Pet product supplier Boqii has invested $10m in China-based pet services platform developer Petdog Pet, Sina has reported. The company links to a range of brick-and-mortar pet stores as well as offering services such as pet grooming, training and nutrition. It has not revealed details of any earlier funding but plans to create a rating system for pet service providers in partnership with Boqii.
MyHealthTeams, the US-based operator of a social network for patients with chronic health conditions, secured $9.4m yesterday in a series B round led by biopharmaceutical company UCB. Pharmacy chain CVS Health and fellow existing investors Adams Street Partners, Qiming US Ventures, Westly Group, HealthTech Capital and 500 Startups also took part in the round, which the company said increased its overall funding to approximately $26.8m. CVS also backed a $5m round in 2015 and a $7.3m round in June 2017.
China-based computer vision technology developer Simshine has raised $8m in a pre-series A round led by mobile app developer Cheetah Mobile, according to China Money Network, which cited data published on business information platform Tianyancha on Tuesday. The round included venture capital firm SkyChee Ventures and it reportedly comes after an undisclosed amount of angel funding from social media company Renren and VC firm Skyview Fund in April this year.
E-commerce company Adevinta led a €7m ($7.8m) series A round on Wednesday for PaulCamper, the Germany-based operator of an online recreational vehicle marketplace, through corporate venturing subsidiary Adevinta Ventures. The round also featured FJ Labs, All Iron Ventures, Russmedia International and Mairdumont Ventures, and it followed $1.3m from Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg in 2016 and a $3.8m pre-series A round in July 2018 that was led by Russmedia and backed by Mairdumont Ventures.
China-based holographic technology startup Prism Entertainment has secured RMB50m ($7.1m) in a series A round led by automotive manufacturer Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, 36Kr has reported. The round doubled Prism’s overall funding and followed a $4.7m pre-series A round led by investment firm Rongcheng Capital in April 2018. The proceeds will support the further development and commercialisation of its technology.
Camber Creek, the venture capital firm backed by real estate developer Berman Enterprises, has co-led a $7m series A round for home renovation services provider Curbio with fellow VC firm Brick & Mortar Ventures. Curbio said it has now received a total of $13.6m in funding, having secured $4m in a November 2018 seed round led by VC fund Maryland Venture Fund that included the company’s chief executive, Rick Rudman.
Supernova Hub, the incubator run by logistics service provider ITLM Group’s Italmondo subsidiary, has completed a €6m ($6.7m) capital increase. The incubator also operates a co-working space and targets e-commerce and smart logistics technology developers. It has so far invested some €10m in a total of 12 startups.
Health supplement producer Nature’s Way has led a $6m series A round for Germany-based personalised vitamins and nutrients supplier Baze, Nutra Ingredients-USA reported on Tuesday. Baze received an undisclosed amount of funding from media company Ringier’s corporate venturing unit, Ringier Digital Ventures, in February 2018, before Sanner Ventures and Business Angels added an undisclosed sum four months later. Its other investors include Canopei.
Citigo Software, the Vietnam-based developer of point-of-sale software platform KiotVet, has secured $6m in series A funding from online travel agent Traveloka and VC firm Jungle Ventures, KrAsia reported yesterday. The funding will support the company’s growth in its home country, as it looks to move into less developed regions, in addition to the recruitment of new executives.
ZSuite Technologies, a US-based developer of rent-payment management software, officially spun out of financial services firm Leader Bank yesterday with $6m of funding from external investors. It did not confirm the identity of those backers, but said its partners included fellow banks Seneca Savings, StonehamBank, Opportunity Bank of Montana, Needham Bank, South Shore Bank, Marquette Bank, South Bridge Credit Union and Blue Foundry Bank.
Media company The Financial Times led a series B round of undisclosed size for UK-based digital fashion industry publication The Business of Fashion yesterday and will provide BoF with technology assistance as part of the deal. The round included Index Ventures, which led a $2.1m seed round for the company in 2013 that included luxury goods producer LVMH, Novel TMT Ventures, Samos Investments and Advancit Capital, and Felix Capital, which led its 2015 series A.
Agrosmart, a Brazil-based provider of agricultural data analysis software, has raised R$22m ($5.6m) in funding from investors including financial services firm Bradesco’s Inovabra fund and a corporate venturing subsidiary of media and IT group Positivo, Brazil Journal has reported. The company had raised $100,000 from Baita and Start-Up Brasil in 2014 before adding $1m in seed capital from Baita and SP Ventures in 2016 and an undisclosed sum from SP Ventures the following year.
Bradesco Inovabra is also an investor in Brazil-based big data technology developer Semantix, which has received an undisclosed amount of funding from asset manager Crescera’s Growth FIP fund, Baguete reported last month. Crescera now owns about 30% of Semantix while existing backer Bradesco Inovabra holds 14%. The extra funding will support international growth and the expansion of Semantix’s product range.
