Active.ai, a Singapore-based artificial intelligence technology developer, has raised $3m from IDG Ventures, the investment affiliate of media company International Data Group, and Kalaari Capital, according to Tech in Asia. Active.ai’s technology can be used to automate customer interactions and is aimed at the financial sector.
Healthcare service provider VistaRiver Healthcare Solutions has taken part in a $1.8m funding round for US-based vision care company Sightbox. The round was led by Rogue Venture Partners and also included the Portland Seed Fund. Sightbox offers a package of vision insurance, e-commerce and customer service to contact lens wearers for a monthly subscription fee of $39.
TapChief, an India-based platform that provides career and business advice, has obtained an undisclosed amount from payment processing firm Paytm, according to the Economic Times. TapChief’s founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma previously invested Rs10m ($150,000) in the company. TapChief’s backers also include a range of angel investors.
YJ Capital, the corporate venturing subsidiary of internet company Yahoo Japan, has supported a $4.5m funding round for Japan-based Dely, which operates a culinary media platform dubbed Kurashiru, The Bridge has reported. Gumi Ventures, United and assorted angel investors also took part. Dely previously raised capital from Anri in September 2014 as well as seed money led by e-commerce company Beenos in July 2014 that also featured East Ventures and Party Factory.
Automotive design and manufacturing company SAIC Motors has backed a $1m funding round for Fingertips Lab, a South Korea-based producer of a small dial that can be attached to a car’s steering wheel to control a smartphone, Tech in Asia wrote on Wednesday. The round also featured 500 Startups and follows a successful crowdfunding campaign for the device that raised just over $160,000 in July 2016.
RDP.ru, a Russia-based developer of networking equipment for telecoms firms and enterprise users, has received $2m from Commit Capital, the corporate venturing division of telecoms firm Rostelecom, East-West Digital News has reported. Commit Capital has secured a 15% stake in return for its investment.
Grab, the Singapore-based ride hailing app provider that raised a $750m series F round in September 2016 backed by internet group SoftBank, has added an investment of undisclosed size from financial services firm Tokyo Century, according to TechCrunch. Tokyo Century reportedly invested at the same $3bn valuation of the series F round.
India-based online lending marketplace IndiaLends has raised $4m in a series A round backed by American Express Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of payment processing firm American Express, VC Circle reported yesterday. The round also included DSG Consumer Partners, Cyber Carrier VC and AvantEdge Partners. IndiaLends secured $1m in bridge funding in October 2015 led by DSG with participation from angel investors.
Re-insurance company Hannover Life Reassurance Company of America yesterday made a strategic investment in US-based insurance technology provider Sureify. Hannover Re’s automated underwriting technology HR Reflex will be integrated into Sureify’s platform following the investment. Sureify is planning to expand into India, Africa and Australia in 2017.
Aryballe Technologies, a France-based developer of a sensor that mimicks the human sense of smell, yesterday added chemical company Asahi Kasei to its funding round for a $3.5m close. Aryballe had secured an initial tranche of $2.9m in June 2016 from Innovacom, CEA Investissement, Hardware Club, an unnamed family office and angel investor Bruno Maisonnier.
Consumer electronics manufacturer Samsung’s accelerator program and Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, an investment unit of mass media company Bertelsmann, yesterday contributed to a $2m seed round for US-based bot analytics platform Dashbot. The round was led by FF Venture Capital and also featured Bessemer Venture Partners, Scrum Ventures and Rembrandt Ventures.
Finland-based handheld bioscreening sensor developer Biomensio has received €2.5m ($2.6m) from state-owned research organisation VTT’s investment arm VTT Ventures, the country’s funding agency Tekes and electronics conglomerate Siemens’ technology accelerator.
Geenee, a US-based image recognition technology developer, secured $4.4m in series A capital yesterday from a consortium including media companies Highlight Communications and Constantin Media as well as angel investors Stephen Cohen and Steve Titus. The company’s app analyses photographs on image sharing platform Instagram to redirect the user to an online store where they can purchase the product.
GV, the early-stage investment arm of conglomerate Alphabet, has helped put $4m in series B funding in US-based cell engineering technology producer SQZ Biotech, FinSMEs reported yesterday. The round also included Quark Venture, NanoDimension, Polaris Partners and other undisclosed parties. The company’s technology is based on research conducted by Klavs Jensen and Robert Langer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.