Telecommunications company China Mobile has supplied an undisclosed amount of series E funding for China-based cloud services provider UCloud in connection with a strategic partnership deal, 36kr reported yesterday. UCloud had raised a total of $299m from investors including media group Bertelsmann, conglomerate Legend Holdings, Oriza Holdings, DCM Ventures, GX Capital and CICC Alpha, as of a $139m series D round in March 2017.
M12, software provider Microsoft’s corporate venturing vehicle, led a $5m series A round yesterday for Cerebri AI, the US-based creator of a customer success measurement platform. The round included University of Texas Horizon Fund, WorldQuant Ventures, and Leawood Venture Capital, and doubled the company’s overall funding to $10m. Cerebri announced the funding together with the launch of its Cerebri Values system.
High Performance Blockchain, a China-based developer of blockchain transaction processing technology, has received an undisclosed amount from investors including blockchain forum 8BTC, China Money Network reported yesterday. The round’s other participants include OK Capital, which invested in the form of cryptocurrency Ethereum, as well as BlockWater Capital, Supernode Capital and Continue Capital. It followed an undisclosed amount of funding from Bitcoin wallet developer Bixin and blockchain platform developer Neo.
Chemical products manufacturer BASF provided €3.75m ($4.3m) of series A funding for Reflekt, the Germany-based creator of a development platform for augmented reality content, on Tuesday through its corporate venturing vehicle, BASF Venture Capital. Industrial product and appliance maker Robert Bosch had invested an undisclosed amount in the company in 2015, and the latest funding will support hiring and product development.
E-commerce group Alibaba is set to invest an undisclosed amount in Turkey-based online fashion retailer Trendyol, Reuters reported yesterday. Trendyol last disclosed funding in 2011 when it raised between $25m and $30m from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and existing investor Tiger Global Management at a reported valuation of $150m.
Winnie, the US-based creator of an online platform that helps families manage activities, secured $4m on Monday in a round led by Reach Capital that included BBG Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of online media company Oath, Rethink Impact, Homebrew, Ludlow Ventures, Afore Capital and Kairos. It followed $2.25m from BBG, Homebrew, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Ludlow Ventures, Flight Ventures, Deep Fork Capital, #Angels and various angel investors in late 2016.
United Spirits, a subsidiary of alcoholic spirits producer Diageo, has paid Rs 270m ($4m) for a 26% stake in HipBar, the India-based operator of an alcohol delivery app, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday. HipBar is currently active in the Indian cities of Bengaluru and Chennai, and will use the cash to expand into other markets.
Gaveteiro, the Brazil-based operator of an e-commerce platform serving businesses, has received R$15m ($3.9m) from IT services provider Grupo ABX, product sourcing services provider Thomasnet, Valiant Capital and Battery Road Digital Holdings, Baguete has reported. The round took the company’s overall funding to R$35m and the proceeds will be used to establish a new head office and launch a logistics operation. Gaveteiro’s earlier investors include Rigi Ventures.
Brazil-based medical technology provider Hi Technologies has raised R$14.7m ($3.8m) from mobile semiconductor producer Qualcomm and VC firm Monashees, which will jointly take a 32.4% stake, Istoé reported on Tuesday. Positivo Tecnologia, the electronics subsidiary of diversified conglomerate Grupo Positivo, acquired a 50% stake in Hi in March 2017, but its share will be cut to 30.1% after the latest investment.
Samsung Venture Investment and Line Ventures, respective subsidiaries of consumer electronics producer Samsung and messaging platform developer Line, have supplied an amount of series A funding estimated by The Bridge to be “several million US dollars,” for Japan-based digital content distribution startup Pulit, it reported on Tuesday. Pulit received $500,000 of seed capital from BonAngels and various angel investors in 2016 before adding about $1m from marketing firm Dentsu and DK Gate, backed by internet company Digital Garage, in June 2017.
GMG Ventures, the strategic investment vehicle for media company Guardian Media Group, led a £2.3m ($3m) seed round for UK-based digital audio technology developer A Million Ads on Monday. The round included Bertelsmann subsidiary Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments as well as Edge Investments, Force Over Mass Capital and Ascension Ventures, the latter having joined The Sandpit and unnamed angel investors to invest an undisclosed amount in the company in 2016.
US-based online media brand IMGN Media secured $3m in series A funding on Tuesday from a consortium featuring talent agency UTA and KDC Media Fund, which was formed by media companies Keshet and Dick Clark Productions, as well as family office Big Block Media, Dot Capital, Rhodium and angel investors including Ron Zuckerman. The round increased IMGN’s overall funding to $6m, it said.
Lively, a US-based lingerie brand backed by lingerie producer Gelmart, received $3m in funding from undisclosed investors in April this year, increasing its overall funding to $8.5m, Forbes reported on Monday. Gelmart participated in a $4m round for the company in late 2016 that was led by venture capital firm GGV Capital with participation from unnamed angel investors.
InvolveSoft, the US-based creator of a community engagement platform for corporate employees, raised $2.5m from investors including Bertelsmann on Wednesday. The round was led by Bonfire Ventures and also featured Greycroft Partners, Launch Capital, CrowdSmart and Noname Ventures. The startup has not revealed details of earlier funding but said this week Mucker Capital was an earlier investor.
Ricult, the US-based developer of an agricultural data analysis platform, has secured $1.85m in a seed round led by printing services firm Chan Wanich Group, DealStreetAsia has reported. The round included Wavemaker, 500 TukTuks and Dtac, and took the total equity financing raised by Ricult to almost $2.5m.
SIG Asia, a subsidiary of technology and trading firm Susquehanna International Group, has invested an undisclosed amount in Singapore-based online lending platform AsiaKredit, E27 reported on Tuesday. The funding took AsiaKredit’s total funding to $2.5m and follows $675,000 of seed and pre-series A funding from Fintonia Group and Forum in November 2017.
Japan-based online insurance startup JustInCase has received ¥150m ($1.4m) in pre-series A funding from Line Ventures and VC firms 500 Startups Japan and Globis Capital Partners, The Bridge reported today. 500 Startups Japan had initially provided about $410,000 in seed funding for the startup in November 2017, and the latest funding was secured as it prepares to launch its first product, an insurance offering for smartphones.
WorldViz, a US-based virtual reality creation technology developer backed by semiconductor technology producer Intel, has raised $1.1m from a single undisclosed investor, according to a regulatory filing earlier this month. Intel’s corporate venturing unit, Intel Capital, provided an amount for WorldViz indicated by another filing to be $2.5m in 2015, and the company has raised a total of $5.4m in equity funding and $680,000 in debt financing, according to additional filings.
Financial services firm Fexco has supplied €500,000 of an €840,000 ($980,000) round for Cambrist, the Ireland-based operator of a foreign exchange processing platform, the Irish Independent reported on Tuesday. The round valued Cambrist at about $4.7m and followed €150,000 from Enterprise Ireland in 2017 and €340,000 from entrepreneur David Shewmaker.
Cell Evolution, the US-based developer of a decentralised blockchain gaming application, has secured $750,000 in a round led by blockchain technology provider Nebulas Foundation that valued it at $4.5m. Gaming platform developer Cocos Blockchain Expedition and Byte Capital also participated in the round, and Cell Evolution is developing its sandbox strategy game using the Nebulas blockchain.
Emami International FZE, a subsidiary of consumer goods producer Emami, has paid almost $570,000 for a 7.5% stake in US-based organic beauty care product supplier Loli Beauty, VCCircle reported on Monday, citing a stock exchange filing. Emami made the investment alongside $100,000 of funding from one of its promoters.