RSI I Fund, a subsidiary of human resources provider Recruit Holdings, has led a $5m series A round for Mystifly, the India-based operator of business-focused airline booking platform MyFareBox, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday. The funding, closed at a $38m valuation, will be invested in sales, marketing and product development as Mystifly, which has around 190 employees, looks to expand internationally.
Siemens Venture Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of appliance and industrial product manufacturer Siemens, added an undisclosed amount to the series C round being raised by Spain-based medical diagnostics device developer Stat-Diagnostica on Wednesday. It raised $28.5m from Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund, a subsidiary of pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim, as well as Caixa Capital Risc, Gilde Healthcare, Kurma Partners, Ysios Capital and Idinvest Partners for the round’s first close in March this year.
India-based mobile security technology developer AppsDaily Solutions has received Rs 250m ($3.8m) in funding from Qualcomm Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of mobile chip producer Qualcomm, as well as Zodius Capital, Kalaari Capital, Ru-Net and Mumbai Angels, LiveMint reported on Tuesday. AppsDaily raised $2m in bridge funding in July this year and $26m previously, from Qualcomm Ventures, Ru-Net, Zodius, Kalaari and Blume Ventures.
Munich Re/HSB Ventures, the strategic investment arm of reinsurer Munich Re, provided an undisclosed amount of funding for US-based on-demand insurance platform developer Slice Labs on Tuesday. The investment followed a $3.9m seed round in March this year co-led by Horizons Ventures and XL Innovate, and Munich Re’s Digital Partners group is working with the startup as it prepares to launch its service in the US.
Happycar, the Germany-based operator of a price comparison platform for car rental, has raised €2.6m ($2.9m) from HR Ventures, a subsidiary of airline Hahn Air Group; NWZ Digital, part of the NWZ Media group; Creathor Venture, Capnamic Ventures and TruVenturo, TechCrunch reported yesterday. The round increased Happycar’s total funding to $6.1m and followed the divestment of the stake held by Global Founders Capital, the venture capital vehicle of the founders of e-commerce group Rocket Internet, to Creathor in late 2015.
US-based Wine n Dine emerged from stealth on Wednesday, launching its food-focused social discovery app and revealing a $2.5m seed round led by VC firm Jordache Ventures and backed by real estate developer Chetrit Group and Melo7 Tech Partners, Vator.tv reported. It will use the funding to strengthen its product and increase the size of its team.
Commercial foreign exchange company Monex Group has participated in a $2.5m round for Mexico-based bitcoin exchange Bitso, CoinDesk has reported. The round included Variv Capital, Xochi Ventures, FundersClub, Bitcoin Capital, Blockchain Tech and Digital Currency Group, the last of which had previously supplied seed funding to Bitso.
IDG Ventures India, a VC affiliate of media and events company International Data Group, has led a $2m bridge round for India-based speech recognition technology developer Uniphore Software that included Indian Angel Network (IAN) and YourNest Angel Fund, Tech Circle reported on Monday. IDG Ventures had invested an undisclosed sum in Uniphore in June 2015, after the company had received an undisclosed amount from YourNest Angel Fund, angel investor Ray Stata and IAN members Nagaraja Prakasam and MV Subramanian.
US-based Goby launched its electric toothbrush subscription service on Wednesday with $2m in seed capital from investors including BBG Ventures, the female-focused VC fund owned by mass media operator AOL, New York Business Journal reported. VC firms Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Correlation Ventures, Galvanize Ventures and Red Sea Ventures also invested as part of the round.
Lang-8, the Japan-based creator of a language learning information app called HiNative, has raised ¥200m ($1.9m) from backers including internet company DeNA, The Bridge reported on Thursday. The round also featured Kyoto University Innovation Capital, East Ventures and angel investors including Justin Waldron and Chiba Kotaro, and comes after CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of internet company CyberAgent, invested an undisclosed amount in early 2014.
Finnish Minima Processor, a Finland-based startup developing technology that will be able to greatly increase the energy efficiency of digital computing, has received €1.6 ($1.8m) in seed funding from VTT Ventures, a subsidiary of research and technology company VTT, as well as CFT Nordic Capital and undisclosed private investors. Minima’s technology is based on research from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Aalto University and University of Turku.
