Silicon Microgravity, a UK-based oil and gas surveillance provider based partly on University of Cambridge research, has received $7m in a round featuring BP Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of oil and gas producer BP. The round also featured tech transfer office Cambridge Enterprise, commercialisation firm IP Group and fund manager Parkwalk Advisors. [read more about this story on our sister site, Global University Venturing]
Eighteen94 Capital, the corporate venturing arm of food producer Kellogg, has led a $5.8m series D round for Ucan, a US-based nutritional products vendor. S2G Ventures also invested in the round. Simon Burton, managing director of Eighteen94 capital, has joined the board of directors. The company previously raised approximately $6m, according to securities filings.
India-based home furnishing e-commerce platform HomeLane has secured $3.5m from Brand Capital, the strategic investment unit of media group Bennett, Coleman and Co, Inc42 reported yesterday. HomeLane offers a personalised interior design service and promises to deliver customised items within 45 days. The company had previously raised $64.5m from investors including Accel Partners, Sequoia Capital, Baring PE, Aarin Capital, GrowthStory and RB Investments. It will use the latest funding to expand its business.
China-based distributed digital assets platform LendChain has raised tens of millions of Chinese yuan (RMB10m = $1.5m) from blockchain companies GXChain and Bitpei, as well as PreAngel, Fission Capital and unnamed investors, according to China Money Network. Founded earlier this year, LendChain operates a cryptocurrency investment platform. The money will go towards product development and marketing.
IOTech, a UK-based industrial internet of things technology developer, raised $2.5m in a seed round on Tuesday backed by Dell Technologies Capital, the corporate venturing arm of computer company Dell. The British government-owned agency Innovate UK supplied an undisclosed amount of R&D funding. IOTech will use the money to accelerate the development of its products and services, boost support for its partner ecosystem and grows its presence in its domestic market, including a recruitment drive.
Geospin, a Germany-based geodata analytics software spinout from Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, secured a seven-figure euro sum (€1m = $1.2m) on Wednesday from energy utility holding company Thüga and from private-public partnership High-Tech Gründerfonds. [read more about this story on our sister site, Global University Venturing]
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has contributed to an $875,000 pre-seed round for US-based decentralised app store Elph, which also attracted the House Fund, a venture capital firm backed by University of California, Berkeley, and assorted angel investors, according to TechCrunch. Elph is also working on a software development kit that will facilitate the creation of blockchain apps.
Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate of e-commerce group Alibaba, has made an investment of undisclosed size in China-based checkout-free convenience store operator Xingbianli, according to China Money Network. Lightspeed Venture Partners also took part in the round, which follows a $57m series A1 round led by Sequoia Capital China in November 2017. The series A1 round included China Renaissance Group, Vision Plus Capital and Lightspeed, the latter of which had already led a $14m angel round in September 2017.
US-based biotech developer Insilico Medicine has raised an undisclosed amount from investors led by research and development services company WuXi AppTec, according to TechCrunch. The round also featured Pavilion Capital, a subsidiary of Singaporean state-owned investment firm Temasek, and Bold Capital. Insilico reportedly raised a total of $14m ahead of the latest round. The company is working on treatments for cancer, aging and age-related diseases, relying on big data analytics and genomics.
Finland-based decentralised database developer Haja Networks has obtained an undisclosed sum from investors including blockchain database producer BigchainDB, according to FinSMEs. Creathor Ventures, Outlier Ventures and Polychain Capital also contributed to the round.
Stanley Ventures, the corporate venturing division of manufacturing company Stanley Black and Decker, has made a lead investment in Israel-based wireless charging technology developer Humavox, according to FinSMEs. Other investors have not been named. Humavox will collaborate with the corporate on integrating its wireless charging technology in a broad range of products.
Retailer Macy’s made a strategic investment in US-based technology-powered retail company B8ta on Wednesday as part of a partnership agreement that will have B8ta integrate its technology into Market at Macy’s, a concept store launched earlier this year. Founded in 2015, B8ta currently operates flagship stores in cities such as San Francisco, New York and Santa Monica. TriplePoint Capital led a $7m series A round in 2016 with participation from Khosla Ventures, Fifth Wall Ventures, Macerich and Eniac Ventures. B8ta had already secured $4.5m in seed funding, according to TechCrunch, though details could not be ascertained.
AccessOne, a US-based patient financing provider, has raised capital from Echo Health Ventures, a vehicle for Cambia Health and Mosaic Health Solutions, itself an investment unit of health insurance provider Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. The round’s size has not been disclosed. It was led by Frontier Capital and will fund the acquisition of AccessOne’s peer HealthFirst Financial.
Salesforce Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of enterprise software producer Salesforce, has contributed to a series B round of undisclosed size for US-based financial data platform Quovo. The round also featured Portag3 Ventures and brought Quovo’s total funding to $20m, according to its press release. Quovo most recently raised $10m from F-Prime Capital and Napier Park Global in April 2017. It previously disclosed $1.4m in series A funding led by Long Light Capital in 2013.
The Huobi Global Ecosystem Fund, the investment division of cryptocurrency exchange Huobi, has made an investment of undisclosed size in Global Risk Exchange, a China-based insurance and risk management platform that relies on blockchain technology, China Money Network reported today. The company’s existing shareholders include LD Capital, JRR Crypto and assorted angel investors.
CoverWallet, a US-based platform for businesses to buy insurance online, has secured an undisclosed amount from insurance provider Zurich Insurance Group. The investment follows a strategic agreement between the two in February. CoverWallet has raised more than $30m to date from investors also including Union Square Ventures, Index Ventures, Two Sigma and Foundation Capital.
Japan-based freelance marketplace Zehitomo has secured an undisclosed amount in series A funding led by 500 Startups, according to Tech in Asia. The round featured public relations company Vector, Mizuho Capital, SMBC Venture Capital, Social Start, KLab Venture Partners and Draper Nexus Ventures. 500 Startups previously also led a $1.5m round in July 2017 that included Draper, Accord Ventures and KLab.
Nepal-based property marketplace Basobaas has raised an undisclosed amount in seed funding from real estate and automotive classifieds operator Emerging Classifieds Ventures, Tech in Asia has reported. Basobaas enables agents and sellers to list properties and offers data insights into the local real estate industry.
US-based last-mile logistics services provider DeliveryCircle raised an undisclosed amount from supply chain services provider NFI, Cambridge Capital and unnamed investors on Wednesday. The company has not specified what it intends to do with the funding.