US-based drug development software startup VeriSim Life announced on Wednesday that it recently secured $5.2m in a seed round featuring semiconductor and data technology provider Intel’s corporate VC unit, Intel Capital. The round was co-led by OCA Ventures and Serra Ventures and included Loup Ventures, Susa Ventures, Stage Venture Partners, Village Global and Twin, and will support an increase in headcount and the optimisation of its computational models.
Medical treatment provider and researcher Mayo Clinic invested an undisclosed amount in US-based medical device developer Imago Systems on Wednesday as part of a deal whereby it will offer clinical trial support for Imago’s breast imaging system. Imago raised $790,000 from undisclosed investors in December 2017 before securing $100,000 of a $5m round in June this year, according to regulatory filings.
Internet group Tencent has provided an eight-figure renminbi amount (RMB10m = $1.42m) of series A-plus funding for China-based comics and animation content producer Fen-Z through its Topic Fund, 36Kr has reported. The investment comes after a RMB10m angel round featuring Tipping Point Capital and an entity called Rugao Capital, according to 36Kr.
Inflight VR, the Spain-based company working on an immersive virtual reality entertainment system for travellers, completed a €4m ($4.5m) funding round on Monday, pulling in funding from Motu Ventures, CBC Investments and angel investors including Stefan Lauer and Carsten Berrar. The company is a graduate from the 2017 batch of Hangar 51, the accelerator formed by airline operator International Airlines Group.
Cemvita Factory, a US-based company working on a method to convert carbon into chemicals and polymers, received an undisclosed amount of funding from Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of petroleum supplier Occidental, yesterday. The funding will support the development of Cemvita Factory’s technology into a pilot project that can be physically tested.
Blade, a US-based startup developing an exchange for cryptocurrency derivatives, has secured $4.3m in seed capital from investors including digital currency exchange Coinbase, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. SV Angel, A.Capital, Slow Ventures and angel investors Justin Kan and Adam D’Angelo also contributed to the round, which was raised in advance of the platform’s launch, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks.
Shell Ventures, oil and gas supplier Shell’s strategic investment subsidiary, invested an undisclosed amount in Canada-based grid-scale battery provider Corvus Energy on Monday. Corvus had previously raised undisclosed sums from Green Marine Capital, a vehicle founded by maritime services providers BW Group and DNV; Statoil Technology Invest, the subsidiary of energy company Equinor now known as Equinor Technology Ventures, in 2015; and aluminium supplier Norsk Hydro, in late 2017.
InformDS Technologies, the India-based owner of health data digitisation platform Doxper, has closed the first tranche of its series A round at $4m, YourStory reported on Wednesday, pulling in funding from Alkemi Venture Partners, Rainforest Venture Network and GrowX Ventures. Health and wellness services firm Vidal Healthcare co-led a $750,000 seed round with GrowX Ventures in 2017 that included Capier Investments and Globevestor, before leading a $1.1m pre-series A round in April 2018 that featured unnamed existing backers.
US-based compliance management software developer SingleFile Technologies secured $3.3m on Monday in a seed round that included law firms Fenwick & West, Perkins Coie, Cooley, DLA Piper and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. The round was led by VC firm Foundry Group and also featured PSL Ventures, the VC arm of Pioneer Square Labs, the startup studio from which SingleFile emerged in April this year.
Delivery services provider UPS invested an undisclosed amount in US-based autonomous driving software provider TuSimple yesterday through corporate VC arm UPS Ventures. TuSimple had raised a total of $178m as of February this year, when internet company Sina led a $95m series D round that also featured Composite Capital. Its earlier investors include Nvidia GPU Ventures, the investment subsidiary of graphical processing technology provider Nvidia, as well as Fuhe Capital and Zhiping Capital.
Sistema Asia, a corporate venturing subsidiary of diversified conglomerate Sistema, has provided Rs 210m ($2.9m) of series D funding for India-based online lending platform Lendingkart, Hindu BusinessLine reported on Wednesday. The company closed the first $30m for the round last week, with media group Bertelsmann participating through its Bertelsmann India Investments unit, together with India Quotient and Fullerton Financial. Lendingkart has now raised $146m altogether.
Coinmine, the US-based developer of a crypto-mining system for home use, secured $2.5m yesterday in a seed round featuring Gumi Crypto, mobile game publisher Gumi’s cryptocurrency-focused investment vehicle. M13 led the round, which included Republic Labs and private investor Shervin Pishevar, and it came in the wake of $2m in funding from Coinbase, Arrington Capital and angel investors Brian Norgard, Anthony Pompliano, and Balaji Srinivasan in November 2018.
