Electronics producers Samsung and Omron Healthcare, have supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for US-based respiratory disease management platform developer Cohero Health, the former through its Samsung Next unit, adding to a series A round that stood at $9m as of November 2016. A securities filing indicates Cohero had raised an additional $4.3m as of last month, and investors in the first tranche include manufacturing group Heitkamp & Thumann, and corporate venturing units Zaffre Investments and GIS Strategic Ventures.
Wealth management platform Creditease has announced three US-based investments made out of its Fintech Investment Fund, each of an undisclosed size. The deals formed part of a series B round for meeting-booking software developer WeConvene, a series C round for electronic bond trading platform Trumid and a seed round for peer-to-peer farming insurance platform WorldCover.
PlateIQ, a US-based developer of automated accounts payable software, has received $4m in a round led by Eileses Capital that also featured casual dining holding company The Restaurant Group, investment group Tamares, Initialized Capital and Y Combinator Continuity Fund. The startup will use the capital to increase its headcount as it looks to expand geographically.
Nextlaw Labs, the legal technology accelerator founded by legal firm Dentons, has invested an undisclosed amount in Canada-based data analytics and content migration software startup FileFacets through its venture capital arm, Nextlaw Ventures. The funding was supplied as part of an oversubscribed series A round led by investment firm Celtic House Venture Partners that closed at $4m.
France-based spectroscopic x-ray imaging technology developer MultiX has raised €3.5m ($3.8m) in funding from IT equipment manufacturer H3C, electrical systems producer Thales Group, Omnes Capital, Ace Management, Alto Invest, CEA Investissement, EurekaP, Helea Financière and Kreaxi. All the round’s backers, with the exception of H3C and Omnes Capital, took part as existing investors.
Finland-based optical imaging technology developer FocalSpec has also raised €3.5m, securing the capital from pension insurance provider Veritas Pension Insurance as well as VTT Ventures, the VC arm of research centre VTT, VC fund Nordic Option and individual investors from Finland and China. FocalSpec, which was founded in 2009, will use the funding to scale operations that currently span Europe, Asia and the US.
Quantexa, a UK-based startup applying big data to financial services issues, completed a $3.3m series A round co-led by financial services firm HSBC and investment manager Albion Ventures yesterday. It will invest the cash in furthering development of its Entity Resolution and Network Analytics software products, and in supporting an international growth drive that will involve it opening offices in Brussels, Sydney and New York this year.
Gree Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of mobile game publisher Gree, has led a $2.7m series B round for India-based, female-focused online media startup Popxo, the Economic Times has reported. IDG Ventures India, the local VC affiliate of media firm International Data Group, and VC firm Kalaari Capital also took part in the round, having previously invested in a $2m round in late 2015 that included 500 Startups and which had in turn followed $500,000 in 2014 from Chennai Angels and various angel investors.
Hotel chain Marriott International invested an undisclosed sum in PlacePass, the US-based creator of an in-destination tourist experience platform, on Tuesday. Marriott provided the capital as part of a strategic partnership that means its customers can access the PlacePass service when they book a hotel room on the corporate’s website or app.
US-based luxury camping resort operator Collective Retreats has emerged from stealth with $2.5m in seed capital from investors including BBG Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of online media company AOL. The round also featured First Round Capital, Slow Ventures, BoxGroup and angel investors including Sam Shank and Evan Frank, and will be used to grow the number of retreats the startup operates from two to five.
Viro, the US-based creator of software that enables developers to add virtual reality capabilities to their apps, has raised $2.5m in capital from backers including Softbank NY, a subsidiary of telecom and internet company SoftBank, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday. VC firms Eniac Ventures and Lowercase Capital were also among the investors and the funding was disclosed as Viro publicly launched the free-to-use technology.
US-based Fabric unveiled its digital life insurance service on Tuesday having secured $2.5m in a round led by VC firm Bessemer Venture Partners that included RGAx, the early-stage investment arm of reinsurer Reinsurance Group of America, according to VentureBeat. The round also featured BoxGroup, Brainchild, Maveron and Red Sea Ventures, and came as the startup launched in 32 US states.
Lynkos, the US-based developer of an integrated business growth platform, has received $2.5m in seed capital from IC Ventures, a subsidiary of Ururguay-headquartered enterprise software producer Inforcorp. The round also featured family office Logitech Investments and angel investors including Richard Rogers, Michele Santo and Sam Ross-Skinner.
Consumer goods manufacturer Marico has paid an undisclosed amount for a 45% stake in India-based male grooming product maker Zed Lifestyle, the Economic Times has reported. Zed Lifestyle provides a range of facial hair oils, waxes and balms under the Beardo brand, as well as hair, skin and facial care products.
Canada-based financial management app developer Koho has launched with C$2.6m ($2m) of funding that included a strategic investment by financial services provider Power Corporation, TechCrunch has reported. Stanley Park Ventures and angel investors including David Tedman and Gil Penchina also participated in the round, which was raised alongside a beta process that involved more than 1,000 users having some $1.3m of funds processed.
Conglomerate Sistema led a $2m round for Spain-based network software vendor NFWare yesterday, investing through its Sistema Venture Capital unit. The round included Wayra, the early-stage investment arm of telecom firm Telefónica, as well as Maxfield Capital and Almaz Capital, all three of which participated as existing investors.
Lightpost Digital, an online marketing services startup spun out of daily deal and coupon software provider Deal Current Network in 2015, raised an undisclosed amount of funding from VC firms Canal Partners and DWP Investments on Monday. Lightpost will direct the money into an expansion push in which it aims to hire more than 40 new sales staff members this year and another 100 in 2018.
Venture philanthropy fund JDRF T1D Fund invested an undisclosed amount in Semma Therapeutics, a US-based stem cell therapy developer backed by medical device producer Medtronic and pharmaceutical company Novartis, on Wednesday. Semma had previously raised $44m in a 2015 series A round led by MPM Capital and backed by Medtronic, Novartis, Arch Venture Partners and F-Prime Capital.
India-based loyalty and rewards app developer M.Paani Solutions has secured $1.35m in a pre-series A round featuring IDG Ventures India, Blume Ventures and Saha Fund, VCCircle has reported. Angel investors Adil Allana, Aprameya Radhakrishna and Gautam Ivatury also contributed funding, and the round will support product development and expansion across India.
Qlapa, the Indonesia-based operator of an online marketplace for homemade products, has raised an undisclosed sum in a series A round led by impact investor Aavishkaar Frontier Funds that included internet company Kapan Lagi Networks (KLN). Although KLN was described as an existing backer, it was not named as a participant in Qlapa’s February 2016 seed round, in which Global Founders Capital, Ideosource and angel investor Budi Setiadharma supplied an undisclosed amount of capital.
Shift Invest, the impact investment fund backed by Netherlands-headquartered corporates Menzis and Rabobank, has supplied an undisclosed amount of seed funding for smart water-evaporator technology startup Cevap Technology. Netherlands-based Cevap will use the capital to develop a full-scale demonstration model of its water treatment technology.