Viracta, a US-based developer of treatments for virus-associated malignancies that counts pharmaceutical company Salubris as an investor, completed a series D round of undisclosed size led by venture capital firm Taiwania Capital Management on Monday. Salubris joined NantKwest, Virtus Inspire Ventures, Latterell Venture Partners and Forward Ventures for a round that closed at $10.7m in February 2019 alongside $5.7m in convertible debt. It followed $59m in funding from investors including Lilly Ventures, a corporate VC vehicle for pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly.
The Recount, a US-based political media startup that just emerged from beta mode, has secured $10m from investors including Arrive, the VC arm of music agency Roc Nation, Vanity Fair reported on Tuesday. Co-founder Fred Wilson led the round, which was also backed by Thirty Five Ventures, 32 Ventures, True Ventures, SV Angel and two undisclosed additional participants.
Qualcomm Ventures, mobile semiconductor technology provider Qualcomm’s corporate venturing unit, has led a R$40m ($10m) round for Brazil-based identity verification software developer Idwall, Época Negócios has reported. Media conglomerate Grupo Globo, OneVC, Canary and Monashees also took part in the round, which followed an undisclosed amount of series A funding from the latter two in March 2018. Idwall had initially raised $140,000 from 500 Startups in 2016 before adding $600,000 from Monashees and Canary in March 2017.
JFrog, the Israel-based software development technology producer backed by computing technology provider Dell and virtualisation software producer VMware, has raised “a small amount” from undisclosed investors at a $1.5bn valuation, Calcalist has reported. The company was valued at $1bn as of its last round, a $165m series D in October 2018, and its existing investors include Insight Partners, Spark Capital, Geodesic Capital, Qumra Capital, Battery Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, Scale Venture Partners and Vintage Investment Partners.
Israel-based automotive data technology provider Tactile Mobility has secured $9m from carmaker Porsche and Union Tech Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of vehicle distributor Union Group, as well as undisclosed existing investors in a funding round that could potentially reach $14m, Reuters reported on Tuesday. It will spend the cash on technology development and the expansion of its marketing capabilities.
Real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan invested $8m in US-based online real estate brokerage Movoto Real Estate on Wednesday. Movoto has not disclosed details of any previous funding and it intends to channel the Mitsui Fudosan cash into company growth and platform development.
Speciality measurement system producer Waters Corporation took part in an $8m series A round yesterday for TetraScience, the US-based developer of a life sciences data integration platform. The corporate was joined by Floodgate Capital, First Round Capital, Underscore VC, Founder Collective and Y Combinator, and the round followed an undisclosed amount of funding from research technology provider Digital Science in 2016.
Socially Determined, a US-based developer of software that analyses social influences on health, received more than $7.3m on Monday from investors including manufacturing group 3M and healthcare providers OSF Healthcare and ProMedica. The corporates were joined by Ziegler Link-Age Funds, the partnership between investment firms Link•Age and Ziegler, as well as VC platform LRVHealth. It will spend the funding on enhancing its SocialScape platform, recruitment, sales and marketing.
Japan-based cross-border marketing services provider Trend Express is raising ¥700m ($6.5m) in series B funding from investors including postal services Japan Post’s corporate venturing unit, Japan Post Capital, and DNX Ventures, the VC firm formerly known as Draper Nexus Ventures, it announced on Tuesday. The round is set to take the company’s total funding to $11.8m and its existing backers include DNX Ventures and Accord Ventures, the latter having contributed to an $1.8m round in November 2017.
Healthcare services firm Sana Kliniken and medical researcher and care provider Mayo Clinic have contributed to a $5.6m funding round for FundamentalVR, a UK-based developer of virtual and mixed reality technology for use in surgery, VentureBeat reported on Wednesday. The round was led by Downing Ventures and included Epic Private Equity and Brighteyes Ventures, and it valued the company at $14.5m. FundamentalVR had raised a total of $2.45m as of a $1.4m investment by existing backer Tern in October 2018.
