Weekly corporate venturing deal net 24 – 28 October 2016
Each Friday the Global Corporate Venturing Deal Net rounds up the week’s smaller deals and tracks the emerging companies accessing corporate funds.
Day 1: Corporate Venture in Brasil
Brazil’s innovation capital ecosystem is developing at a rapid pace.
Corporate Venture in Brasil: Day Two
The Brazilian event continued with contributions from Telefónica, BNDES, Philips, AES and Brasil Ventures.
Corporate Venture in Brasil 2016: Automotive sector insights
UPS, Mercedes-Benz and Yamaha are among the corporates using venture activity to assess technology in the transport space.
CVC proves a good option for emerging markets mobility
A report authored by GSMA Ecosystem Accelerator and Delta Partners recommends strategic investments for mobile operators in emerging markets.
Fundraising
Jones Lang LaSalle houses Indian property technology fund
JLL India Real Estate Technology Ventures plans to invest in up to 15 real estate technology developers over the next 18 months, the first of which is interior design platform Foyr.
Coleman leaves Microsoft for VC Ignition
Scott Coleman has left Microsoft’s Startup Growth Partners to join venture capital firm Ignition partners as business development partner.
Startupbootcamp dishes up FoodTech batch
Cisco, Gambero Rosso, Monini and Barilla are among the supporters of a foodtech accelerator that will provide about $16,000 in funding each to 10 startups.
Amgen gets into eHealth Ventures incubator
The pharmaceutical firm’s European affiliate has joined limited partners including Cleveland Clinic, Maccabi Healthcare Services and Medison Pharma.
Intel Capital makes Diversity Fund more diverse
The $125m vehicle will now also invest in entrepreneurs from the LGBTQ community, veterans and entrepreneurs living with disabilities.
People
Nguyen goes to market for IDG Ventures
Baochi Nguyen, previously an interim vice-president of marketing for Simply Hired and Krux Digital, has taken the position full time at IDG Ventures.
Exits
PierianDX taps Tute for acquisition
Tute Genomics, a bioinformatics software developer backed by Tencent, Intermountain Healthcare and Wilmington Pharmatech, has been bought for an undisclosed sum.
Proofpoint adds FireLayers in $55m purchase
Proofpoint has agreed to purchase cybersecurity software developer FireLayers in a $55m deal, a year after it closed an Akamai-backed funding round.
Google gains Eyefluence as corporates exit
The purchase of eye-tracking technology developer Eyefluence for an undisclosed amount has provided an exit to backers including Motorola, Intel and Naver.
Ra Pharmaceuticals IPO brings forth $91.6m
Novo, Novartis and Amgen all recorded exits as blood disorder therapeutics developer Ra floated in the middle of its range.
Comcast disembarks as Vessel docks in Verizon
Verizon has acquired short-form video platform Vessel, which had reportedly raised more than $130m from investors including Comcast Ventures.
Myovant raises $218m in year’s biggest biotech IPO
Pfizer, Takeda and BB Biotech invested a combined $88m in the offering, conducted less than five months after Myovant spun out of Roivant Sciences.
Flexera muscles in on Palamida
Mitsui has exited open source software-focused cybersecurity company Palamida, which had raised $18.5m in funding, in an acquisition by Flexera Software.
IT
NetSpeed accelerates with $10m
Intel Capital made its second investment in on-chip interconnect technology provider NetSpeed Systems as part of a series C round also backed by SK Hynix.
Clarifai deepens cash reserves with $30m series B
The Alphabet and Nvidia-backed deep learning technology developer has now raised more than $41m in total, with Qualcomm returning to take part in its latest round.
Verdigris re-energises Jabil-led series A round
Jabil and Verizon were among the investors that added $6.7m to the $9m in series A funding closed by smart building technology provider Verdigris in December.
Paxata packs $33.5m into series D round
Intel Capital led a round that included fellow corporate venturing units Microsoft Ventures, Cisco Investments and Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners.
Intel Capital puts $38m into 12 startups
Intel’s corporate venturing unit has led rounds for Paxata, InContext Solutions, Kinduct Technologies and K4Connect as part of the deal spree.
Intel Capital and existing investor Robert Bosch Venture Capital were among the participants in the vision sensor developer’s series B round.
