managing director at Equinor Ventures, to co-lead its $100m Climate Tech Fund.
What happens when you join the billion dollar CVC club?
A small but growing number of CVCs are quietly reaching fund sizes of more than $1bn. When they get there, life changes in some ways.