Carmudi, a Germany-headquartered automotive e-commerce platform, has raised $10m for its Philippine arm from investors including Tengelmann Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of retailer Tengelmann, as well as Asia Pacific Internet Group, which is part of e-commerce holding group Rocket Internet, and venture capital firm Holtzbrinck Ventures, Business Mirror has reported. The same three firms provided $25m of series B funding for Carmudi in 2015, the year after the company received $10m from Tengelmann Ventures.
US-based network biomedicine developer Engine Biosciences secured $10m on Wednesday in a seed round co-led by 6 Dimensions Capital, the VC firm formed by pharmaceutical firm WuXi AppTec and Frontline Capital, with DHVC. The round also featured WuXi AppTec itself as well as Baidu Ventures, the corporate venturing unit formed by internet group Baidu, EDBI, Pavilion Capital, WI Harper and Nest.Bio Ventures.
Zylo, the US-based creator of a software application management tool for enterprise customers, has closed a $9.3m series A round featuring Salesforce Ventures and Slack Fund, respective corporate venturing vehicles for enterprise software providers Salesforce and Slack. The round was led by VC firm Bessemer Venture Partners and included High Alpha Capital, GGV Capital, SV Angel and Hyde Park Venture Partners, all four of which took part in Zylo’s $3.3m seed round in October 2016.
Trading group Itochu has invested ¥1bn ($9.2m) in UK-based smart battery developer Moixa Energy Holdings, taking a stake of almost 20% in the process, Japan Times reported on Monday. Moixa had raised almost $2m in equity funding from investors including energy utility Tokyo Electric Power Company and First Imagine! Ventures in June 2017 together with almost $1.3m in financing from local government organisation the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
Japan-based crowdsourced task platform Lancers has received ¥1bn from human resources provider Persol Holdings and financial services firm Shinsei Bank, The Bridge reported last week. The funding was provided last month, and took Lancer’s total funding to $20.6m, its past investors including telecommunications firm KDDI, game producer Colopl, human resources provider Intelligence, social media company Gree, internet company GMO and Globis Capital Partners, the VC arm of graduate business school Globis.
Greenfly, a US-based brand engagement software provider backed by sports media content provider Mandalay Sports Media and marketing agency R/GA, has raised $8.5m in a series B round led by Alpha Edison that included Iconica Partners, Elysian Park and Corazon Capital. The latter three had participated in Greenfly’s $6.2m series A round in late 2016 alongside marketing agency Go4it and Tack Ventures, and the cash will support recruitment, technology development and marketing.
LindaCare, the Belgium-based developer of a remote patient monitoring platform, has secured €7m ($8.6m) in a series B round that included healthcare and lighting equipment provider Philips, PMV, Capricorn ICT Arkiv and Connecticut Innovations. The round came after a $1.6m series A round led by Capricorn Venture Partners in 2015, and it will use the latest funding to commercialise its technology and expand the market for its product.
US-based small-molecule therapeutics startup Skyhawk Therapeutics has launched with $8m of seed capital from Alexandria Venture Investments, the VC branch of life sciences real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities. and angel investors including Tim Disney and the Duke of Bedford. Skyhawk is focusing on RNA exon skipping, a type of RNA mis-splicing that drives more than 50 diseases that affect certain neurological conditions, and hitherto ‘undruggable’ cancer oncogenes.
Humanoo, the Germany-based developer of a digital health platform that provides access to a range of healthy activities, received €5m ($6.2m) on Wednesday in a round led by DvH Ventures, a VC affiliate of publisher DvH Medien. E-commerce holding company Rocket Internet, Creathor Ventures and Rheingau Founders also participated, the latter having helped to found Humanoo in early 2016.
France-based data analysis software developer Saagie has also raised €5m in funding, from insurance provider Matmut and BNP Paribas Développement, a subsidiary of financial services firm BNP Paribas, as well as C.Entrepreneurs, Caisse d’Epargne, Caphorn Invest and assorted angel investors, L’Usine Digitale has reported. The company had previously raised €4.2m in late 2016 and is targeting an eight-digit euro round in 2018, according to L’Usine Digitale.
VC firm Sound Ventures has invested an undisclosed seven-figure euro sum (€1=$1.25m) in WeFox, a Germany-based online insurance marketplace backed by Salesforce, Gründerszene reported yesterday. Formerly known as FinanceFox, WeFox had previously raised $33.5m from Salesforce Ventures, as well as Target Global, Horizons Ventures, Idinvest Partners, Speedinvest, Seedcamp, AngelList and Victory Park Capital.
Status, the provider of an engagement platform for the Ethereum cryptocurrency, invested $5m in New Vector, the US-based developer of decentralised communication platform Matrix.org and collaboration tool Riot.im, on Monday. The deal is the first external investment by Status and New Vector will use the funding to expand its team and develop the Matrix protocol and Riot.im client, co-founder Jarrad Hope told VentureBeat.
