Toy producer and game publisher Ravensburger Group led a $10m series B round yesterday for Lingokids, the Spain-based developer of an early learning and skills app for two-to-eight year olds. Formerly known as Monkimun, it raised $1m from education provider Sho-Zemi’s investment arm, Sho-Zemi Innovation Ventures, and Incuvest in 2015 and added $4m from Sabadell Venture Capital – part of financial services firm Banco Sabadell – JME Venture Capital, Holtzbrinck Ventures, Big Sur Ventures and Bessemer Ventures Partners in 2017. The first four returned for a $6m series A round in October 2018 that included Reach Capital, Athos Capital, All Iron Ventures and private investor Gwynne Shotwell. Its total funding stands at $23m, it said.
SiteAware, an Israel-based developer of digital construction verification technology, completed a $10m series A round yesterday co-led by Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the investment arm of industrial technology producer Robert Bosch, and VC fund Axon Ventures. The round included Lool Ventures and Oryzn Ventures – which had joined Battery Ventures and various individuals in the company’s $1.5m seed round in 2015 – as well as The Flying Object and Power Capital Venture. The company also received an undisclosed sum from property developer Mitsui Fudosan’s 31Ventures Global Innovation Fund I in 2016.
Sweden-based logistics vehicle developer Einride has raised $10m from Ericsson Ventures, the strategic investment arm of telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson, as well as Norrsken VC – part of Norrsken Foundation – and EQT Ventures and Nordic Ninja VC, VentureBeat has reported. All four investors took part in a $25m series A round for the company in October 2019 alongside Plum Alley Investments and Plug and Play Ventures that pushed its overall funding to $32.4m.
Department store chain Macy’s invested an undisclosed amount in US-based consumer finance provider Klarna on Tuesday through a five-year partnership agreement. Klarna was valued at $10.65bn as of a $650m round last month, and its investors already include Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), media group Bonnier, fashion brand Bestseller Group, payment services provider Visa and financial services provider Ant Group.
Venture investment platform Anthemis has led a £7m ($9.1m) funding round for Hometree, the UK-based operator of a home insurance and boiler installation service, Sky News reported on Tuesday. AV8, the VC firm backed by insurance firm Allianz, led an $8.5m round for the company in September 2018 featuring Literacy Capital, DN Capital, LocalGlobe and private investors Ian Nolan, Jon Moulton and Mark Hutchinson. LocalGlobe, DN Capital, Oxford Capital and FJ Labs had invested $2.4m in Hometree in 2017 and the first three returned for a $3.9m round in January 2018 backed by individuals including Moulton.
European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, which is owned by the European Union’s European Investment Bank, added an undisclosed amount to the $15.3m raised by Germany-based vegan dairy substitute producer Prolupin in March this year. Conglomerate Axel Johnson’s Novax subsidiary co-led that tranche with Capricorn Partners’ Sustainable Chemistry Fund, investing alongside existing backers Munich Venture Partners and eCapital.
Thirdverse, a Japan-based virtual reality game developer backed by mobile game publisher Gumi, has closed an $8.5m series A round led by VC firm Jafco, VentureBeat reported on Tuesday. Presence Capital, Sisu Ventures and Incubate Fund also participated in the round, which will support recruitment. Gumi had joined Mizuho Capital, the VC arm of financial services firm Mizuho Bank, to invest an undisclosed amount in Thirdverse in 2016.
Carnovo, a Spain-based car price comparison service, completed a €6.5m ($7.6m) round last month that included financial services firm Banco Sabadell’s venture capital arm, Sabadell Venture Capital. The round also featured Mountain Partners, Ithaca, R301 Capital, AngelGate and private investor Andreas Mihalovits. It had previously raised $2.2m in 2017 from Antai Venture Builder, M4E, Enisa and various members of its founding team.
RevComm, the Japan-based creator of cloud communication tool Miitel, has secured an additional ¥700m ($6.4m) of series A funding from KDDI Open Innovation Fund, NTT Docomo Ventures, Deepcore, Sony Innovation Fund by IGV, Hakuhodo DY Ventures, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital and Shinsei Corporate Investment, representing telecoms firms KDDI, NTT Docomo and SoftBank, electronics producer Sony, marketing firm Hakuhodo DY and financial services firms Mitsubishi UFJ and Shinsei Bank respectively, as well as World Innovation Lab, which led the tranche. It follows a $7.5m first close in May this year.
Canada-based cancer and fibrosis therapy developer Phenomic AI emerged from stealth on Wednesday with $6m in seed financing from investors including AV8 Ventures, the VC firm backed by insurance firm Allianz. The round was led by CTI Life Sciences Fund and also featured Luminous Ventures, Viva BioInnovator, Garage Capital, Hike Ventures and Cantos Ventures.