US-based renewable chemicals technology developer Anellotech raised $1.5m from an undisclosed strategic investor and partner yesterday. Anellotech had previously received funding from backers including trading company Toyota Tsusho Corporation, which invested an undisclosed sum in July this year, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages producer Suntory, hydrocarbon processing technology provider Axens, French public research organisation IFP Energies Nouvelles and chemicals supplier Johnson Matthey.
VRChat, the US-based developer of a social platform for virtual reality, secured $1.2m in seed capital on Tuesday from investors including HTC, the producer of the Vive VR headset, and Gree VR Capital, the specialist VC fund set up by social media company Gree . Rothenberg Ventures and Brightstone Venture Capital also took part in the round, which will support company growth and product development.
SumOne, the Brazil-based operator of food service loyalty app Bonuz, has raised R$3m ($930,000) from CVentures Primus, a VC offshoot of research organisation Certi Foundation, and CRP Emprendedor, according to Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (LAVCA). Bonuz has about 350,000 active users and 1,500 restaurants in its network.
Mobile commerce company Movile has invested R$3m in Leiturinha, the Brazil-based operator of a children’s book subscription service, LAVCA has revealed. Leiturinha plans to use the funding to increase the number of subscribers in its PlayKids book club from 18,000 to 30,000 by the end of 2016, further develop its digital offerings and expand its headcount from 55 to between 80 and 90 by February 2017.
Particeep, a France-based developer of investment marketplace software, raised €800,000 ($890,000) in funding on Wednesday from AXA Strategic Ventures, a subsidiary of insurance group AXA, and Total Développement Régional, an investment vehicle for oil and gas company Total, as well as Bpifrance and angel investor Jean Losco.
UK-based smart thermostat developer Switchee has completed a £600,000 ($770,000) seed round featuring Wayra UK, a subsidiary of telecommunications company Telefónica, Tech City News reported on Monday. Mustard Seed Ventures led the round, investing alongside ClearlySo, Pi Labs and angel investor Ian Nolan.
Tappx, a Spain-based graduate of Wayra Barcelona’s accelerator initiative, has raised €550,000 ($610,000) in funding from Telefónica-backed VC firm Kibo Ventures and B-Ventures, the accelerator operated by Docomo Digital, a subsidiary of mobile network NTT Docomo. Tappx operates an app promotion platform, and is joining B-Ventures’accelerator initiative in connection with the funding.
US-based estate and legacy planning software startup Yourefolio closed a $500,000 seed round led by Matrix Pointe Group, a provider of software for the legal and law enforcement areas, yesterday. The round included Glide Innovation Fund, North Coast Opportunities Technology Fund, Launchhouse and an unnamed angel investor, and will be used to enhance the company’s office infrastructure and strengthen its core product.
Online real estate portal PropertyGuru invested an undisclosed amount in Vietnam-based online property listings platform Batdongsan.com.vn on Tuesday. The investment also enabled CyberAgent Ventures, which invested in Batdongsan in 2014, to exit the company, according to DealStreetAsia.
Mahindra Holidays, a timeshare holiday resort subsidiary of conglomerate Mahindra & Mahindra, has paid Rs 30m ($450,000) for a 12% stake in Nreach Online Services, the India-based operator of online gifting platform Giftxoxo, VCCircle reported on Monday. The funding will enable the startup to carry on expanding its service from gifts to activities and experiences.
Goqii, the India-based developer of a fitness coaching app, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Rahan Tata, the chairman emeritus of conglomerate Tata & Sons, Business Insider India reported on Monday. The investment follows a $13.4m series A round in November 2015 co-led by mobile internet technology provider Cheetah Mobile and New Enterprise Associates, and backed by Great Wall Club and DSG Consumer Partners.
GWC Fund, a subsidiary of business event promoter GWC that counts mobile internet company Cheetah Mobile and VC firm Sequoia Capital as backers, has invested $250,000 in Feelter, the Israel-based developer of a ‘social wisdom meter’, after it won first prize in the GWC-sponsored G-Startup WorldWide contest, according to LAVCA. The second prize went to Brazil-based automotive services startup Easy Carros, which was awarded $120,000.
Kenya-based e-learning platform developer Eneza Education has received an undisclosed amount from mobile network Safaricom’s Spark Venture Fund, Disrupt Africa reported on Wednesday. The investment was the third to be made by the fund, which provides between $75,000 and $250,000 to each startup, since it launched in late 2014.