US-based firmware protection software provider Eclypsium raised $8.75m on Monday in a series A round that included Intel Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of semiconductor and data technology producer Intel. The round was led by Madrona Venture Group and included Andreessen Horowitz and Ubiquity Ventures, the two investors that joined Intel Capital for Eclypsium’s $2.3m seed round in October 2017.
Trustology, a UK-based startup providing technology and services that help clients secure digital assets, secured $8m yesterday in a series A round featuring blockchain software provider Consensys, which also incubated the company. The round was led by Two Sigma Ventures, the VC fund owned by investment manager Two Sigma, and both investors will take a seat on Trustology’s board of directors.
US-based workplace engagement technology provider Akumina received $7.5m in series A funding on Wednesday from investors including Avanade, a subsidiary of professional services firm Accenture, which made its investment through corporate venturing unit Accenture Ventures. The round was led by RJB Investments, the investment vehicle for Richard Berthy, and included Stage 1 Ventures. It follows $500,000 in equity financing and $4.4m in debt between 2014 and May 2018 according to regulatory filings.
Denmark-based nanoimprint lithography services provider Nil Technology completed a €6.3m ($7.1m) funding round on Wednesday that was co-led by NGP Capital, the VC firm sponsored by communications technology provider Nokia, and private equity firm Jolt Capital. Bo Ilsoe, managing partner of NGP Capital, will join the company’s board of directors together with Jean Schmitt from Jolt Capital.
Japan-based robotics technology startup Telexistence has raised an undisclosed amount in a series A round led by Airbus Ventures, the strategic investment vehicle for aerospace manufacturer Airbus, TechCrunch Japan has reported. The round also featured KDDI Open Innovation Fund, a subsidiary of telecoms firm KDDI, and Mizuho Capital, financial services firm Mizuho Bank’s VC unit, as well as University of Tokyo Cooperation Platform, Deep Core, Monoful, National Science and Technology Corporation (JST), JTB and Maeda Industry, and followed an undisclosed amount of seed capital from KDDI Open Innovation Fund, JST and Global Brain in May 2017.
E-commerce group Alibaba’s Taiwan Entrepreneurs Fund has led a $7m series B round for Taiwan-based holiday accommodation rental portal AsiaYo, Tech in Asia reported on Wednesday. China Development Financial, Darwin Ventures and Delta Ventures also participated in the round, which followed $3m in seed capital from Darwin Ventures and Accord Ventures in 2017.
Wise Systems, a US-based developer of autonomous management software for trucking fleets, received $7m yesterday in a series A round led by Gradient Ventures, internet technology provider Google’s artificial intelligence investment arm. Existing investors E14 Fund, Trucks Venture Capital, Neoteny and Fontinalis Partners also took part in the round, which pushed the company’s overall funding to $8.5m.
Private equity firm Rubicon Technology Partners paid an undisclosed sum on Tuesday for a majority stake in Tendril, a US-based home energy management technology provider backed by energy utility Engie, solar energy technology producer SunPower and industrial equipment makers Siemens and General Electric. The deal included minority investments from Morgan Stanley Alternative Investments and Zoma Capital, and followed $195m in funding according to regulatory filings.
Meleap, the Japan-based developer of augmented reality game Hado, has secured ¥720m ($6.3m) from food and beverage supplier Hide Inter and SMBC Venture Capital, the venture capital arm of financial services firm Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, as well as I-Mercury Capital, DBJ Capital, IncubateFund and Canal Ventures. The round increased its overall funding to about $9.8m and the proceeds will support an expansion of its offline arcade outlets.
US-based advanced materials manufacturer SiNode Systems joined specialty chemical producer JNC Corporation to form a lithium-ion battery materials startup called NanoGraf Corporation on Monday with $4.5m of funding. NanoGraf’s silicon anode technology was discovered at Northwestern University and the company claims it can improve battery energy and power density by up to 50%.
US-based customer data software provider Ascent360 raised $4.1m in series A funding from investors including student financial services platform Nelnet on Monday. Fulcrum Equity Partners led the round, which included Access Venture Partners, Bialla Venture Partners and Rockies Venture Club, and which followed $1.9m from undisclosed investors in January 2017 according to a regulatory filing.
Singapore-based electric scooter sharing service Neuron Mobility has secured S$5m ($3.7m) in funding from investors including Siri Ventures, the VC partnership between real estate developer Sansiri Public Company and financial services firm Siam Commercial Bank, E27 reported on Wednesday. SeedPlus, 500 Startups, Seeds Capital, Ace Capital and undisclosed angel investors also participated in the round, disclosed alongside a $9.2m investment by Siri in VC firm Fifth Wall Ventures and an investment of undisclosed size in Singapore-based service robot developer Techmetics.
Bindable, a US-based developer of insurance distribution technology, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from insurance group Epic Holdings, private equity firm Motive Partners and a fund advised by asset manager Wafra. The corporate invested as part of an agreement that will involve Bindable providing it with a specialist turnkey software product.
Germany-based air freight management platform developer Cargo.One closed a $3.2m seed round on Wednesday that included Lufthansa Cargo, the freight services division of aviation company Lufthansa. The round was co-led by VC firms Creandum and Point Nine Capital, and the startup will put the proceeds toward product development.
