Visic Technologies, an Israel-headquartered developer of gallium nitride technology for the automotive industry, received an undisclosed amount of series E financing on Tuesday from investors including fabless semiconductor producer MediaTek. It had raised $11.6m in a 2017 series C round led by Birch Investment and $10m in a June 2018 series D led by an unnamed private investor. Its website also lists Federmann Enterprises, Inversiones Plasma and Genesis Partners as shareholders.
Digital payment technology provider Stripe led a $10m series A round on Wednesday for Pulley, the US-based creator of a software platform that can help manage the cap table and employee options for startup companies. Caffeinated Capital, General Catalyst and 8VC also took part along with angel investors including Elad Gil, Avichal Garg, Parker Conrad, Jack Altman, Kathleen Estreich, Linda Xie, Matt MacInnis, and Jeannette zu Fürstenberg. The startup launched its product in January this year.
China-headquartered cross-border financial services provider XTransfer has closed a series C1 round of undisclosed size led by Telstra Ventures, the investment arm of telecommunications firm Telstra, Sohu reported on Monday. MindWorks Capital and unnamed existing investors also took part in the round, which followed a $15m series B-1 round in October 2019 led by EWTP Fund and backed by China Merchants Venture Capital, 01VC, Yunqi Partners and Gaorong Capital.
Mine, the US-based developer of an online data management platform, secured $9.5m on Wednesday in a series A round led by internet technology provider Google’s artificial intelligence fund, Gradient Ventures. The round included MassMutual Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of insurance firm Massachusetts Mutual, as well as Battery Ventures and Saban Ventures, the two investors that had supplied $3m in seed financing for the startup in January this year.
Silent Eight, a Singapore-based developer of anti-money laundering technology, has raised up to $8.8m in a funding round led by venture capital firm OTB Ventures and backed by SC Ventures, the VC arm of Standard Chartered Bank, and Koh Boon Hwee, chairman and general partner of VC fund Altara Ventures. The round took its total funding to $15m and came after Wavemaker Partners led a $6.2m series A in November 2019 that included SC Ventures and OTB Ventures.
Payment services firm Visa invested an undisclosed amount in UK-headquartered payment processing technology provider Global Processing Services on Monday that will support international expansion. Private equity firm Dunedin had paid $58.3m for a ‘significant’ stake in the company in June 2018.
Energy provider National Grid’s investment arm, National Grid Partners (NGP), co-led a $6m series A round for US-based satellite data analytics provider AiDash yesterday with VC firm Benhamou Global Ventures. NGP director Andre Turenne is joining the company’s board of directors in conjunction with the round, as is Benhamou partner Yashwanth Hemaraj.
Superplastic, the US-based creator of a toy and entertainment brand built around animated celebrities, raised $6m earlier this month in a funding round led by GV, the subsidiary of internet and technology group Alphabet formerly known as Google Ventures, it revealed yesterday. GV was joined by Craft Ventures, Founders Fund, Betaworks, the Chainsmokers and fellow angel investors Justin Timberlake and Scott Belsky. The startup had launched in July 2019 with a $10m series A featuring Craft Ventures, Founders Fund, Betaworks, Index Ventures, Global Village, Canaan, Shrug Capital and various individuals.
RaiseNow, the Switzerland-based creator of an end-to-end fundraising software platform for charities, secured CHF5.4m ($5.9m) yesterday in a series A-plus round led by Six Fintech Ventures, the investment arm of financial technology producer Six Group. PostFinance, the financial services subsidiary of postal service Swiss Post, also took part, along with unnamed private investors, having already supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for RaiseNow in 2017.
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) subsidiary IDB Invest has provided $5m for Kingo Energy, a US-headquartered supplier of prepaid solar energy systems for developing nations, with $4m coming from the Clean Technology Fund it manages. Kingo had raised a total of about $19m as of an $8m series B round in 2017 featuring energy utilities Engie and EPM, development banks FMO and Proparco, and the IDB-backed Honduras Renewable Energy Finance Facility. Actor Leonardo Di Caprio added an undisclosed amount the following year.
US-based compliance software startup Secureframe received $4.5m on Wednesday in a seed round co-led by Google subsidiary Gradient Ventures and VC firm Base10 Partners. The round also featured BoxGroup, Village Global, Soma Capital, Liquid2 Ventures, Chapter One Ventures, Worklife Ventures, Backend Capital and undisclosed angel investors, and will fund hiring for positions such as engineers, product managers and account executives.
BizCapital, a Brazil-based online lender backed by retailer Mercado Libre, has raised R$20m ($3.6m) in a series B-plus round led by cooperative society Oikocredit that included Alumni Angels, Exame reported yesterday. DEG, a subsidiary of development bank KfW, led the company’s $12m series B round in June this year, investing with Mercado Libre’s Meli Fund and unnamed existing investors that may have included Monashees, Quona Capital, Chromo Invest and 42K Investments. It has now raised more than $25m altogether.
Investment firm Lupa Systems led a $3.5m seed round on Tuesday for US-based synthetic dataset provider Synthetaic that included TitletownTech, the investment partnership between software provider Microsoft and American football franchise the Green Bay Packers. The round also featured Betaworks Ventures and followed $1m in pre-seed funding from unnamed investors.