Insurance firm Aflac supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for Sharecare, the US-based creator of a personalised healthcare management app, on Tuesday through strategic investment vehicle Aflac Corporate Ventures. Sharecare had raised a total of $380m as of July 2018 when it received $20m from bank Wells Fargo’s Strategic Capital unit, following earlier funding from investors including reinsurance firm Swiss Re, which supplied an undisclosed amount in 2016, and health system Trinity Health, which put up $5m for a $25m round in 2015.
Zamna, the UK-headquartered creator of a blockchain-based identity verification system for the aviation industry, secured $5m in seed funding on Monday from investors including airline operator AIG and telecommunications firm Telefónica. The round was co-led by LocalGlobe and Oxford Capital and also featured Seedcamp and London Co-Investment Fund. The company had previously raised an undisclosed amount from IAG’s Hangar 51 accelerator in April 2017, when it was still known as Vchain.
SIG Asia, a subsidiary of trading and technology firm Susquehanna International Group, has led a $5m series A round for China-based community organisation and group buying platform developer Qunjielong, Sohu has reported. GSR Ventures and Zero2IPO Ventures also participated in the round, which will fund marketing and recruitment.
Japan-based file management software developer FileForce raised ¥500m ($4.6m) yesterday from investors including engineering services provider CTS and NTT Investment Partners, a subsidiary of telecoms firm NTT. The round also featured securities firm Okasan Securities’ OC P1 Fund, and followed an undisclosed sum from Intel Capital, chipmaker Intel’s investment arm, in 2013, and an similarly undisclosed amount from Intel Capital, KSP, Archetype Ventures and Nissay Capital, insurer Nippon Life’s corporate VC unit.
Nissay Capital also led a ¥490m ($4.5m) debt and equity round for StroboLight, the Japan-based developer of horticultural services platform Midolas, on Wednesday to take its total funding to about $9.3m. Nissay was joined by Digiara Capital & Partners, Nagoya TV Ventures, SMBC Venture Capital, Nanto CVC Fund and Mizuho Capital – subsidiaries of exterior product retailer Digiara Holdings, broadcaster Nagoya TV and banks Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Nanto Bank and Mizuho Bank – as well as Chibagin Capital’s Himawari G4 Fund.
South Korea-based radar technology developer Smart Radar System completed a $4m series A round on Monday led by Kakao Ventures, internet company Kakao’s corporate venturing arm. VC firm Hemi Ventures and investment advisory firm Hyundai Investment Partners also took part in the round along with unnamed additional investors, and the cash will support the development and eventual commercialisation of the company’s radar system.
Artmyn, a Switzerland-based developer of art display technology, secured $4m on Wednesday in a funding round co-led by online fine art marketplace Invaluable. The company did not reveal the round’s other participants but Invaluable CEO Rob Weisberg is joining its board of directors. Its earlier backers include Polytech Ventures, MassChallenge and Alpana Ventures.
Mazrica, the Japan-based creator of sales support software product Senses, announced on Wednesday it raised ¥370m ($3.4m) in funding last month from NTT Docomo Ventures, mobile network NTT Docomo’s investment arm, as well as SMBC Venture Capital and DNX Ventures for a series B round it intends to close at ¥500m. Investment firm Iyogin Capital has since added funding, and the round comes on top of $460,000 from DNX and Archetype Ventures in 2016 and $1.2m from the 2016 investors and Nissay Capital in August 2017.
US-based data management and compliance software developer Integris Software has received $3m in funding from Workday Ventures, enterprise software provider Workday’s corporate venturing unit, as well as Madrona Venture Group, Amplify Partners and Aspect Ventures, GeekWire has reported. The company has now raised $22m altogether, including $10m from all the latest investors plus Ignition Partners in July 2018.
