M&A
Game product provider Spin Master has paid an undisclosed sum to acquire portfolio company Nørdlight, a Sweden-based digital game publisher. Spin Master had disclosed its investment in the latter when it launched its corporate venturing fund, Spin Master Ventures, in October 2021.
Funds
Financial services firm Bank of America has committed an undisclosed amount to US-based venture capital firm Backstage Capital’s Opportunity Fund I.
Toyota Tsusho, the trading subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Toyota Group, has committed an undisclosed sum to Verod-Kepple Africa Ventures, the $100m vehicle formed by Africa-focused investment firm Verod-Kepple Africa Partners. The corporate and its Mobility 54 unit intend to use Verod-Kepple’s network to identify early-stage developers of healthcare, consumer goods and carbon-neutral technologies across Africa.
Funding
| Company | Company description | Sector | Country | Round | Round size($m) | Deal date | Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merkle Science | Predictive crypto risk and intelligence platform | Financial | Singapore | A | 24 (Updated) | 11/08/2022 | Aspen Digital, Hako Technology (Coinhako), Wanxiang (HashKey), Kraken (Kraken Ventures); Beco Capital (lead), K3 Ventures, Republic Crypto, Summer Capital, 500 StartUps APAC and US, Digital Currency Group, Kenetic, Uncorrelated Ventures, Fenbushi Capital, Lucy Gazmararian, Libertus Capital. |
| Edamama | Parenting-focused ecommerce platform | Consumer | Philippines | A | 20 | 12/08/2022 | Robinsons Retail Holdings, Globe Telecom (Kickstart Ventures); Alpha JWC (lead), Gentree Fund, Innoven Capital, Foxmont Capital Partners, Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng |
| Abridge | Conversation AI software developer for medical communication | Healthcare | US | A1 | 12.5 | 11/08/2022 | UPMC (UPMC Enterprises); Wittington Ventures (lead), Union Square Ventures, Pillar Venture Capital, Yoshua Bengio, Whistler Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners |
| Invisible Universe | Internet-focused animation studio | Media | US | A | 12 | 11/08/2022 | Dapper Labs; Seven Seven Six (lead), Cosmic Venture Partners, Franklin Templeton, Dapper Labs, Gaingels, Initialized Capital, Schusterman Family Investments, 75 & Sunny, TCG, Cassius, Dreamers VC, Serena Williams, Jennifer Aniston |
| WeSure Global Tech | Digital insurance provider | Financial | US | N/A | 11 | 11/08/2022 | AmTrust Financial Services |
| Satellite IM | Decentralised peer-to-peer communications platform | Media | US | Seed | 10.5 | 11/08/2022 | Ideo (Ideo CoLab), Solana (Solana Ventures); Multicoin Venture Fund (lead), Framework Ventures, Hashed Venture Fund, PSL Ventures (Pioneer Square Ventures Fund) |
| Hoopo | Power-efficient tracking technology provider | Energy | Israel | A | 10 | 12/08/2022 | ZIM (co-lead), HICO; TheDock (co-lead), TAU Ventures |
| Interaxon | Consumer neurotechnology producer | Healthcare | Canada | C | 9.5 | 11/08/2022 | Intretech; BDC Capital (lead), Export Development Canada, Alabaster, Phyto Partners, Iter Investments, The Clavis Foundation, Ariel Garten |
| Heirloom | Web3 onboarding software developer | IT | US | N/A | 8 | 10/08/2022 | Ripple Labs (co-lead), Forte (co-lead) |
| Locad | Supply chain management integrator | Services | Singapore | A | 7.9 | 10/08/2022 | Rocket Internet; Reefknot Investment (lead), Sequoia Capital (Surge Ventures 3), Febe Ventures, Antler |
| Genvax Technologies | Animal vaccine developer | Healthcare | US | Seed | 6.5 | 10/08/2022 | United Animal Health (lead), Johnsonville (Johnsonville Ventures), Summit Agricultural Group; Iowa Corn Growers Association, Ag Startup Engine |
| Aloha Factory | Casual mobile game developer | Media | South Korea | A | 4.6 | 11/08/2022 | Com2uS (Crit Ventures), Posco (Posco Technology Investment); LB Investment (lead), with Korea Investment Partners |
| Stimulus | Relationship intelligence startup in the supply chain space | Services | US | Seed | 2.5 | 11/08/2022 | Penn Medicine (Wharton Fund for Health), Northwestern Mutual (Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures); Black Ops VC (lead), Genius Guild, Refashiond Ventures, Bronze Valley, BFM Fund, Plain Sight Capital, Morgan Stanley |
| ReadOn | Blockchain content distribution platform | Media | US | 2 | 11/08/2022 | Wanxiang (HashKey), CyberConnect; SevenX Ventures (lead), Foresight Ventures, Sky9 Capital, ArkStream Capital, Puzzle Ventures, M23 Fund, Smrti Lab, unnamed individual investors | |
| Dropbase | Collaborative data management service | IT | US | N/A | 1.75 | 11/08/2022 | Alphabet (Gradient Ventures); Y Combinator, Liquid2 Ventures, Bragiel Brothers, Unpopular Ventures |
| Ankr | Web3 infrastructure provider | Media | US | N/A | N/A | 11/08/2022 | Binance (Binance Labs) |
| Droppa | On-demand logistics service provider | Services | South Africa | A | N/A | 11/08/2022 | SkyNet Worldwide Express |
| Latch Medical | Vaccine and medicine delivery technology developer | Healthcare | Ireland | N/A | N/A | 08/08/2022 | West Pharmaceutical Services |
| Shanghai Enflame Technology | AI chipmaker | IT | China | C+ | N/A | 10/08/2022 | Tencent (Tencent Investment); Jiezou Dashi, Mingjian Zhizhen, Riverhead Capital, Conduit Ventures, Yunhe Capital, Redpoint Ventures China, China International Capital Corporation, Primavera Capital, ZhenFund, Maiqiuguyu, China Capital Investment, Summitview Capital, Shanghai STVC Group, Zhongqing Zhenghe Tech Investment, Oceanpine Capital, ChinaEquity Group, Hogwarts Investment, China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, Delta Capital, CEP Asset, Shanghai Guofang Private Equity Fund Management |