News aggregator Gunosy’s corporate venturing subsidiary, Gunosy Capital, has co-led a round of undisclosed size for India-based peer-to-peer lending platform Faircent with investment fund Das Capital, participating alongside existing investors Starharbor Asia and M&S Partners, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday. Faircent had previously raised up to $9.8m from investors also including media company Bennett, Coleman and Co’s Brand Capital unit, Incofin, Muthoot Fincorp, JM Financial and Aarin Capital Partners.
SomaDetect, the Canada-based creator of a sensor that can analyse milk quality, has received $2m from investors including New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), Western New York Impact Investment Fund and New York Ventures, The Buffalo Times reported on Monday. The company raised an undisclosed sum from milk marketing group Dairy Farmers of America in October 2018, as part of a larger round yet to close, having won the 83North startup contest in late 2017 before netting $250,000 from NBIF in June 2018.
Indonesia-based online beauty product retailer Sociolla has completed a funding round of undisclosed size featuring EV Growth, the joint venture for internet company Yahoo Japan, conglomerate Sinar Mas and VC firm East Ventures, sources familiar with the development told DealStreetAsia, adding that the round includes the Singaporean state-owned Temasek and is expected to be announced soon. Sociolla had previously received $12m in a May 2018 round led by EV Growth and backed by fashion e-commerce company iStyle.
China-based wealth management platform developer Junxin Wealth has secured RMB10m ($1.4m) in funding from financial services marketplace eBroker, 36Kr reported on Wednesday. It will put the capital towards expansion within China, particularly in the country’s second-tier cities where it plans to target high net-worth customers.
ASB Bank, a subsidiary of financial services group Commonwealth Bank of Australia, provided an undisclosed amount of funding on Monday for VerifyUnion, the New Zealand-based operator of distributed-ledger trading platform TradeWindow. Nigel Annett, executive general manager of corporate banking for ASB, is joining TradeWindow’s board of directors in connection with the round, which follows the bank’s piloting of the company’s technology in 2018.
Curv Health, the Canada-based creator of a computer vision system that analyses physical fitness using video footage, has raised C$1.5m ($1.1m) in a seed round that included Asics Ventures, athletic apparel producer Asics’ corporate venturing fund, BetaKit reported on Monday. Newfund Capital led the round, which was also backed by Globalive Capital, NewStack VC and Angel List Syndicate.
US-based water purification technology startup Aclarity secured $1m in pre-seed funding on Tuesday, from investors including Springfield Venture Fund, the seed fund formed by insurance firm Massachusetts Mutual Life. The round also featured Maroon Venture Partners and Alchemy Group, and Aclarity will put the proceeds into expanding its operational capacity and product range.
Packaged food producer Parle Biscuits has invested an undisclosed sum in India-based granola bar brand Wimwi Foods, YourStory reported on Monday. Angel investors N. Bhoovarahan and Gowri Subramanian had provided an undisclosed amount of pre-series A funding for Wimwi in 2016 and the latest financing will be spent on upgrading its marketing and e-commerce channels.
South Africa-based digital payment platform developer uKheshe has received $500,000 from new media services provider Ocean on 76 and seed-stage fund FiTech Ventures at a valuation of approximately $6.6m, Ventureburn reported yesterday. The startup was incubated by financial technology developer Jini.Guru, which subsequently invested $1m according to uKheshe co-founder Clayton Hayward.
Food delivery service Meal Temple has supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for Bhutan-based ride hailing app developer DrukRide, DealStreetAsia reported yesterday. Meal Temple will help the startup expand throughout its home country in addition to assisting it in setting up a meal delivery service.
Plott, the Japan-based creator of a YouTube animation software platform known as Teikou Penguin, has secured ¥50m ($470,000) in seed and pre-series A funding, it announced on Tuesday. Mobile game publisher Gumi’s Tokyo XR Startups joined Breakpoint in the seed round, while another Gumi subsidiary, Gumi Ventures, participated in the pre-series A.
Wayra, the open innovation subsidiary of telecoms company Telefónica, has supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for Germany-based public transport ticketing technology developer MotionTag, Venture Capital Magazin reported on Monday. MotionTag had raised in a $1.6m pre-series A round led by Investitionsbank des Landes Brandenburg’s BFB Brandenburg Kapital fund and backed by postal service Swiss Post and five angel investors, in January 2018.
Wayra has also invested almost R$500,000 ($130,000) in IoTag, the Brazil-based creator of a software platform that tracks the performance and maintenance status of agricultural equipment, TI Inside has reported. IoTag was one of the startups selected by Telefónica’s Brazilian subsidiary, Vivo, for its Agro IoTLab initiative earlier this year.
Piece to Peace, the Japan-based operator of marketing outsourcing service CarryMe, has received ¥130m ($120,000) in debt and equity financing from human resources firm Persol’s Innovation Fund and two undisclosed listed companies. It has registered some 650 businesses on the platform so far.