Schrott24, the Germany-headquartered operator of an online scrap metal trading platform, secured €2.8m ($3.3m) yesterday in a financing round led by Statkraft Ventures, the strategic investment arm of power producer Statkraft. The round was also backed by existing backers including investment firm FJ Labs, which had provided an undisclosed amount of funding in 2017, and angel investor Gisbert Rühl.
Medical device maker Globus Medical has acquired the stake in Finland-based surgical implant developer Synoste held by Evonik Venture Capital, the investment arm of chemical producer Evonik, for an undisclosed amount on Wednesday. Synoste had raised a total of about $14.5m as of a $5.8m round in 2018 featuring Lifeline Ventures and AO Invest. Evonik Venture Capital took part in a 2016 round backed by High-Tech Gründerfonds, Finnvera, Lifeline Ventures and Innovestor Ventures, and the company’s existing investors include manufacturing services firm Mectalent.
Radiotalk, the Japan-based developer of an audio distribution platform, raised about ¥300m ($2.8m) on Monday from digital media company Gree, news aggregator app developer Gunosy, animation studio Oriental Light and Magic and financial exchange operator Monex. The corporates provide the funding through corporate venturing subsidiaries Strive, Gunosy Capital, OLM Ventures and Monex Ventures respectively. MBS Innovation Drive, part of broadcaster MBS Group, had invested $910,000 in the startup in May 2019, the year after it was launched by internet company Excite Japan.
Grocery delivery service Ocado has invested an undisclosed sum in Myrmex, a US-based developer of robotics technology for use in the retail sector. Ocado will take a board seat at Myrmex as part of the deal, which will involve it creating a bespoke product for the corporate. It followed an undisclosed amount from Odyssey Venture Partners in 2015.
Index, the US-based creator of a software platform that enables users to develop business intelligence applications without coding, has secured $2.6m in a seed round featuring collaboration app developer Slack and Gradient Ventures, the artificial intelligence investment arm of internet technology provider Google, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. Accelerator operator Y Combinator and angel investors including David Sacks also participated.
US-based podcast subscription service Quake Media launched on Tuesday with $2.5m in capital from investors including media holding company WndrCo, Axios reported. The startup’s backers also include undisclosed private investors, and its slate of broadcasters includes political figures Laura Ingraham, Soledad O’Brien, Gretchen Carlson, Mike Huckabee and Andrew Gillum.
Ware, a US-based developer of drones for use in warehouse management, completed a $2.5m seed round featuring Bloomberg Beta, the VC firm sponsored by media group Bloomberg, yesterday. Up Partners led the round, which was also backed by 2048 Ventures and individual investors including Tom McInerney and Adam Bry. It will fund the expansion of Ware’s team and the strengthening of its artificial intelligence capabilities.
Lomigor, a Cyprus-based subsidiary of internet group Mail.ru, has paid an undisclosed sum for a 45% stake in Preprep.ru, the Russia-based operator of exam preparation platform Tetrika, last month, Kommersant has reported. Lomigor has also put up an undisclosed amount of funding to increase its share of Russia-based IT education provider Skillbox to 70%, having last invested in the company in March this year.
Koska, the Japan-based developer of a software platform called GenKan which helps control manufacturing costs, received ¥250m ($2.4m) in October 2019 from investors including telecoms and internet group SoftBank’s artificial intelligence fund, Deepcore, it revealed on Monday. VC firm Global Brain led the round, which also featured Coral Capital, the VC firm that provided $280,000 for the startup in January 2019.
Enterprise software producer Salesforce has supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for Apisero, a US-based provider of consulting services for Salesforce and integration software platform Mulesoft. The investment was made through corporate venturing unit Salesforce Ventures and will support the company’s entry into new markets.
Online streaming service ALTBalaji has paid Rs 150m ($2m) for a 17.5% stake in Tring, the India-based operator of an online engagement service for celebrities and public figures, VCCircle reported on Monday. Tring had already received an undisclosed amount from angel investors including Kalyan Krishnamurthy, Sujeet Kumar, Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini and Hemesh Singh in May this year, according to VCCircle.
Zora, the US-headquartered creator of an online platform that allows artists to launch creative projects connected to a crypto token that can give them dividends if their work grows in value, has secured $2m in seed capital from investors including digital currency exchange Coinbase’s investment arm, Coinbase Ventures, TechCrunch has reported. VC fund Kindred Ventures led the round, which also featured angel investors Trevor McFedries, Alice Lloyd George and Jeff Staple.
Infrastructure software producer Bentley Systems provided an undisclosed amount for FutureOn, a Norway-headquartered developer of visualisation software for the oil and gas industry, on Monday. The funding came through the corporate’s Bentley Acceleration Fund and it followed FutureOn being spun off by 3D visualisation agency Xvision.
Psykhe, the UK-based creator of a digital fashion recommendation platform, received $1.7m last month in a seed round led by SLS Journey, the corporate venturing vehicle for fashion distributor MadaLuxe Group. Angel investors Carmen Busquets, John Skipper and Lara Vanjak also contributed to the round, which comes as the startup prepares for a commercial launch of the tool, which is currently in beta testing.
