XTransfer, a China-based financial trading technology provider backed by telecommunications firm Telstra, has completed a series C2 round of undisclosed size led by investment firm Lavender Hill Capital Partners and backed by unnamed existing investors, DealStreetAsia reported on Wednesday. Telstra unit Telstra Ventures led an October 2020 series C1 round that included MindWorks Capital and undisclosed existing backers, following a $15m round featuring EWTP Fund, China Merchants Venture Capital, 01VC, Yunqi Partners and Gaorong Capital a year earlier that took XTransfer’s total funding to $30m.
Medical practice finance provider Bankers Healthcare Group has invested $10m in Apiture, a US-based developer of digital banking transformation technology. Apiture was formed in 2017 as a joint venture between payment services provider First Data and financial services firm Live Oak Bank before closing a $20m round featuring financial services firm Pinnacle Bank and funds and accounts advised by T. Rowe Price in July 2020.
Broncus Holding Corporation, a US-based medical device developer backed by internet group Baidu and surgical technology producer Intuitive Surgical, completed a series D round of undisclosed size yesterday led by FountainVest Partners and backed by Exome Asset Management, Summer Capital and Valliance Capital. It had raised $15m in series A funding from investors including Intuitive in 2018 and an undisclosed amount in a series C round led by Lake Bleu Capital and backed by Baidu unit Baidu Capital, Ascendum Capital, CNCB Capital, Qiming Venture Capital and DCP Capital in October 2020.
Telecoms and internet group SoftBank has led a series C round of undisclosed size for Brazil-based accounting services provider Contabilizei, LatAm List has reported. Quona Capital, Point72 Ventures, Kaszek Ventures and the world Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) also took part in the round, which came after Point72 Ventures led a $20m round in January 2019 that included IFC, Quona Capital, Quadrant, Fintech Collective and existing investors Kaszek Ventures, e.Bricks, Endeavor Catalyst and Curitiba Angels. It had raised undisclosed amounts from Curitiba Angels in 2014, KaszeK Ventures the following year and e.Bricks Ventures, Kaszek Ventures and Endeavor Catalyst in 2016.
LottieFiles, the US-based operator of an online community platform for motion graphics creation, received $9m on Wednesday in a series A round led by software provider Microsoft’s corporate venturing unit, M12. The round included 500 Startups, the VC firm that joined application delivery software producer Adobe’s Fund for Design to supply an undisclosed amount of seed financing for LottieFiles in April 2020.
BlackCart, the Canada-based operator of a try-before-you-buy service for consumer products, has completed a $8.8m series A round featuring Citi Ventures, the investment arm of financial services firm Citi, TechCrunch reported on Monday. Origin Ventures and Hyde Park Ventures Partners co-led the round, which also featured Struck Capital, 500 Startups and angel investors including Christian Sullivan, Dean Bakes, Greg Rudin, Jordan Nathan and Nick Pirollo. It had emerged from stealth in May 2020 with $2.1m, $2m coming in a seed round featuring Struck Capital, 500 Startups, Revel Partners and private investor Dean Bakes.
VC firm AP Ventures led a round of undisclosed size on Tuesday for US-based electrofuel technology developer Infinium that also featured e-commerce firm Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund, industrial compressor manufacturer Neuman & Esser and industrial equipment maker Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI). The round included Grantham Environmental Trust and the cash will support development of a commercial-scale version of Infinium’s technology.
US-based supply chain technology developer Verusen raised $8m in series A funding yesterday from investors including carmaker BMW’s strategic investment arm, BMW i Ventures. The round was co-led by Forte Ventures and Flyover Capital and also featured Glasswing Ventures, Zetta Venture Partners, Kubera VC and Engage. Formerly known as Autit, the company had previously secured $2.7m in a 2018 seed round co-led by Zetta Venture Partners and Glasswing Ventures.
SafetyWing, a Norway-based cross-border insurance provider backed by online lender CreditEase and internet company Digital Garage, has secured $8m in a series A round led by Creandum, Nordic 9 has reported. The round included ByFounder and Rocketship according to a subsequent Forbes report, and it follows a $3.5m seed round in 2019 led by ByFounders that also featured CreditEase’s Fintech Fund and Digital Garage’s DG Incubation unit. It had previously received at least $500,000 from investors including Nordic Web Ventures and Y Combinator.