Workday Ventures was also one of the participants in a funding round of undisclosed size for League, the Canada-based creator of a healthcare operating system for enterprises, on Tuesday. The round’s other investors were not disclosed but League secured $47m in series B funding in mid-2017 from Telus Ventures and RBC Ventures – subsidiaries of telecoms firm Telus and financial services firm Royal Bank of Canada – as well as Infinite Potential Group, Wittington Ventures, Omers, Real Ventures and BDC Ventures to take its total funding to $76m.
MassMutual Ventures Southeast Asia, an investment vehicle for insurer Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance, has led a $2.4m pre-series A round for Singapore-based market research and analysis provider Milieu Insight, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. The company had secured $730,000 in funding from backers including angel investor Ravi Ravulaparthi in December 2018 and will use the latest funding to expand from Singapore and Thailand to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
UK-based crypto-encryption technology startup Keyless has received $2.2m in a seed round led by Gumi Cryptos Capital, an investment vehicle for mobile game publisher Gumi, CoinDesk reported on Wednesday. Finance transfer platform Ripple took part in the round through its Xpring subsidiary, and Blockchain Valley Ventures and LuneX also invested. The startup expects to commercially release its Keyless Authenticator by the end of 2019.
US-based enterprise search technology startup Searchable.ai has secured $2m in seed capital while still in stealth mode, from investors including quantitative trading firm Susquehanna International Group, TechCrunch reported on Monday. The round was led by VC firm Defy Partners and also featured angel investors Paul English, Wayne Chang, Brian Halligan, Jonathan Kraft, Edward Roberts and Eric Dobkin.
Media company Sky has provided $2m in funding for Loop, the US-based operator of an e-commerce platform intended to run as a zero-waste operation, through its Sky Ocean Ventures fund, the Evening Standard reported on Monday. Loop, a spinoff from recycling services firm Terracycle, offers products from big brands delivered in reusable packaging that can be handed back once the product has been consumed.
Impact investment firm Goodwell Investments agreed on Tuesday to provide $2m in funding for Sendy, a Kenya-based on-demand delivery service backed by carmaker Toyota’s CFAO Automotive distribution arm and telecoms company Safaricom. Sendy received an undisclosed sum from Safaricom’s Spark Fund in 2015 before capturing $3m from unnamed investors in late 2017 and $2m from CFAO Automotive and impact investment firm DOB Equity in February 2018.
Reefknot Investments, the joint venture formed by logistics service provider Kuehne + Nagel and Singaporean state-owned investment firm Temasek, has supplied an undisclosed amount for UK-based business intelligence software developer Prowler.io, e27 reported on Wednesday. Prowler raised $24m from publisher Pearson, internet group Tencent, insurer Mandatum Life, RB Capital, Passion Capital, Amadeus Capital Partners, Atlantic Bridge, SG Innovate and Cambridge Innovation Capital in May this year to boost its overall funding to $39m.
SBI Investment, the VC arm of financial services firm SBI, invested ¥200m ($1.8m) in Africa Incubator, the Japan-based owner of Africa-focused commerce services provider Senri, on Monday. The company will use the capital to beef up its marketing and sales capabilities in Africa with a particular focus on Nigeria and Kenya.
Seafood supplier Thai Union Group has agreed to provide an undisclosed amount of funding for Flying Spark, an Israel-based developer of insect-sourced protein powder, in connection with a strategic partnership agreement. Flying Spark had already received an undisclosed amount through its participation in packaged food producer Strauss Group’s Kitchen Hub accelerator, and it has also passed through home product retailer Ikea’s accelerator, Ikea Bootcamp.
Wolkus Technology Solutions, the India-based developer of horticulture data platform Fasal, has secured $1.6m in a seed round co-led by VC firms Omnivore and Wavemaker Partners that included mobile game publisher Animoca, VCCircle reported on Wednesday. Mount Parker Ventures, Mistletoe, Zeroth and Artesian Ventures also participated, the latter two as existing investors.