Telecoms and internet group SoftBank led a $1.6m funding round for US-based health plan provider Vitable Health on Tuesday through its $100m Opportunity Fund. Y Combinator, DNA Capital, Commerce Ventures, MSA Capital and Coughdrop Capital also took part along with angel investors including Immad Akhund and Allison Pickens.
Canada-based robotic kitchen technology developer YPC Technologies, raised C$1.8m ($1.4m) in seed funding on Tuesday from investors including Toyota AI Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of automotive manufacturer Toyota. Hike Ventures and Real Ventures co-led the round, which also featured Uphill Capital and unnamed angel investors. YPC had previously been a participant in Real Ventures’ FounderFuel accelerator.
Oil and lubricants provider S-Oil has agreed to invest an undisclosed sum in Glory & Tech, a South Korea-based company that installs water supply and renewable energy systems, Korea Times reported on Monday. The corporate is making the investment to secure emission reduction credits for some 13,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide.
Search engine operator Ecosia has paid £1m ($1.3m) for a 20% stake in TreeCard, the UK-based creator of a wooden debit card that passes on money to fund the planting of trees, Finextra has reported. The company will channel 80% of interchange fee profits to tree-planting activities handled by Ecosia, the developer of a search engine that uses its profits for the same purpose.
Sarah, the Japan-based operator of a food-focused social media app, secured an undisclosed amount on Wednesday from convenience store operator Seven-Eleven Japan (SEJ) and DD Holdings Venture Capital, the investment arm of restaurant and hotel operator DD Holdings. Marketing agency Vector took part in a 2015 round of undisclosed size for Sarah that preceded $710,000 from broadcaster Nagoya TV’s Nagoya TV Ventures unit, KLab Venture Partners and PE&HR in 2017, and a $2.3m round featuring House Foods Group Innovation Fund – a joint venture for food manufacturer House Foods and financial services firm SBI – as well as conglomerate Mitsui, service industry-focused consultancy Hidden Gems and Higashimatsuyama Entrepreneur Support Investment Limited Partnership, in February 2019.
US-based battery manufacturing technology developer Ateios has completed a $1.25m seed round featuring HG Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of industrial holding company The Heritage Group. The round was led by VC firm Good Growth Capital and also featured Keshif Ventures, Techstars Ventures, Elevate Ventures, Impact Assets, VisionTech Angels and various angel investors. Ateios is also a graduate of The Heritage Group Accelerator powered by Techstars accelerator.
Happy Quality, the Japan-based developer of an artificial intelligence-equipped plant cultivation system, received an undisclosed amount of funding on Tuesday from electronics manufacturer Sony’s Innovation Fund and Shizuoka Ventures, the regional startup community and investment firm also known as The Society for Venture Investment and Consultation. It came eight months after $910,000 in seed funding from Shinkin Capital, a subsidiary of Shinkin Central Bank, and Hamamatsu City Fund Support Business.
Pickupon, the Japan-based creator of an artificial intelligence tool that records and summarises phone conversations, secured ¥80m ($770,000) on Wednesday from CyberAgent Capital, the corporate VC arm of internet company CyberAgent, as well as East Ventures, Miraise and private investor Hitoshi Koide. The round came in the wake of approximately $190,000 from angel investors in September 2019.
Autmotive retailer Ibaraki Toyopet, bookstore and entertainment provider Book Ace, construction firm Cosmo Sogo Kensets, vegetable producer Asahibussan and logistics service provider Kokusai Logitec invested an undisclosed amount in Japan-based professional football team Mito HollyHock yesterday. It had received a similarly undisclosed sum from investors including IT services firm Appreciate, photographic studio operator Ono Group and cleaning service Chikarakobu Holdings earlier this month.
Pale Blue, a Japan-based developer of microsatellite propulsion systems, raised ¥70m ($670,000) in seed funding on Wednesday from investors including Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, the VC arm of insurance group Mitsui Sumitomo, and VC fund Incubate Fund. The round included debt financing from undisclosed banks and took the startup’s total funding to about $1.3m. It was incubated within University of Tokyo’s IPC 1stRound unit in April this year.
Genomedia, the Japan-based provider of a medical information system, received an undisclosed amount today from trading group Sumitomo, nursing care service provider Ship Healthcare Holdings and Aflac Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of insurance firm Aflac. The company’s technology searches for genetic abnormalities that could help cause cancer.
Link, the Japan-based owner of an online marketplace for caregivers called Ichirou, secured ¥65m ($610,000) last month in a seed round featuring Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital and Monex Ventures, which invests on behalf of financial exchange operator Monex, it disclosed yesterday. Investment firm BlackCrow Capital also participated in the round, which will support growth across Japan’s Kanto region.
Advertising agency Logly provided an undisclosed amount of seed capital for Locarise, the Japan-based creator of an artificial intelligence system that analyses customer behaviour, on Wednesday, through subsidiary Logly Investment. The startup will allocate the proceeds to product development and the expansion of its engineering team.
Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu. Image courtesy of Visic Technologies Ltd.