UK-based cybersecurity risk analysis provider CybSafe received $7.9m yesterday in a series A1 round led by VC firm IQ Capital that also featured Hannover Digital Investments, a corporate VC vehicle for insurance provider HDI Group, and B8 Ventures. CybSafe had previously secured $4.6m in series A funding from undisclosed investors in 2018.
Messaging platform developer Slack’s corporate venturing vehicle, Slack Fund, has co-led a $7.5m funding round for US-based enterprise voice messaging service Yac with venture capital firm GGV Capital, Axios reported on Monday. Boost VC, Betaworks and Active Capital were among the investors that provided a total of $1.5m for Yac before Slack Fund added $500,000 in August 2020.
RxRevu, a US-based provider of medical prescription analysis software, closed a $7m series B round on Wednesday led by VC firm Jazz Venture Partners that included unnamed existing backers, taking its total funding to $28m. Healthcare provider UCHealth led RxRevu’s $15.9m series A round in mid-2019, investing with healthcare provider Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Inception Health unit, as well as hospital operators Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Children’s Hospital Colorado and UnityPoint Health, Jazz Venture Partners and University of Virginia’s LVG Venture Fund.
Stock exchange operator Luxembourg Stock Exchange has paid an undisclosed amount for a 22.8% stake in Luxembourg-based data management technology provider Tetrao International, it announced on Tuesday. The exchange led a $560,000 series A round for financial advisory service Startalers in November 2019, paid an undisclosed sum for a 10% stake in online bond marketplace Origin the next month and was one of the founding backers of asset management technology startup FundsDLT, which completed its series A round in March 2020.
Consumer goods manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser has invested Rs 450m ($6.2m) in Visage Lines Personal Care, the India-based owner of grooming product provider Bombay Shaving Company, Business Insider reported yesterday. Sixth Sense Ventures had led a $6.3m round for Visage Lines last month that included consumer goods producer and existing investor Colgate Palmolive Asia Pacific, increasing the company’s overall funding to $11.4m.
Preemadonna, the US-based developer of a nail-art printing device, raised $5.6m in seed capital on Tuesday from investors including e-commerce and consumer electronics group Amazon’s Alexa Fund. The round was led by Halogen Ventures and also featured Version One Ventures, Two Small Fish, SOSV, Garage Capital, Draper Associates Investments, Shrug Capital, Telescopic Ventures, Cleo Capital, Spanx by Sara Blakely Fund and angel investors including Tara Bosch, Markus Frind, Helen Greiner and Charles Huang.
Malaysia-based e-commerce fulfilment service iStore iSend has received $5.5m in a series B round co-led by logistics service provider EasyParcel and VC firm Gobi Partners, e27 reported on Tuesday. The company operates in Malaysia, China, Indonesia and Singapore, and will put the funding towards an expansion into neighbouring markets such as the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Credence MedSystems, the US-based developer of a drug delivery system, secured an undisclosed amount from pharmaceutical firm Novartis on Tuesday, two months after it received $15.4m in funding from unnamed investors, according to a securities filing. Other filings indicate it raised $3m in 2012, $6m in 2013, $7.9m in 2016 and $12.8m in 2018.
Stellar Development Foundation provided $5m for US-based blockchain payment technology developer Wyre on Tuesday, adding to $3m in series B1 funding from unnamed investors in August 2020 and $8m in series B financing from blockchain services provider OK Group, Pantera Capital, Boost VC, Fifth Era, Nice Capital and Kraken in early 2019. It had raised $5.8m from financial technology producer China 9fBank, payment services provider Baofoo, Amphora Capital, Digital Currency Group, Draper Associates and undisclosed individuals the previous year.
An undisclosed London-based fund has supplied $5m in series A funding for Zbooni, a United Arab Emirates-headquartered payment technology developer backed by luxury goods distributor Chalhoub Group, Zawya reported on Tuesday. It had secured $1.1m in a June 2019 round co-led by Chalhoub and VC firm B&Y Venture Partners, and will allocate the latest funding to increasing headcount.
Online advertising technology producer ZW Data Action Technologies has invested an undisclosed amount in China-based marketing software provider Weiyouxin Technology. The capital was supplied through a strategic partnership agreement that will involve the companies partnering to build social customer relationship management tools for use with messaging app WeChat.