Germany-based pregnancy information and services startup Keleya has raised a seven-figure euro amount (€1m = $1.1m) from investors including W & W Brandpool, the corporate venturing arm of insurance and financial services group Wüstenrot & Württembergische (W & W), WirtschaftsWoche has reported. BrückenKöpfe Management and MediVentures also contributed to the round, while W & W took part as an existing investor having previously supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for the company in 2017.
EDP Ventures Brasil, a corporate venturing vehicle for energy utility EDP, has joined Criatec 3 to invest R$4.5m ($1.1m) in Brazil-based dam-control system developer Fractal Engenharia e Sistema, Startupi has reported. The company’s technology predicts hydrological events and can be utilised by hydro power plants, a power source responsible for producing 28% of Brazil’s energy as of 2017.
Indonesia-based invoicing software provider and business financing platform developer Paper.id has received an undisclosed amount of series A funding from peer-to-peer lending service Modalku and VC firm East Ventures, Kr-Asia reported on Tuesday. The company will channel the funding into strengthening its digital bookkeeping and invoicing technology.
Australia-based live music marketplace operator Muso has secured A$1.5m ($1m) in seed capital from investors including record company, talent manager and music touring services provider Unified Music Group, The Australian reported on Tuesday. Early-stage investment group Investible led the round, which also featured impact investment fund Alberts Impact Capital and undisclosed individual backers.
Classified listings operator Info Edge has provided Rs 70.6m ($1m) in funding for India-based exam preparation platform developer Adda247, taking a 7.06% stake, VCCircle reported yesterday. Digital technology producer Sterlite Technologies had provided the company with between $1.4m and $1.6m in bridge funding in 2017 through investment vehicle Sterlite Ventures.
Telecoms company Bharti Airtel’s Startup Accelerator Program has paid an undisclosed sum for an 8.8% stake in India-based recruitment app developer Vahan, the Economic Times has reported, citing a stock exchange filing. The company had previously received a six-figure dollar amount from RMKB Ventures, Spike Ventures and angel investors Gokul Rajaram, Sanjeev Agarwal, Mekin Maheshwari and Vir Kashyap in March 2018, and according to ET its other investors include YCombinator and Khosla Ventures.
BG Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for professional beauty products distributor Beauty Garage, invested ¥50m ($460,000) in Japan-based air purifier developer Cado today. Founded in 2011, Cado began producing hair dryers in 2018 and said it intends to now move further into the beauty product business.
Diversified agribusiness Paragon Group has led a seed round sized at more than ৳10m ($120,000) for Avijatrik Tourism, the Bangladesh-based operator of a short-term accommodation booking platform modelled after Airbnb, Future Startup reported on Monday. The corporate participated alongside unnamed angel investors and the cash will fund technology improvements and local growth.
OceanGate, the Japan-based operator of online jobseeking platform Ikkatsu, secured an eight-figure yen amount (¥10m = $92,000) in a series A round featuring app development services provider Branding Engineer and multicorporate-backed VC firm B Dash Ventures on Monday. Undisclosed individual investors also participated in the round, which will fund further development of its platform.
Habo Investment, a corporate venturing subsidiary of electronics producer Huawei, has paid almost RMB490,000 ($68,000) for a 3.7% stake in China-based artificial intelligence technology developer iDeepWise, China Securities Network reported last month. The deal is the third to be completed by Habo Investment, which was formed earlier this year, following investments in integrated-circuit development platform Joulwatt in August and semiconductor material developer SICC China the same month.
Habo Investment has also provided an undisclosed amount of funding for China-based communication chip developer Suzhou MotorComm Electronic Technology, China Money Network reported today. The startup is focusing on the automotive technology sector and plans to extend its ethernet chip technology into areas like digital communications, engineering, security and safety.
Japan-based human resources provider Tokai HR raised ¥4m ($37,000) in funding from investors including office services firm EarthDrive and startup branding services provider Kachinode yesterday. The corporates were joined by angel investor Ryuichiro Toyoshi.