Image-based social media company Meitu has led a $5m funding round for China-based social commerce app developer Goxip, TechCrunch reported on Monday. Mills Fabrica, the business incubator owned by property-focused conglomerate Nan Fung Group, also participated in the round, as did angel investors Sabrina Ho, Iman Allana and Chryseis Tan, the latter of which had previously joined Ardent Capital to provide $1.6m in seed funding for Goxip in May 2016.
BP Ventures, the strategic investment vehicle for oil and gas company BP, invested $5m in US-based electric vehicle charging system developer FreeWire Technologies on Tuesday. Stanley Ventures, the corporate VC subsidiary of toolmaker Black and Decker, invested an undisclosed amount in Freewire in September 2017 as part of a series A round sized at $7.6m as of May 2017 according to a regulatory filing.
Verdigris, the US-based creator of an artificial intelligence-equipped building management system, raised $5m from manufacturing services provider Jabil and Verizon Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of telecommunications firm Verizon, on Tuesday. The investment increased the company’s overall funding to $21m and follows a series A round featuring Verizon Ventures, Jabil, Stanford StartX Fund, Founder.org Capital, Data Collective and unnamed angel investors that closed at $15.7m in late 2016.
Postal, financial and telecoms service provider Post Luxembourg has provided an undisclosed amount of funding for UK-based logistics booking platform developer Eurosender. Eurosender participated in the accelerator run by media group ProSiebenSat.1 and received more pre-seed funding from Silicon Gardens before raising approximately $240,000 from various angel investors in 2015.
UK-based drone management software provider Altitude Angel received $4.5m on Tuesday in a series A round led by Seraphim Space Fund that included communication systems producer Frequentis and Accelerated Digital Ventures. The funds will support an expansion in Europe and the US that will involve it strengthening its commercial and engineering capabilities and opening new offices.
Bertelsmann India Investments, a corporate venturing vehicle for media group Bertelsmann, has participated in a $4.3m round for India-based online education provider iNurture, Inc 42 reported on Wednesday. Ventureast led the round, which also featured Ascent Capital, and which followed a $5m investment by Bertelsmann India Investments in 2014 and an undisclosed amount from Ascent Capital and GVFL in earlier rounds.
Packback, a US-based artificial intelligence-focused learning platform developer backed by publishing services provider Ingram Content Group, secured $4.2m on Wednesday in a series A round led by investment firm University Ventures. The round also featured Wintrust Ventures, Wildcat Capital and angel investor Mark Cuban, all existing investors, and came after a $1.5m round in September 2017 backed by Ingram’s ICG Ventures unit and University Ventures that took its overall funding to $4m.
Tyson Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of meat supplier Tyson Foods, provided an undisclosed amount of funding on Monday for Memphis Meats, which produces meat directly from animal cells. Memphis Meats had raised $17m in series A funding from food supplier Cargill, DFJ, Atomico and angel investors Bill Gates and Richard Branson in August 2017, after closing a seed round featuring SOSV and New Crop Capital at $2.8m in February 2016.
Conglomerate Sandberg Development has led a SEK30m ($3.8m) round for Sweden-based advanced shower system producer Orbital Systems, Nordic 9 reported on Tuesday. Orbital had previously raised $5m in a 2015 round featuring Dendera Ventures, Rosengård Invest, Jochnick family and various angel investors, before adding approximately $18.8m from Stena Ventures, Jochnick family and assorted private investors.
Metranet, a subsidiary of telecoms firm Telkom Indonesia, paid an undisclosed sum for a minority stake in Hungary-based mobile wallet developer Cellum Global on Tuesday. The investment was made as part of a strategic partnership agreement that will involve Metranet gradually increasing its stake in Cellum, which it will help to enter the Indonesian market, to 30.4%.
LearnPlatform, the US-based operator of a platform that helps educational institutions source and buy technologies, has raised $3.2m from investors including educational resources provider Kaplan and telecoms firm AT&T. The round was co-led by New Markets Venture Partners and Emerson Collective, and included Edovate Capital, Techstars and University Ventures which, like the corporates, had participated in the company’s $800,000 seed round in 2015, when it was still known as Lea(R)n.
Boeing HorizonX, the corporate venturing arm of aerospace company Boeing, provided an undisclosed amount of funding for US-based advanced battery cell developer Cuberg on Monday. Cuberg said in a statement it had raised “several rounds of financing and grant funding” since it was founded in 2015 but has not disclosed details, although it did secure $900,000 in August 2016 from an unnamed strategic partner and customer that operates in the oil and gas sector.
