Consumer-focused corporate venturers committed a record $21.59bn over 137 rounds in 2016, primarily in consumer businesses, with e-commerce platforms dominating
Category: Analysis
Big Deal: Flipkart files away $1bn
The e-commerce company has just closed $1bn in a corporate-backed round but the downgrade on its valuation is likely a sign of the rough time that Indian e-commerce is going through.
Big Deal: MuleSoft musters $221m in IPO
The software integration specialist floated above its range on Friday in an offering that could be the first of some hefty returns for Salesforce Ventures’ stable of unicorns in 2017.
Emotion and face recognition technology: recent deals
Kaloyan Andonov, GCV Analytics, looks at recent deals in emotion & face recognition technology
What emotion AI can teach us about human behaviour
Emotion recognition technology is transforming not just industries like robotics, gaming and automotives, but also our understanding of human behaviour
Industrials invest record sum in digitisation drive
GCV Analytics defines the industrial sector as companies involved with manufacturing equipment, advanced materials, industrial chemicals, agriculture and agtech, 3D printing, robotics and unmanned aerial vehicles, space and satellite technologies, and defence technology, as well as other industrial applications. GCV tracked 158 rounds involving corporate investors from the industrial sector for the period between February… Continue reading Industrials invest record sum in digitisation drive
Deal numbers drop in February
The number of corporate-backed deals fell in February compared with the same time last year – 148 funding rounds versus 162 in the second month of 2016 – the second straight month of declining deal volume. Comparative investment value dropped by about 9%, to $4.38bn from $4.77bn in February 2016, and only one company raised… Continue reading Deal numbers drop in February
Big Deal: iFlix inflates funding with $90m
The streaming service plans a quick geographic expansion after closing funding from Liberty Global, Sky, new strategic partner Zain and founding partners Evolution Media and Catcha.
Big Deal: NBCUniversal invests $500m in a Snap
The media provider, also an investor in Buzzfeed and Vox, extended its online and mobile media access by buying a 2.1% stake in Snap when it went public last week.
Big Deal analysis: Softbank ventures deeper on its tech vision
Softbank could be seen as building a capability to understand and see full public and private dealflow and have the financial tools to utilise insights gathered from trends identified in its operational businesses, such as the customers of its Sprint or Arm businesses.
Big Deal: Argo launches with $1bn
Ford has committed $1bn to the software developer over a five-year period in return for a majority stake and the startup’s services in developing its autonomous car technology.
GCVI Summit: ‘The time is now’
Above: Sue Siegel, GE, Jessica Straus, NVCA, Nagraj Kashyap on stage at the GCVI Summit 2017 Day 1 GE Ventures: building bridges Sue Siegel, chief executive of industrial products conglomerate GE’s corporate venturing unit GE Ventures, told the GCVI audience that for corporate venturers “the time is now”. Siegel, chairman of the GCVI Summit, gave the… Continue reading GCVI Summit: ‘The time is now’
EIB retreat underscores UK venturing’s Brexit challenges
Ever since Britain voted to leave the EU in June 2016, UK government venturers have braced themselves for a loss of EU funding. Northern Ireland has now learned that the European Investment Bank (EIB) will no longer be investing in its new fund – the first time a major government venturing deal has fallen apart… Continue reading EIB retreat underscores UK venturing’s Brexit challenges
French ambitions test university venturing
University corner: France