GV, the subsidiary of internet and technology group Alphabet formerly known as GV, co-led a $4m seed round for US-based augmented reality (AR) game studio Gowalla yesterday with VC firm Spark Capital. The round included Niantic, the AR game developer spun off by Alphabet, as well as Upside Partnership, Form Capital, Launch Fund, Otherwise Fund, Rogue VC, Offline Ventures, Capital Factory and angel investors Leah Culver, April Underwood, Scott Belsky, John Lilly and Dennis Crowley.
Goalsetter, the US-based creator of a savings and peer-to-peer financial transfer app, has raised $3.9m in seed funding from investors including financial services firm PNC Bank and payment services provider Mastercard, CNBC reported on Monday. The corporates were joined by Elevate Capital and angel investors Robert F. Smith, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Baron Davis and CC Sabathia.
US-based cybersecurity software provider Mission Secure secured an undisclosed amount likely to be $3.8m on Tuesday in a series B round co-led by Ireon Ventures, the investment arm of petroleum supplier Motor Oil Hellas, with Energy Innovation Capital and Blue Bear Capital Partners, taking its total funding to $22.5m. The round included oil and gas provider Chervon’s VC unit, Chevron Technology Ventures, and University of Virginia LVG Seed Fund, and follows $4.1m from unnamed backers in May 2020. Chevron Technology Ventures and Energy Innovation Capital co-led its $8m series A round in 2018, investing with ad agency R/GA’s R/GA Ventures unit, Felton Group, Macquarie Capital, Blue Bear Capital and University of Virginia Seed Fund, after $6.6m in earlier funding.
Germany-based digital insurance app developer Inzmo has completed a €3.1m ($3.8m) seed round led by VC fund Change Ventures and backed by insurance firm Helvetia, Tech.eu reported yesterday. The company has now raised approximately $6.4m altogether, having secured $440,000 in funding from another insurance provider, Uniqa, in 2017. Helvetia had provided an undisclosed amount of funding for the company the following year.
OmniChat, the Brazil-headquartered developer of a chat-based e-commerce platform, has received R$20m ($3.7m) in a series A round led by VC firm Kaszek Ventures that also featured payment services firm Ebanx, Startupi has reported. The deal came in the wake of a January 2020 seed round for OmniChat reportedly sized between $240,000 and $480,000, with the money coming from unnamed investors.
Energy technology and chemicals producer SK Innovation has paid an undisclosed amount for a 13.3% stake in Blue Park Smart Energy Technology, a battery swapping service subsidiary of carmaker Beijing Automotive Group, The Korea Herald has reported. SK Innovation had already formed a battery manufacturing joint venture with Beijing Automotive Group in 2013.
Japan-based bookstore operator Tsutaya Books spun off its core business into a new company called Futaba Tosho yesterday with an undisclosed amount of funding. It was joined as an investor by printing services firm Nippan, consumer electronics retailer Edion, carmaker Hiroshima Mazda, financial services firm Momiji Bank and Hiroshima Innovation Network’s Furusato Renkei Ōen Fund.
India-based social audio platform developer Headfone has secured Rs 220m ($3m) in series A funding from investors including Fosun RZ Capital, a corporate VC subsidiary of diversified conglomerate Fosun, BusinessWorld reported on Wednesday. Hashed led the round, which also featured Axilor Ventures and private investor Seung Yoon Lee, and which followed a $750,000 seed round in mid-2019 led by Fosun RZ Capital and backed by Axilor Ventures.
Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of carmaker Toyota, has co-led a series A round in the seven-figure dollar range for Thailand-based online car rental service Drivehub with IT services firm CAC Holdings’ CAC Capital unit and VC fund KK Fund, e27 reported yesterday. The capital will support technology development as well as Drivehub’s expansion into Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
US-based social commerce technology developer Replika Software closed a series A round of undisclosed size on Wednesday featuring luxury goods producer LMVH and cosmetics manufacturer L’Oréal, which invested through LVMH Luxury Ventures and L’Oréal Bold respectively. Replika received $440,000 from undisclosed investors in 2017 according to a securities filing, closing $460,000 in equity funding and $1m in debt financing in October 2020, according to separate filings.