India-based budget hotel operator Treebo Hotels has received $6m in funding from Bertelsmann India, a subsidiary of media group Bertelsmann, as well as Matrix Partners India, SAIF Partners and Ward Ferry Management, the Economic Times reported today. It had raised a total of about $57m as of August this year when it raised $1.4m from unnamed investors. The latest investors were all existing backers and Treebo’s earlier investors include media group Bennett Coleman & Co, which provided $460,000 in January this year.
UK-based data analytics technology developer GeoSpock has secured $5.4m in a series A round co-led by blockchain technology provider nChain and Cambridge Innovation Capital that also featured mobile network operator NTT Docomo and Global Brain. The company had received $2.6m from Parkwalk Advisors in a March 2019 deal that took its total funding to $27m. Its earlier investors also include real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan’s 31 Ventures vehicle, telecoms firm KDDI’s Open Innovation Fund, Supership DataMarketing Fund Program and Jonathan Milner.
Telecoms firm NTT and consumer electronics manufacturer Sony invested an undisclosed amount in Senseye, the UK-based creator of a predictive maintenance software platform for industrial infrastructure, yesterday through investment vehicles NTT Docomo Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund. The company had previously closed a $4.7m series A round in 2017 led by MMC Ventures and backed by Breed Reply, the investment arm of internet-of-things technology provider Reply, as well as IQ Capital and Momenta Partners.
Germany-based used farming machinery marketplace E-Farm has completed a $5.3m series A round that included agricultural equipment manufacturer Claas, AgFunder News has reported. WiT Ventures led the round, which also featured an unnamed agtech-focused VC investor. Claas took part through a cooperation agreement that involved it increasing its stake in E-Farm, which has not revealed details of the earlier investment.
CloudSphere, the US-based developer of a software platform that enables cloud service providers to more effectively manage their operations, raised an undisclosed amount from ST Engineering Ventures, the investment arm of defence and aerospace group ST Engineering, and growth equity fund Atlantic Bridge. The company was formed in July this year through the merger of cloud governance technology provider HyperGrid and application management software producer iQuate, with $15m invested by Atlantic Bridge.
Dutch development bank FMO provided $5m on Monday for Husk Power Systems, a US-based renewable energy minigrid operator backed by oil and gas producer Shell and energy utility Engie. Shell subsidiary Shell Ventures and Enegie’s Rassembleurs d’Energies fund joined Swedfund to invest $20m in the company in January 2018. It had raised $375,000 from Acumen Fund in 2010, $5m in a 2012 series A featuring Acumen Fund, Bamboo Finance and LGT Venture Philanthropy that involved networking technology provider Cisco and DFJ converting earlier investments to equity, and reportedly an undisclosed amount of series B funding in 2014.
Axa Investment Managers, a division of insurance and financial services group Axa, invested $5m in Forest Carbon Works, a US-based company that provides financial incentives for landowners to conserve nature, on Tuesday. The company was spun off by EP Carbon3 and its business model involves participants selling carbon credits generated through conservation activities.
US-based video conferencing technology startup Headroom emerged from stealth yesterday with $5m in seed capital from investors including Gradient Ventures, the artificial intelligence investment arm of internet technology provider Google. The corporate was joined in the round by LDV Capital, AME Cloud Ventures, Morado Ventures and angel investors Anthony Goldbloom and Serge Belongie.
NearMe, the Japan-based operator of on-demand taxi service Smart Shuttle, closed a ¥500m ($4.7m) series A round yesterday that included insurance firm Nippon Life subsidiary Nissay Capital, leasing services firm JA Mitsui Leasing and the state-owned Development Bank of Japan’s DBJ Capital unit. It had already raised $2.8m from Nissay Capital unit, DBJ Capital, real estate developer Tokyu Land’s TFHD Open Innovation Program and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s SMBC Venture Capital unit in September 2019.
Denno Kotsu, the Japan-based taxi dispatch service also known as CyberTransporters, also raised ¥500m ($4.7m) yesterday, from JR East Start Up and Iyogin Capital – on behalf of rail operator JR East and financial services firm Iyo Bank – as well as conglomerate Mitsubishi Corporation, mobility and insurance firm Daiichi Koutsu Sangyo, taxi operator MK Group and Awa Bank. The company received $2m in January this year from corporate investors NTT Docomo Ventures, JapanTaxi and BroadBand Tower along with unnamed individuals to take its total funding to $3.6m.
Japan-based digital learning support provider Monoxer secured ¥440m ($4.2m) on Monday from UB Ventures, the investment arm of business data provider Uzabase, and VC firm World Innovation Lab’s WIL Fund. The company had previously received $890,000 from UB Ventures and Tsuneishi Capital Partners, the corporate VC subsidiary of shipbuilder Tsuneishi, as well as ISGS Investment Works, in December 2018.
