Katherine Steiner-Dicks

Zepp bats in $15m

The US sports technology company, Zepp, which has developed clever and easily applicable sensor gadgets to improve sportsmen on their game, such as The Zepp Sensor and bat mount that allows batsmen to get feedback on their swing, has raised $15m in what is its first reported funding round. The deal was led by GGV… Continue reading Zepp bats in $15m

Nexmo calls in $18m

Nexmo, a UK company that specialises in translating internet push messages into SMS, has raised $18m in a funding round led by US private equity firm Sorenson Capital. The company has raised $22.8m to date including from corporate venturing units Intel and NHN Investment, both of which participated in this latest round.

IDG Ventures India homebound for funding

IDG Ventures is raising its second fund and according to local business news reports, is looking to High Net Worth investors and family offices from India to meet its fundraising needs.

Brainbees growth sweet as honey

Vertex, a subsidiary of Temasek Holdings, has led a $15m series C investment into Brainbees Solutions, the company that owns the ‘FirstCry.com’ brand, India’s most popular baby and kids focused e-commerce site. IDG Ventures India and SAIF Partners, the existing investors in Brainbees, also participated in the round. Joo Hock Chua from Vertex will join… Continue reading Brainbees growth sweet as honey

L Capital says the Vicini shoe fits

L Capital has acquired a 30% stake in Vicini, an Italian shoe maker and retailer that also owns luxury shoe brand Giuseppe Zanotti, the creative inspiration behind the company. Vicini makes shoes under its own brand name, under other luxury licenses and the Giuseppe Zanotti label, with Zanotti (pictured) as the creative director for the… Continue reading L Capital says the Vicini shoe fits

China start-ups pitch perfect for Microsoft?

The Microsoft Ventures Accelerator in Beijing China has selected the 19 start-ups that will participate in the fourth Beijing Accelerator class taking place in January. Accelerator Participants receive an average $250,000 worth of resources.

IDG dials into mobile workforce

Corporate venturing unit IDG Ventures sees a buoyant future in the mobile-based field sales technology segment. The investor has invested an undisclosed amount of capital in this series A round of funding for India field employee-focused sales software company FieldEZ Technologies.

High-Tech Grunderfonds shines a light on ICE Gateway

ICE Gateway, a German LED-lighting company that specialises in its own designs that communicate and control electronics for the M2M infrastructure of smart cities and outdoor facilities of industrial customers, has raised an undisclosed amount of capital from a public/private partnership. The investor, High-Tech Gründerfonds, is a financial entity that includes funding from Germany’s Federal… Continue reading High-Tech Grunderfonds shines a light on ICE Gateway

NBCUniversal feeds need for speed with NowThisNews

The NBCUniversal News Group has taken a minority stake in US social video start-up NowThisNews. Existing backers of the Lerer-start-up include Softbank Capital, Bedrocket, Lerer Ventures and Oak Investment Partners. The two companies will work with each other out of New York. Prior to the NBCUniversal transaction the start-up had raised just under $10m.

Netcall ‘Sentiment’ clear in £1m funding

Netcall, a software company increasingly interested in how social media data can transform and benefit client business, has invested up to £250,000 in a £1m series A round for UK-based Macranet (trading as Sentiment). Elderstreet VCT also participated in the funding. Sentiment’s cloud-based platform monitors global social media, providing solutions in the area of customer… Continue reading Netcall ‘Sentiment’ clear in £1m funding

ISAI, XAnge all aboard Evaneos $6m series B deal

ISAI, a French early stage and small cap private equity fund backed by a growing list of European – largely French entrepreneurs and high ranking senior executives – has re-invested in French travel agency-linked business, Evaneos. Fellow corporate venturing outfit, XAnge Private Equity, also participated in the $6m series B round. The company has raised $7m since it was established in 2009.

MemorialCare gives Ivantis clearer future

MemorialCare Innovation Fund, a strategic investment company wholly owned by the MemorialCare Health System, has participated in a series B round of funding for eye stent specialist Ivantis worth $46.5m.

Inventus-backed Vizury on fundraising trail

Inventus Capital Partners portfolio company, Vizury, an India advertising retargeting start-up already backed by Nokia Growth Partners, is looking to raise $20m in a series C round of funding led by its existing backer. Prior to this fundraising the company has raised a reported $11m.

Bakrie finds Path to social media

Path, an extremely popular private social media company in Indonesia, has raised $25m in a series C round led by Indonesia energy and telecommunications conglomerate Bakrie Group. Existing backers that also participated in this latest round include Greylock Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Index Ventures, Insight Venture Partners, Redpoint Venture Partners and First Round Capital. The target… Continue reading Bakrie finds Path to social media