Intel gets InContext stake in $15.2m round
The round, co-led by Intel Capital, increased the AMD-backed enterprise virtual reality technology developer’s total debt and equity financing to $40m.
Cloudian grows larger with $41m
Intel Capital, Fidelity and Innovation Network Corporation of Japan returned to take part in a round also backed by Lenovo that took Cloudian’s total funding to $79m.
Health
BlackThorn blooms with $40m series A
Johnson & Johnson has taken part in a round for BlackThorn Therapeutics, which is targeting neurobehavioural conditions like depression or obsessive compulsive disorder.
Emulate expands series B to $45m
Emulate has increased a round already backed by Cedars-Sinai and LabCorp from $28m to $45m following an extension provided by unnamed new investors.
CNP Assurances has led a funding round for health insurance startup Alan and will also act as primary reinsurer for the company.
Propeller Health accelerates to series C stage
Respiratory medicine company Propeller Health has added corporates 3M, GlaxoSmithKline and Hikma to its list of shareholders in a $21.5m round.
GMI gains $40m in GV-backed series A
GV has participated in a series A round for Genomics Medicine Ireland, joining investors such as the government-owned Ireland Strategic Investment Fund.
Lundbeck helps shore up Bonesupport in $37m round
Existing backer Lundbeckfond Ventures returned to take part in a debt and equity round that took the bone repair technology producer’s total financing past $70m.
Trinnovate supports four healthcare innovations
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s investment subsidiary has backed four healthcare startups since its launch a year ago.
Existing investors WuXi PharmaTech and Mayo Clinic took part in a series B round that will help Unity Biotechnology move preclinical candidates into human trials.
Media
NBCUniversal tops up Buzzfeed with $200m
NBCUniversal doubled its investment in the SoftBank and Hearst-backed online media company, providing the capital at a reported $1.7bn post-money valuation.
The China-based educational technology developer has raised $37m from backers including Qualcomm, following a reported $18.8m series A round in 2015.
Mobcrush brings together investors to raise $20m
CAA-backed venture Evolution Media Capital has joined a list of Mobcrush shareholders that already includes CAA itself, Lionsgate and Modern Times.
Consumer
Hydra heads to Mio Global for $15m series B
Mio, a developer of wearable heart rate trackers, has raised $15m in a round led by Hydra Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of Adidas.
AI-equipped smart home device developer Rokid has taken its total funding to $85m with a series B round co-led by IDG Capital Partners and Walden International.
BOE gets on Moov in $12m round
Wearable fitness device developer Moov has added BOE Technology Group to an investor base already containing the Alibaba and Foxconn-backed Taofu Chegnzhen.
Simtoo lands $10.6m in Renren-backed series B
Renren, which had taken part in the consumer drone producer’s series A round in September 2015, came back to co-lead a series B.
Campbell gets in Habit with $32m investment
Personalised nutrition startup Habit has received $32m in funding from Campbell Soup and plans to launch its service early next year.
Financial
Lendio cashes $20m in Comcast-backed round
Comcast Ventures co-led a round that boosted the total raised by the small business loans marketplace to more than $50m.
U51 counts out $84m more in funding
Retailer InTime and Harvest Global Investments have supplied $84m in series C+ capital to the personal finance management platform, a month after it raised $310m.
Transamerica covers Hixme in $14m series B
Transamerica has helped health insurance management platform Hixme close its latest funding round at $14.1m, lifting its total funding to $26.6m.
Energy and Natural Resources
LeadCold heats up with $18m Essel investment
Essel Group Middle East has provided $18m of funding to LeadCold, which is looking to secure a license to build its small nuclear reactor systems in Canada.
Industrial
Contorion manufactures series B round
The eight-digit euro round featured an investment by the corporate venture capital arm of metals distributor Kloeckner & Co.
Transport
Ather Energy finds a Hero for $31m investment
Motorcycle manufacturer Hero MotoCorp has committed $31m to electric bike producer Ather Energy in return for a stake of up to 30%
Services
JD Finance helps Microseer fulfil $30m vision
Human resources outsourcing specialist Microseer has followed an IDG Capital-backed series A round with a $30m round led by JD.com’s financial services spinout.
Innogy has joined existing investors to lead a $14m series B round that will enable Move24 to strengthen its market position in Central and Western Europe.