Japan-based international logistics startup Shippio has raised ¥1.06bn ($9.7m) in series A funding from investors including Delight Ventures, YJ Capital, Sony Innovation Fund and Globis Capital Partners, respective corporate venturing subsidiaries of internet companies DeNA and Yahoo Japan, consumer electronics producer Sony and education provider Globis. Development Bank of Japan’s DBJ Capital unit has also participated in the round, as have Anchor Ship Partners, East Ventures, Energy and Environment Investment and Coral Capital. Founded in 2016 as Circle-In, Shippio has developed a cloud-based tool for cross-border logistics operators such as freight forwarders, trading firms and logistics departments of manufacturers.
US-based women-focused cannabis wellness company Kikoko yesterday completed an $8m series A round that included cannabis distribution company FlowKana and was led by Bengal Capital. Kikoko has now raised a total of $14m of funding, it said, though details about earlier funding have not been revealed. Kikoko’s products include a cannabis-based tea drink and FlowKana is one of its distribution partners.
US-based integrated receivables platform DadeSystems raised $9m in series D funding yesterday backed by Fifth Third Capital Holdings, a subsidiary of financial services firm Fifth Third Bancorp, and Ocean Azul Partners. The round was led by Napier Park Financial Partners and will allow DadeSystems to expand its product offering. Fifth Third previously supplied an undisclosed sum for DadeSystems in May 2018.
Silent Eight, a Singapore-based regtech developer that uses artificial intelligence for financial institutions to handle compliance and risk, has collected $6.2m in a series A round backed by SC Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of financial services company Standard Chartered. The round was led by Wavemaker Partners and also included OTB Ventures and unnamed existing investors.
Alpaca, the US-based creator of an automated platform that helps traders source new trading ideas backed by exchange operator Monex Group, has received $6m in a series A round led by Spark Capital, with contributions from Spark Capital, Social Leverage, Portag3, Fathom Capital and Zillionize, according to TechCrunch. Alpaca previously obtained $5.8m in funding, including $1.75m in 2017 from backers such as Monex’s investment unit Monex Ventures as well as securities and brokerage operator TradeStation and Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, the VC arm of financial services firm Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group.
US-based digital immigration and visa services provider SimpleCitizen closed a $5.8m seed-plus round on Wednesday led by Kickstart Seed Fund, with participation from Comcast Ventures, the mass media group’s strategic investment arm, as well as Pelion Ventures, Peterson Venture Partners, TSVC, Y Combinator, AppleTree Capital, Kima Ventures, Comcast Ventures and Investo. SimpleCitizen has now collected more than $6.3m in funding altogether, with earlier capital provided across multiple rounds.
Track160, an Israel-based developer of optical tracking technology for sports analytics, has received $5m in a series A round backed by football league Bundesliga and led by Advantage Sports Tech Fund. The round also included Redds Capital and assorted angel investors. The company has launched an initial product called Coach160 aimed at football clubs and has so far signed up clients in Europe, Asia and Latin America.
Varentec, a US-based grid control technology developer backed by diversified goods conglomerate 3M, has raised $5m in funding led by investment firm WindSail Capital Group. 3M contributed to a series C round of unspecified size in 2016 together with Bill Gates and Khosla Ventures.
Singapore-based e-sports company Evos Esports has revealed $4.4m in series A financing after receiving $1.4m in an extension backed by undisclosed Indonesian conglomerates, the top management of an unspecified Chinese e-commerce company and assorted angel investors, according to Tech in Asia. Insignia Venture Partners had led an initial $3m close earlier this year. Founded in 2017, Evos will put the additional money into expanding its e-sports entertainment operation, which currently manages players in Indonesia and Thailand.
UK-based game studio Flavourworks has obtained £3m (3.9m) in series A funding led by Hiro Capital, with participation from Sky Ventures, the corporate venturing division of broadcaster Sky. The money will allow Flavourworks to further develop its platform and expand its pipeline of games.
Protekt Therapeutics, an Israel-based biotechnology developer focused on treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, secured $3.6m in funding on Wednesday co-led by pharmaceutical firm Bukwang Pharmaceutical and Fonds de solidarité FTQ. The round also included Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC and Takeda Ventures, respective corporate venturing units of pharmaceutical groups Johnson & Johnson and Takeda. FutuRx, a biotech accelerator backed by the latter two corporates as well as OrbiMed, also took part in the round, as did OrbiMed itself and RM Global Partners BioPharma Investment Fund. The money will go towards selecting a lead clinical candidate. FutuRx, Johnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC, Takeda Ventures, OrbiMed and RM were identified as returning investors, though details about Protekt’s seed round could not be ascertained.
India-based health technology developer eKincare has raised $3.6m in a series A round backed by Venture East, Touchstone Equities and Eight Roads, an investment vehicle for financial services group Fidelity. The company has now raised $5.6m in funding altogether. VentureEast, Endiya Partners, Touchstone Equities, Eight Roads and angel investor Mohan Reddy previously took part in a $1.5m round in January 2018. Bitkemy Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of diversified conglomerate Bitkemy, previously contributed to a $329,000 pre-series A round in 2016 together with Maheshwari Investment and assorted angel investors. Bitkemy Ventures and technology services provider Adroitent previously backed a $300,000 round in 2015.
