Apptimize, a US-based developer of optimisation tools for mobile apps, closed a $4m series A round on Tuesday led by venture capital firm Costanoa Venture Capital. Apptimize raised $2.1m in seed funding in January 2014 from a syndicate of 30 investors including Google Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of internet company Google, Merus Capital and XG Ventures.
Michelson Diagnostics, the UK-based developer of a tissue-imaging system, has closed the £2.5m ($3.9m) first tranche of a $6.2m series B round led by medical technology business Smith & Nephew. Kent County Council and undisclosed existing investors also backed the round, and Michaelson has now raised £7m in total, with previous backers including Octopus Investments, Catapult Venture Managers and London Business Angels.
Industrial products manufacturer 3M has invested an undisclosed amount in Nanoscale Components, the US-based developer of a system that increases the lithium content in lithium-ion battery anodes, as part of a $3.5m round. Nanoscale has now raised $11.1m in debt and equity since it was founded in 2007, according to regulatory filings.
Locket, the US-based developer of a personalised news app for phone lockscreens, has secured $3.2m in series A funding from media company Turner Broadcasting, Fierce Capital, Great Oaks and assorted angel investors. Great Oaks previously contributed to a $500,000 seed round raised by Locket in 2013, and the startup revealed the latest funding at the same time as it launched ScreenPop, a messaging app for lockscreens.
RoboCV, the Russia-based developer of an autopilot system for warehouse vehicles, received $3m in series A funding on Tuesday from Leta Capital, the corporate venturing unit of IT services company Leta Group, I2BF Global Ventures, VTB Capital Investment Management, Columbus Nova and Almaz Capital. Leta previously invested $500,000 in RoboCV in 2013.
SkyGiraffe, a US-based producer of technology enabling businesses to create their own mobile apps, closed a $3m series A round on Wednesday led by Trilogy Equity Partners and featuring 500 Startups. 500 Startups also contributed to SkyGiraffe’s $1.5m seed round in May 2013, secured five months before software company Microsoft invested an undisclosed sum through its Microsoft Ventures subsidiary.
VirMedica, a producer of healthcare commercialisation technology, invested an undisclosed amount in US-based medical consultancy D2 Pharma Consulting on Thursday. D2 claims to have advised a ‘significant’ number of US-based pharmaceutical and medical device companies on product launches over the past six years.
Revmetrix, a US-based provider of customer analytics technology for retailers, raised $2.2m on Thursday from a seed round co-led by Genacast Ventures, a seed fund affiliated with cable services supplier Comcast, and VC firm 406 Ventures. The round was also backed by angel investors including Jerry Neumann, Chris Brandenburg, Sid Banerjee and Sean Glass.
Thirty Labs, a US-based app studio focused on the video industry, has raised $2m in seed funding from BDMI and Bloomberg Beta, the respective corporate venturing units of media companies Bertelsmann and Bloomberg, entertainment group MTG, digital media studio Broadway Video, VC fund Luminari Capital and a range of angel investors, TechCrunch has reported. The company previously raised $1.4m in debt in September 2014.
NewCo, a US-based startup promoting business events and festivals, raised $1.7m in seed funding on Wednesday from Bloomberg Beta, Obvious Ventures, True Ventures, Transmedia Capital, Freestyle Capital, Foundry Fund and a host of angel investors. NewCo, which is set to put on a dozen festivals this year, will use the funding to build its company and hire more staff.
France-based smartcard security startup Ledger secured €1.3m ($1.5m) in seed capital on Thursday from multimedia group Hi-Media, which participated through its Hi-Pay subsidiary, as well as XAnge Capital, Alain Tingaud Innovations and assorted angel investors. Founded last month, Ledger is focused on protecting the digital identities of users of cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
WeChat Africa, a joint venture formed by e-commerce company Naspers and internet portal Tencent, has invested an undisclosed amount in South Africa-based micro-jobbing platform M4JAM, Ventureburn reported on Thursday. M4JAM, which launched its service on WeChat’s mobile ecosystem in August last year, works by breaking blocks of work into smaller segments that can be completed by workers using their phones.
US-based hiring platform InterviewJet has secured $750,000 in seed funding from technology recruitment company Mitchell Martin. Launched in 2014, the company curates a list of potential employees and promotes them to employers by email. InterviewJet will use the funding to hire more staff and support expansion.
Line Life Global Gateway, an investment subsidiary of online messaging service Line, invested an undisclosed sum in Pocket-menu, the Japan-based operator of restaurant reservation and payment service Pocket Concierge, on Tuesday. Pocket-menu, which secured $600,000 in 2013 from investors including Fuji Startup Ventures and Nippon Venture Capital, will also seek to incorporate Line services such as online payment system Line Pay into its product offering.
– Additional reporting by Thierry Heles