US-based voice identification technology startup Pulse Labs secured $2.5m in seed financing yesterday from investors including Amazon Alexa Fund, the corporate venturing unit owned by e-commerce, cloud computing and smart hardware company Amazon. VC firm Madrona Venture Group led the round, which included Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos’ investment vehicle, Bezos Expeditions, as well as Techstars Ventures. Pulse is a graduate of Alexa Accelerator, the initiative run by Amazon and Techstars.
Tamatem, a Jordan-based company that adapts video games for local markets, has raised $2.5m in a series A round featuring Raed Ventures, the VC arm of diversified holding group Almajdouie, TechCrunch reported yesterday. Wamda Capital led the round, which included Discovery Nusantara Capital, Vision Venture Capital and Seed Equity Venture Partners, and which followed $1.2m of funding from investors such as 500 Startups, Oasis500, Arzan Venture Capital, Mena Venture Investments and Kima Ventures.
SuperPhone, the US-based developer of a text message-based customer relationship management platform, has received $2.5m in funding from Runway Ventures, Fyrfly Venture Partners, Yard Ventures and Transmedia Capital, TechCrunch reported on Monday. The round increased SuperPhone’s overall funding to $4.7m, $1.5m of which was raised in an early 2016 seed round featuring Gelt Venture Capital, a subsidiary of real estate holding company Gelt.
Diversified conglomerate Virgin Group and retail consulting and technology services provider Smollan invested an undisclosed amount in WiGroup, the South Africa-based operator of a mobile payment, loyalty and rewards platform, on Tuesday. Investec Asset Management had paid an undisclosed sum for a “significant shareholding” in WiGroup in 2015, after VC firm Capital Eye Investments had provided funding in 2008.
Japan-based real estate crowdfunding platform developer Crowd Realty secured ¥230m ($2.1m) last month from property developer Mitsubishi Estate and financial services providers Shinsei Corporate Investment, Shinsei Bank and Mizuho Capital, The Bridge reported last week. The funding will be added to $3.1m from financial services firm SBI’s FinTech Fund and Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and Kabu.com Securities – all subsidiaries of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group – last month, a six-figure dollar amount from Global Brain in 2015 and an undisclosed sum from SBI FinTech Fund in December 2016.
SkyWatch, the US-based creator of a data and risk analysis platform for the drone industry, received $2m in seed funding from Verizon Ventures, F2 Capital, Kaedan Capital and undisclosed angel investors on Wednesday. It will use the capital to further develop the platform, which will help improve safety for unmanned aerial vehicles and provide insurance companies with more information that can inform their activities in the sector.
ClassWallet, a US-based provider of financial management software for the education sector, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from private equity firm Brentwood Associates. The investment comes after $2.5m in funding for ClassWallet, including $1.9m in a 2015 seed round that included educational services provider Kaplan’s corporate venturing unit, Kaplan Ventures, as well as NewSchools Venture Seed Fund, Accelerated Growth Partners, MaverixLab and various angel investors.
Car and agricultural vehicle manufacturer Mahindra and Mahindra has paid Rs 80m ($1.25m) for a 26% stake in India-based irrigation system producer Mitra Agro Equipment, LiveMint reported on Tuesday. The investment in Mitra, which provides a range of sprayers for fruit growing, will help Mahindra, the world’s largest tractor maker by manufacturing volume, to enter the horticultural space.
Vexere, a Vietnam-based online ticketing platform for public transport, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding from VC firm Spiral Ventures, DealStreetAsia reported on Tuesday. The round came after a 2015 series A round of undisclosed size featuring CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate VC unit owned by internet company CyberAgent, and VC firm Pix Vine Capital.
Indonesia-based fitness and indoor cycling studio operator Ride Jakarta has raised $500,000 in a seed round that included telecommunications and infrastructure contractor Prasetia Dwidharma, DealStreetAsia reported yesterday. Intudo Ventures led the round, which included East Ventures, the latter having previously joined Prasetia Dwidharma to provide $250,000 of seed capital for the company.
Blockchain research and development firm nChain supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for South Africa-based Bitcoin wallet developer Centbee on Monday through its nChain Reaction subsidiary. Centbee is also set to benefit from nChain’s research, intellectual property and deep technology expertise post-investment, the companies said.
Naluri Hidup, the Malaysia-based owner of an online portal for psychology services, has received RM1m ($260,000) in a seed round featuring medical technology provider BioMark and 500 Durians, a branch of 500 Startups, DealStreetAsia reported on Monday. The seed funding will be used for product development and commercial and clinical trials of the platform with the company’s partners in the healthcare industry.
Enterprise software producer Twilio has invested $250,000 in Edovo, a US-based company that supplies tablet-based education for incarcerated prisoners, TechCrunch reported yesterday. Edovo aims to use the funding to expand from 20 states to 45 by the end of 2018.