NestEgg, the Japan-based operator of automatic savings application Finbee, has raised ¥250m ($2.3m) from trading group Itochu, IT services provider Nihon Unisys and existing investor SBI Investment, a subsidiary of financial services firm SBI, which participated through its FinTech Fund. With this capital, the company plans to strengthen its management efforts. The company previously raised $1.8m in a June 2017 round from SBI Investment, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and SMBC Venture Capital, the latter two being the VC arms of financial services firms Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation.
Brhino, the Japan-based operator of sports shoe trading platform Monokabu, has raised ¥220m ($2m) from backers including mobile marketing technology producer Adways. The round also featured VC firms XTech Ventures and W Ventures. The company will strengthen its recruitment and overall business efforts with this funding. It had earlier closed a May 2019 round of undisclosed size from W Ventures, TLM and angel investors Kentaro Nishio and Hisashi Ito.
US-based smart water monitor producer Conservation Labs collected $1.7m in a seed round on Wednesday from e-commerce and internet company Amazon’s Alexa Fund, Serra Ventures, Mountain State Capital and Innovation Works. The round was led by IrishAngels and will enable Conservation Labs to launch its water monitor, called H2know.
Akatsuki Entertainment Technology Fund, the investment vehicle of games firm Akatsuki, has contributed to a $1.3m seed round for SuperGaming, an India-based platform for casual gamers, according to the Economic Times. SuperGaming also attracted Dream Incubator and Better Capital to the round, which will support the build-out of its platform, partnerships with popular games and headcount.
Advertising holding company Hakuhodo DY’s corporate venturing arm, Hakuhodo DY Ventures, has backed Japan-based industrial remote sensing services SkymatiX through its Hakuhodo DY Future Design Fund. Combined with the $8.4m funding collected in early October 2019 from VC firm Femto Partners, unmanned aerial vehicle technology-focused investment vehicle Drone Fund and individual investors, the total amount of funding raised now stands at approximately $9.2m.
Netherlands-based energy data management platform Energyworx has raised €1m ($1.1m) in a series A round led by EDP Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of energy company EDP. Energyworx will put the cash towards scaling its development and driving international growth across Europe and the US. The company previously obtained $1.6m from Set Ventures in November 2016, adding to an initial $1.1m supplied by HenQ that July.
Japan-based education technology provider Tyotto has raised ¥110m ($1m) from cram school owner Meiko Network Japan. The company will use the funding to expand its business through franchising, develop app contents to increase its user base and support product development and owned media establishment.
Fast-moving consumer goods producer ITC has agreed to purchase a stake of up to 33.4% in India-based snack vending machine manufacturer Delectable Technologies in return for an aggregate $1m, to be invested across four tranches over 12 months, according to the Hindu Businessline. The deal is expected to expand the presence of ITC’s products across vending machines.
Valt, the Japan-based operator of a work support platform called Next Hero for disabled people, has implemented a ¥50m ($460,000) financing round featuring IT and communications group Scala’s impact investment subsidiary, Scala Partners.
Singapore-based fintech developer M-Daq has attracted an unspecified venture capital fund operated by consumer electronics group Samsung for a pre-series D round of undisclosed size, according to Bloomberg. The investment valued M-Daq at $368m. M-Daq previously obtained $87m in a series C round in 2015, with later reports suggesting the round was led by Ant Financial, the financial services affiliate of e-commerce group Alibaba. M-Daq’s backers also include Citi Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of financial services firm Citi.
Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings, a subsidiary of diversified conglomerate Reliance Industries, has grown its stake in US-based public transit technology developer SkyTran to 17.4%, up from 12.7%, according to the Business Standard. Financial terms were not disclosed. Reliance acquired the initial stake in October 2018.
Japan-based compact odor imaging sensor developer Aroma Bit has received an undisclosed amount from Sony Innovation Fund, an investment vehicle for consumer electronics company Sony. The money will support further technology development as the company prepares for mass production. Aroma Bit secured $3.2m from tobacco producer Japan Tobacco and East Ventures last month, after Sony Innovation Fund had invested $2.2m in the company in March this year.
Singapore-based parenting app provider TheAsianParent has closed a seven-figure series C2 round backed by the Mirae Asset-Naver New Growth Fund, formed by internet company Naver and Mirae Asset Financial Group, according to Tech in Asia. The cash injection will allow TheAsianParent to diversify its business, including the launch of own-brand baby and mothercare products. TheAsianParent previously collected between $10m and $30m in series C funding in July 2019 led by conglomerate Fosun, with participation from e-commerce group JD.com, among others.
Posiwill, the Japan-based operator of a career consulting service, has received an undisclosed amount from digital media company Strive and assorted angel investors. Founded in 2017, the company currently runs two services – So-dan.me, an online career change consultation service with more than 1,000 users, and a two-month individual improvement plan called Gekisapo.
Japan-based cloud video recording platform operator Safie has revealed that it secured an undisclosed amount from financial services firm Senshu Ikeda Bank’s investment vehicle called Innovation Fund 25 on October 31. It had also raised an undisclosed sum from 31 Ventures, real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan’s corporate VC fund, last week.
Brazil-based hauler and cargo matching platform TruckPad has received a strategic investment from truck logistics provider Manbang, which will also offer its expertise and technology to drive the expansion of TruckPad across Latin America, according to EqualOcean. TruckPad’s existing investors include mobile commerce company Movile.
– Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu
