Userlane, the Germany-based developer of a software navigation system, raised €4m ($4.9m) on Wednesday in a series A round that included Main Incubator, a subsidiary of financial services firm Commerzbank. Capnamic Ventures led the round, which also featured High Tech Gründerfonds (HTGF) and FTR Ventures, and which came after an undisclosed amount of seed capital from Main Incubator, HTGF and angel investor Robert A. Kabs in late 2016.
On-demand ride provider Didi Chuxing has agreed to invest an undisclosed amount in China-based automotive services provider Yestock Car Rental as part of a strategic partnership whereby Yestock will offer car leasing and hire-purchase deals to Didi Chuxing drivers. Yestock was founded in 2005 but has not publicised details of any past funding. It claims to be China’s largest supplier of leasing services with a purchase option.
US-based CoEdition launched a fashion e-commerce platform for plus-size women on Tuesday with a $4m of seed capital from investors including BBG Ventures, the female-focused venture capital fund owned by online media group Oath. The round was led by VC firm New Enterprise Associates and featured General Catalyst and Primary. The proceeds will go to marketing, as CoEdition looks to hire software developers and data scientists.
Bertelsmann Asia Investments, a corporate venturing vehicle formed by media group Bertelsmann, has supplied “millions of dollars” in funding for Mintbao, a China-based startup that has developed an artificial intelligence-infused online insurance advice platform, Kr Asia has reported. Mintbao offers consultation on life, health, accident and critical illness insurance, and provides links to where it can be purchased, taking commission on sales as well as consulting fees.
Promise, the US-headquartered creator of a technology-based monitoring and assistance system for those who have been charged but not yet convicted of crimes, received $3m in funding from investors including talent management and entertainment services agency Roc Nation on Monday. VC firm First Round Capital led the round, which also featured 8VC, Adelfos, Kapor Capital and Y Combinator, the operator of an accelerator in which Promise is participating.
AdStage, the US-based developer of a data reporting and automation platform for online advertisers, secured $3m yesterday in a round co-led by sales and marketing software producer HubSpot, Verizon Ventures, which invests as the corporate venturing arm of telecommunications firm Verizon, and VC firm Forté Ventures. It has now raised $13.8m altogether, its past funding coming from Verizon Ventures, internet company Digital Garage, back-end systems software supplier Guidewire, marketing software provider Eloqua, Newbury Ventures and Freestyle Capital.
Consumer electronics manufacturer Micromax has invested an undisclosed amount in One Labs, the India-based creator of a unified mobile services platform called InOne that offers access to a large number of apps while cutting down on storage, YourStory reported on Monday. One Labs will use the funding to expand the range of services offered through its app to 200 in the next year, and Micromax will preload InOne with its smartphones as part of the deal.
Illumina Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of genomics technology producer Illumina, led a $2.5m series A1 round for US-based cancer diagnostics technology developer Cernostics on Wednesday. The round boosted Cernostics’ total funding to $13m, and its investor base includes UPMC Enterprises, a subsidiary of care provider and insurer UPMC, as well as Novitas Capital, Geisinger Health System, the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse and Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Northeastern PA.
Home Captain, the US-based developer of a home-buying assistance platform, completed a series A round of undisclosed size on Tuesday that included Second Century Ventures, the VC arm of the National Association of Realtors. The round was led by investment management firm Spring Mountain Capital and the funding will be spent on commercialising the startup’s platform.
Gosu.ai, a Lithuania-based startup developing training technology for eSports competitors, has secured $1.9m in funding from investors including Sistema VC, a corporate venturing vehicle for diversified conglomerate Sistema, VentureBeat reported on Wednesday. The round was led by VC firm Runa Capital and backed by Ventech, and came in the wake of an undisclosed amount of funding previously provided by VC firm Gagarin Capital.
Electronic component manufacturer Phoenix Contact supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for Canada-based industrial ethernet technology provider iS5 Communications on Wednesday through its corporate venturing subsidiary, Phoenix Contact Innovation Ventures. The funding was provided as part of a round that included existing iS5 management and investors, and will be used to further develop its core product, Raptor, a platform for its iBiome operating system.
US-based online data discovery platform Waterline Data has received $1.5m in funding from IT services firm Infosys, Hindu Business Line reported yesterday. Infosys invested $4m in Waterline’s last round, a $16m series B in early 2016 led by Partech Ventures that in turn followed $7m in series A funding from Menlo Ventures and Jackson Square Ventures two years earlier.
Hitachi High-Tech Solutions Corporation, an electronic systems subsidiary of diversified conglomerate Hitachi, has provided $1m for India-based industrial internet-of-things technology developer Flutura Decision Sciences and Analytics, VCCircle reported on Tuesday. Hitachi High-Tech agreed in December 2017 to invest in an undisclosed sum in Flutura as part of a strategic partnership agreement, after Vertex Ventures had led the company’s $7.5m series A round in February 2017, investing together with Lumis Partners and The Hive.
Credit union Vizo Financial invested $500,000 in Constellation Digital Partners, the US-based operator of an online marketplace for credit unions, on Tuesday. The deal took Constellation’s funding over the past year to $26m according to WRAL TechWire, the rest coming from credit union services provider CU Solutions and credit unions Coastal Credit Union, Teacher’s Credit Union, CFCU Community, Meritrust, Farmers Insurance Federal, Georgia’s Own, Affinity Federal, Kinecta Federal and Nusenda.
Sehat Kahan, the Pakistan-based operator of an all-female network of online-accessible healthcare providers, has secured $500,000 in seed capital from investors including commodities trader Elahi Group of Industries, TechJuice reported on Tuesday. The round consists of equity investment and grant funding and the contributors include Spring Accelerator, GSMA Accelerator Innovation fund and Amplify Reproductive.