PR Table, a Japan-based has raised ¥340m ($3m) in funding from Gree Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for digital media company Gree, as well as UB Ventures, DK Gate and an unnamed fund run by Mizuho Capital, TechCrunch Japan has reported. Gree Ventures’ Tatsuo Tsutsumi, joined its board of directors in connection with the round, which follows $580,000 from Mizuho Capital, Daiwa Corporate Investment and unnamed angel investors in 2016 and $1.4m from DG Incubation, part of internet company Digital Garage, in September 2017.
Baidu Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of internet group Baidu, has led a RMB20m ($2.9m) round for Robot++, the China-based creator of a robot capable of climbing walls, China Money Network reported yesterday. VC firm Panda Capital was also among the participants in the round, which valued Robot++ at $17.5m, and which came in the wake of an undisclosed amount of funding from Panda Capital, TusPark Business Incubator and Eagles Fund in April this year.
Matcherino, the US-based developer of a management system for eSports events, completed a $2.7m financing round on Wednesday that included eSports service provider Axiomatic Gaming. The round was led by Seven Peaks Ventures and also featured Madrona Venture Group and Vulcan Capital. It came after a $1.25m seed round led by Madrona and backed by Vulcan Capital and unnamed angel investors in 2015, and a $1.5m round in July 2017 featuring Madrona, Vulcan Capital and Seven Peaks.
WakingApp, an Israel-based augmented reality toolset developer backed by game developer Youzu, raised $2.6m on Monday in a funding round led by Globis Capital Partners, the investment arm of graduate business school Globis, that included smart glasses producer Vuzix. The round took WakingApp’s overall funding to $9.5m, $4.3m of which came in a 2015 series C round featuring Youzu, Globis Capital and Inimiti VC.
Educational technology media company and data provider EdSurge received $2.5m from news and events provider JMD.edu, educational services firm TAL Education, Golden Angels and angel investors Deborah Quazzo and Jason Palmer on Wednesday. It had raised $400,000 from media company Washington Post, NewSchools Venture Fund, Allen & Company and assorted angel investors in 2012, before adding $5.3m from investors including NewSchools, GSV Capital, LearnCapital, Catamount Ventures, Women’s Venture Capital Fund, 1776.vc and Omidyar Network in subsequent rounds.
Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, the corporate VC arm of telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom, invested an undisclosed sum in Singapore-based mobile network automation technology developer Cellwize on Wednesday. Cellwize had previously raised $14.5m in a 2015 series A round co-led by VC firm Carmel Ventures and venture platform Vintage Investment Partners that was closed alongside a $10m credit facility supplied by Viola Credit.
Brand strategy consultancy Yellowwood and insurance firm Hollard Insurance have provided R30m ($2.2m) in funding for Naked Insurance, the South Africa-based operator of an artificial intelligence-equipped car insurance service, BusinessTech reported on Tuesday. The funding followed $1.4m from Hollard – described like Yellowwood as an existing investor – in October 2017 and was triggered when Naked met certain milestones.
Roam, the US-based creator of an adventure-focused digital media platform, received $2.1m in funding from investors including media holding company WndrCo on Tuesday. Advancit Capital, Susa Ventures, TackVC and Imagination Capital also contributed to the round, which will support product development, the growth of the company’s team and an expansion of its content.
ING Ventures, the strategic investment arm of financial services firm ING, has led a €1.3m ($1.5m) round for Axyon AI, an Italy-based developer of data-based financial services technology products, Affaritaliani reported on Monday. The round included another bank, UniCredit, as well as unnamed angel investors, and the funding will go to research and development and company growth.
WhizAI, the US-based creator of an artificial intelligence-equipped conversational intelligence platform, raised $1.1m in a funding round led by IT services firm Trigyn Technologies on Wednesday that included undisclosed angel groups and investors. The startup said the round increased its funding to $1.6m altogether, and that Trigyn invested as part of a strategic alliance.
Arcterus, the Japan-based creator of notebook-sharing app Clear, has secured ¥100m ($890,000) in series C funding from investors including Zoshinkai Holdings, the correspondence education provider also known as Z-Kai, and two subsidiaries of financial services firm Shinsei Bank, one of which is Shinsei Corporate Investment, The Bridge has reported. It had previously raised $2.6m from Z-Kai, media company Asahi Shimbun, marketing firm Dentsu’s Digital Holdings unit, Startia, Bon Angels, company founder Goichiro Arai across three rounds.
Cultivate(MD) Capital Fund, a corporate venturing fund owned by medical device development services provider Genesis Innovation Group, invested an undisclosed sum in SpinTech, a US-based provider of software for brain scans, on Monday. The deal followed approximately $1.6m in debt and equity financing across three rounds between 2011 and August 2018, according to regulatory filings.
Insurance brokerage NFP invested an undisclosed sum in insurance management technology provider Indio Technologies on Tuesday through its corporate venturing unit, NFP Ventures. Indio had raised $2m in seed capital from insurance firm Hiscox, New Enterprise Associates, Merus Capital, 500 Startups and Compound in late 2016 before the latter three took part in a $6m series A round in February this year that was led by 8VC.