US-based audio intelligence technology developer Veritonic has received $3.2m in funding from investors including Audible, the online audiobook platform owned by e-commerce group Amazon, New York Business Journal reported on Wednesday. VC firm Greycroft led the round, which was also backed by Lerer Hippeau and Newark Venture Partners, the latter having led Veritonic’s $3.5m seed round in mid-2018 featuring advertising agency MDC Partners’ MDC Ventures unit, Imagination Capital, Kiwi Venture Partners and Swan & Legend Venture Partners.
Lendtable, a US-based retirement services facilitator, recently completed a $3m seed round featuring telecoms and internet group SoftBank, Y Combinator, Valor Equity Partners, Streamlined Ventures, Valia Ventures, Socii Capital, Partech Ventures, Green Visor Capital and unnamed angel investors that took its total funding to $4.5m, it has revealed. The startup said its earlier investors included Foundation Capital, Toy Ventures and BTGrowth Capital.
Mito HollyHock, a professional football team that competes in Japan’s J2 League, secured an undisclosed amount of funding from investors including photographic studio owner Ono Group, IT services firm Appreciate and cleaning services provider Chikarakobu Holdings on Tuesday. The round also featured unnamed existing investors and the funding is intended to offset losses caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
W23, the corporate venturing arm of supermarket chain Woolworths, has paid A$4m ($2.8m) for an 8% stake in Spoon Guru, the UK-based developer of an online platform that helps consumers choose foods according to their dietary needs, Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday. The company had previously raised an undisclosed amount from NJF Capital, the VC arm of investment firm NJF Holdings, and formed a partnership agreement with Woolworths in May 2019.
UK-based quantum photonics hardware developer Nu Quantum received £2.1m ($2.7m) in seed capital from investors including Martlet Capital, the corporate venturing arm of aerospace manufacturer Marshall of Cambridge. The round was led by Amadeus Capital Partners and also featured Ahren Innovation Capital, IQ Capital, Seraphim Capital and Cambridge Enterprise. It came after $840,000 from Martlet, Amadeus Capital, IQ Capital, Ahren Capital and Cambridge Enterprise in October 2019.
Media and marketing holding company OvareGroup invested an undisclosed amount in BalmLabs, the US-based provider of a plant-based dermatology treatment for acne on Wednesday, through subsidiary OvareVentures. John Paulson, president and chief revenue officer of OvareGroup, is joining BalmLabs’ board of directors in connection with the deal.
Financial services firm Barclays co-led a $2.5m seed round for US-based payment security technology developer Nivelo that closed in August this year, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. FirstMark and Anthemis co-led the round, which also featured Dash Fund and unnamed angel investors.
Japan-based teleconferencing software provider Synamon secured ¥250m ($2.4m) in pre-series B funding today from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, KDDI Open Innovation Fund III and 31Ventures Global Innovation Fund I, on behalf of insurer Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance, telecoms firm KDDI and real estate developer Mitsui Fudosan, as well as translation technology producer Rozetta. The first three investors had joined SMBC Venture Capital, part of financial services firm Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, in a $2.2m round in March 2019, following $440,000 from Genesia Ventures two years earlier.
Japan-based digital senior care provider Meetscare raised ¥240m ($2.3m) on Tuesday from investors including Gree Ventures and Persol Innovation Fund, on behalf of digital media company Gree and recruitment firm Persol, as well as Genesia Ventures, Japan Startup Support Association and multiple private investors. Its earlier backers include Genesia Ventures, internet company Yahoo Japan’s YJ Capital unit, e-commerce firm Mercari’s Mercari Fund, East Ventures and angel investors Ayatarō Nakagawa and Yūsuke Satō.
Dryad Networks, the Germany-based creator of a connected network intended to detect wildfires, received €1.8m ($2.1m) in seed capital last month from investors including power producer Leag and Stihl Ventures, the corporate VC vehicle for power equipment producer Stihl, it said on Tuesday. The corporates were joined in the round by Brandenburger Förderbank’s Brandenburg Kapital subsidiary and impact investor Isar.
Scener, the US-based operator of an online streaming theatre platform, has secured $2.1m in funding from investors including film commentary provider RiffTrax, VentureBeat has reported. The round was led by SeaChange and also featured Glaser Investments, The Syndicate, Launch and angel investors including RiffTrax chief executive David Martin and Sriram Krishnan. It will use the funding to expand the scale of its platform.
Insurance holding company Baloise supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for Houzy, the Switzerland-based developer of a digital building analysis platform, last month. The startup had already raised an undisclosed sum from financial services firm UBS in July this year, and Baloise invested as part of its ‘Home’ ecosystem initiative.