STV, the VC firm backed by telecommunications firm Saudi Telecom, has co-led a $2.25m pre-series A round for United Arab Emirates-based threat detection software developer Spidersilk, TechCrunch reported on Monday. The round was co-led by Global Ventures, the VC firm that led the company’s $500,000 seed round in November 2019, investing alongside unnamed individuals.
Canada-based energy management software developer Peak Power received an undisclosed amount on Tuesday from engineering consultancy Hatch’s Canadian Shield Capital subsidiary and BDC Capital. Property developer Osmington invested in Peak in 2017, before it raised a similarly undisclosed amount from sensor technology provider Sensata Technologies’ Sensata Ventures unit and Export Development Canada in November 2020. MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund is among its earlier investors.
Noin, the Japan-based operator of a cosmetics e-commerce platform, secured an undisclosed amount on Wednesday from KDDI Open Innovation Fund III, the joint venture between telecoms firm KDDI and VC firm Global Brain. It raised an undisclosed sum from conglomerate Marubeni in April 2020, having previously received at least $10.2m, including $2.8m from Gree Ventures, a subsidiary of digital media company Gree, and existing backers KLab Venture Partners (a unit for mobile game producer KLab now known as Anobaka), financial services firm Mizuho Financial Group’s Mizuho Capital subsidiary and 500 Startups Japan in 2018.
Japan-based coaching and consulting freelancer platform Yell raised ¥200m ($1.9m) on Monday from investors including mobile game publisher Akatsuki’s Heart Driven Fund. The round also featured impact investing group Social Innovation and Investment Foundation as well as Hataraku Fund, a vehicle for financial services firm Shinsei Bank’s Shinsei Corporate Investment subsidiary.
Social security card manufacturer Guangdong Tecsun Science and Technology has led a round of undisclosed size for Changyoubao, the China-based developer of a business management software platform for the tourism industry, Iheima has reported. The cash will go to technology and platform development as the company looks to double its users.
Financial services firm Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank (SMTB) invested an undisclosed amount in Japan-based unlisted stock management tool developer Kepple today through its SuMi Trust Innovation Fund. The fund, a joint venture between SMTB and financial services provider SBI, supplied the capital through a business partnership between SMTB and Kepple, which had received an undisclosed amount from four angel investors including Takashi Nishiki, Masashi Suekane and Yūki Sagehashi in 2018.
Japan-based interactive game studio Izanagi Games has secured ¥167m ($1.6m) from mobile game publishers Akatsuki and Colopl, with the latter investing through its Colopl Next subsidiary. Izanagi said it has now raised roughly $3.6m altogether and identified internet company NetEase and VC firm Makers Fund as existing backers.
Japan-based smart lock system developer Keyes raised an undisclosed sum on Wednesday from financial services firm Bank of Saga’s Sagin Capital & Consulting subsidiary; Anabuki Startup Support Fund, a vehicle formed by real estate developer Anabuki Kosan and VC firm Future Venture Capital; and private investor Shōji Metabi. It had received undisclosed amounts from internet company Digital Garage’s DG Ventures vehicle AbbaLab Startup Fund in late 2019 and from SG Incubate, a subsidiary of gas utility Saibu Gas, in May 2020.
Space Walker, a Japan-based spacecraft developer backed by multiple corporate investors, closed a ¥140m ($1.3m) pre-seed round on Monday featuring angel investors Ōki Matsumoto and Mamoru Taniya. It had raised a total of at least $5m as of June 2020, from backers including human resources provider Agent, management consulting firm D&GrowthCapital, IT processing services firm I-net, computing technology producer Sanwa Supply and digital advertising agency Bascule.
In-Q-Tel, the investment representative of the US intelligence community, invested an undisclosed amount in Catalytic, a workflow automation software developer backed by semiconductor and data technology provider Intel, on Tuesday. The company had raised more than $41m as of a $30m series B round in early 2019 led by Intel subsidiary Intel Capital and backed by Redline Capital, Hyde Park Angels, New Enterprise Associates and Boldstart.
Innovation C Fund, a joint venture between credit union Kyoto Shinkin Bank and VC firm Future Venture Capital, provided an undisclosed amount today for AFI Technology, a Japan-based developer of bacteria and microorganism extraction systems. AFI closed $2.9m in series A funding from unnamed investors in 2016, adding $5.3m from undisclosed corporates and VC firms in 2017 and 2018 alongside partnerships with pharmaceutical firm Kyokuto, medical device maker Yamato Scientific and chipmaker Screen Holdings, before Screen Holdings invested an undisclosed sum in August 2019.
Ecuador-based cybersecurity software developer Kriptos has raised $1.25m from investors including Wayra, a corporate venturing subsidiary of telecoms firm Telefónica, Forbes Mexico has reported. The round was led by VC firm BuenTrip Ventures and also featured Techstars, Sixthirty Cyber, Compusoluciones Ventures, SVlinks Angels, 0bs.mx and unnamed individuals. It followed an undisclosed sum from financial services firm Barclays, IT consulting firm Kruger Corporation, SixThirty Cyber, BuenTrip Ventures, Techstars and undisclosed angel investors in late 2019.
Singapore-based entertainment technology developer Digital Entertainment Asset received an undisclosed amount from IT services provider Findex yesterday through a simple agreement for future equity scheme. The company plans to put the funding into increasing the users of its blockchain-focused PlayMining app to 10 million.
Pharmaceutical firm Kaken Pharmaceutical invested an undisclosed sum today in Genex, the Japan-based developer of a healthcare-focused data management software platform. Genex, an affiliate of currency exchange operator Monex Group, also identified Monex and pharmacy chain Sugi Pharmacy as shareholders.
Osaka University Venture Capital, the investment vehicle for the eponymous university, provided ¥100m ($960,000) for Japan-based, artificial intelligence-equipped dialogue automation software developer CotobaDesign today. IT services firm SCSK had invested an undisclosed amount in CotobaDesign in October 2020, roughly two years after Osaka University Venture Capital had supplied the company with $1.1m in funding.
Recotech, the Japan-based operator of circular economy platform Material Pool System, secured an undisclosed amount of funding from diversified trading group Sojitz on Monday. The cash will support further development of its recycled materials procurement platform as it prepares to launch a pilot project in the cities of Kawasaki and Fukuoka.
Internet company CyberAgent led a ¥60m ($570,000) pre-series A round for Cuicin, the Japan-based owner of smart accommodation platform AIPass, today through corporate venturing unit CyberAgent Capital. The round also featured angel investors including Tomohiro Ootomi, and it increased Cuicin’s overall funding to about $960,000, including an undisclosed amount of seed capital from internet company Digital Garage’s DG Ventures vehicle and VC firm Incubate Fund in February 2020.
Agricultural product distributor Miqdadi Agricultural Materials Company has invested an undisclosed amount in Twig, the Jordan-based operator of a gardening and landscaping services platform, Wamda has reported. Twig recently graduated from the Hassad accelerator and will now look towards geographic expansion.
Online recruitment firm Visional’s BizReach Founder Fund supplied ¥55m ($530,000) for Between the Arts, a Japan-based provider of art management services, on Wednesday to take its total funding to approximately $920,000. It is the second investment to be made by BizReach Founder Fund since it was launched in 2018.
Medical equipment and health supplement provider Toy Medical paid an undisclosed amount for a 2.6% stake in Japan-based food and materials-focused wholesaler Yamaehisano today. The investment was made through a strategic partnership agreement that will involve Toy Medical will leveraging Yamaehisano’s customer network and jointly developing new products.
India-based email marketing platform developer Mailmodo has received $270,000 in pre-seed funding from investors including online game developer Gameskraft, VCCircle has reported. Titan Capital, First Cheque, AngelList and angel investors including Archit Gupta, Deepak Diwakar and Harsh Shah also took part in the round, which will support product development, international expansion and increasing the size of Mailmodo’s team.
VC firm FootPrint Coalition Ventures revealed on Wednesday it has invested an undisclosed amount in Aspiration, the US-based digital bank backed by banking firm UBS and social media company Renren that raised $135m in May 2020. The deal was announced alongside stakes in environment-focused mixed reality platform developer Arcadia Earth, treeless paper producer Cloud Paper, sustainable materials producer RWDC Industries and insect protein developer Ÿnsect.
Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu.