Pynk, the UK-based creator of digital investment management app, has received $2m in funding from investors including NatWest Accelerator, a vehicle for financial services firm National Westminster Bank. The amount included pre-seed and seed capital as well as money raised on crowdfunding platforms Seedrs and FunderBeam, in addition to Founders Institute.
Financial services firm Barclays has invested an undisclosed sum in US-based security research and analytics provider Kharon, it revealed last month. Kharon has not revealed details of earlier financing but said investment firm Equity Group Investments is among its existing backers, as are unnamed institutional and private equity investors.
GS Caltex, an oil refining subsidiary of conglomerate GS Group, has supplied $1.7m in funding for Vietnam-based car washing service Vietwash, Vietnam Investment Review reported on Wednesday. Vietwash will put the funding into a growth drive intended to expand its network of car washes from just over 50 to about 100.
Agribusiness Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) provided an undisclosed amount of funding for Spiber, the Japan-based creator of a plant-derived protein for use in products such as textiles, car components, resins and films, on Tuesday. Spiber, a spinout of Keio University, began collaborating with ADM in December 2019 and had raised an undisclosed sum from textile trader Toyoshima & Co in May this year.
Strive, a corporate venturing subsidiary of digital media company Gree, led a ¥150m ($1.4m) series A round for Japan-based online professional training provider Posiwill on Monday that will support an increase in headcount as the startup looks to expand. It had already raised undisclosed amount from Strive and various angel investors in November 2019.
UK-based cell and gene editing technology developer NanoSyrinx has completed a pre-seed round of undisclosed size that was led by M Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of pharmaceutical firm Merck Group. The round included BioCity and UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund in addition to grant funding from UKI2S Innovate Accelerator and Midlands Innovation Commercialisation of Research Accelerator.
Brokerage Sino has led a €1m ($1.2m) seed round for Quin, the Germany-based operator of an investment advisory app, Tech.eu has reported. APX, the accelerator formed by carmaker Porsche and media group Axel Springer, also participated in the round, as did VC firm Runa Capital, and the funding came after the startup joined APX in April this year.
Stadium Experiment, a Japan-based developer of 3D scanning technology that allows sporting events to be viewed virtually, received an undisclosed amount from internet company CyberAgent on Monday. CyberAgent invested in connection with the strengthening of a strategic partnership between the companies.
Rabona, the Japan-based developer of sports simulation game Sports Crown, secured ¥120m ($1.1m) on Wednesday from marketing firm Vector and five individual investors. The company has not disclosed details of earlier financing but said it has now raised about $1.8m altogether and is rebranding to Sports Crown alongside the funding.
Packaging technology producer Sealed Air Corporation invested an undisclosed amount in Gastromotiva, the Brazil-based operator of a food-focused training and nutrition service intended to promote socioeconomic inclusion, on Tuesday. The funding was raised in connection with a three-year partnership agreement and will support activities such as cutting food waste and promoting sustainable packaging.
Portfolios, the Japan-based owner of vegan-friendly skincare brand Unnaturally Nautral, raised ¥100m ($940,000) from investors including mobile game publisher Akatsuki’s Heart Driven Fund and retailer Marui Group’s D2C&Co subsidiary. The corporates were joined by VC firm East Ventures and the funding will support marketing and product development.
Noco, the Japan-based developer of cloud collaboration tool Toaster Team, received ¥75m ($710,000) yesterday from investors including digital media company Gree’s Strive fund and Voyage Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for travel technology provider Voyage. VC firm Apricot Ventures also contributed to the round along with two unnamed angel investors.
Venture studio and VC fund Highline Beta has provided an undisclosed amount of funding for BanQu, the US-based developer of a supply chain-tracking software system, in connection with the latter’s participation in the 100+ Sustainability Accelerator it runs with alcoholic beverage producer AB InBev. BanQu raised $100,000 from unnamed investors in 2016 before adding $2.5m in series A funding in April 2018 and $1.4m in an extension backed by investors including AB InBev’s ZX Ventures unit in June 2019, according to securities filings.
CoFiX, the operator of a decentralised crypto trading platform, has secured $500,000 from investors including cryptocurrency exchange Huobi’s DeFi Labs subsidiary and Coinbase Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of fellow digital currency exchange Coinbase, Coindesk reported yesterday. Cryptoasset investment firm Dragonfly Capital joined the corporates in the round.
US-based carbon reduction technology startup Brimstone Energy joined the Catalyst Program run by Chevron Technology Ventures (CTV), oil and gas supplier Chevron’s corporate venturing arm, last month. CTV’s Catalyst Program functions as an accelerator for early-stage energy technology developers.
Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu.
