US-based internet-of-things technology producer Sensoro received an undisclosed amount of series C funding on Tuesday from investors including Robert Bosch Venture Capital (RBVC) and Baidu Ventures, subsidiaries of industrial technology maker Robert Bosch and internet group Baidu, as well as Northern Light Venture Capital and Chaos Investment. Sensoro had previously raised $28m across two rounds from backers including RBVC, conglomerate Sumitomo, communications equipment producer Nokia’s Nokia Growth Partners firm and property developer New World Development.
Sukedachi, the Japan-based creator of an online recruitment marketplace for construction workers, has raised ¥530m ($5m) from investors including media company Nippon Broadcasting System, human resources provider Persol Holdings and Itochu Technology Ventures, the venture capital arm of trading firm Itochu, The Bridge has reported. The round also featured seed investors Genesia Ventures and Klab Venture Partners as well as Legend Partners and angel investors including Kotaro Chiba.
Pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly has made an equity investment of undisclosed size in US-based biopharmaceutical company Sigilon Therapeutics as part of a collaboration deal that involves a $63m upfront payment and potentially up to $410m in milestone payments. Founded by life sciences company builder Flagship Pioneering, which invested $23.5m in the company in 2017, Sigilon is developing encapsulated cell therapy treatments for diabetes.
China-based event ticketing marketplace Piaoniu has closed an undisclosed amount of funding in a series B round featuring technology and trading firm Susquehanna International Group, Kr Asia reported today. Sequoia Capital, GGV Capital and individual investor Zhang Tao. In addition to ticketing trading, the company, which was founded in 2015, compiles data on sales and sells it to participants in the entertainment industry.
East Meet East, the US-based operator of an online dating platform for the Asian community, raised $4m yesterday from investors including Asahi Medialab Ventures, a subsidiary of media company Asahi Shimbun, and DG Lab Fund, a joint venture between internet company Digital Garage and brokerage Daiwa Securities, as well as digital marketing firm Septeni Holdings, Mobile Internet Capital and 500 Startups. The company has now raised $8.2m in total from backers also including internet company DeNA, East Ventures and ISGS Investment Works.
Zipjet, the Germany-headquartered operator of an app-based laundry and dry cleaning service, has received an undisclosed “seven-figure” amount of series B funding from Henkel Ventures, a subsidiary of laundry, beauty and adhesive product maker Henkel, as well as appliance manufacturer BSH Home Appliances Group and Amsterdam Venture Partners, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday. The company had not revealed details of past funding but its earlier investors included Henkel, e-commerce group Rocket Internet and Btov Partners.
France-based light aircraft engine developer Turbotech secured €3m ($3.7m) in funding on Wednesday from investors including Safran Corporate Ventures, the strategic investment subsidiary of aerospace system developer Safran, which participated as part of a technology partnership agreement. Seed fund Go Capital Amorçage II also took part in the round, and a representative will join Turbotech’s board of directors together with Nicolas Franck, an investment manager at Safran Corporate Ventures.
QurAlis Corporation, a US-based startup developing therapies for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has launched with an undisclosed amount of seed capital from investors including Amgen Ventures and MP Healthcare Venture Management, the corporate venturing subsidiaries of pharmaceutical companies Amgen and Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma Corporation respectively. The round also featured Alexandria Venture Investments, the VC arm of life sciences real estate investment trust Alexandria Real Estate Equities.
Instabridge, the Sweden-based wifi sharing platform developer that counts telecommunications firm Swisscom as an investor, has raised $3m in a round led by Luminar Ventures that included existing investors Balderton Capital, Draper Associates, Moor and Creandum. The company received $3m from Swisscom’s corporate VC unit, Swisscom Ventures, Balderton, Moor and Creandum in 2015, before Balderton and Draper added $1m the following year.
Supermarket chain Woodman’s Markets led a $2.5m round for GrocerKey, the US-based developer of an e-commerce software platform for grocers, on Tuesday, investing alongside Dunnhumby Ventures, the corporate VC arm of consumer data provider Dunnhumby, and undisclosed angel investors. The round increased GrocerKey’s total funding to $4.2m, the company said, $700,000 of which was closed in January 2017.
Oval Money, a UK-based finance and expenses tracking app developer backed by financial services firm Intesa SanPaolo and mobile network NTT Docomo, secured €1.5m ($1.9m) in funding from undisclosed investors on Monday, €900,000 of which came in the form of crowdfunding. The round followed a $1.3m round featuring Intesa, NTT Docomo subsidiary B-ventures and holding company Gruppo Bertoldi in late 2016.
Seppic, a chemicals producer and subsidiary of industrial gases supplier Air Liquide, has participated in a $1m seed round for US-based biochemicals and biofuels developer Ecovia Renewables. The corporate invested in Ecovia as part of a biopolymer development agreement, and the funding will be used for research and development, product development and the expansion of the company’s bioprocessing facilities.
Compass News, the UK-based developer of a mobile news platform that combines artificial intelligence and human editors to provide factually accurate curated stories for its users, has raised $1m in funding from investors including Bloomberg Beta, the corporate VC arm of media group Bloomberg, The Sociable reported on Wednesday. Matter, the media accelerator backed by internet technology provider Google and media company New York Times, also contributed to the round, along with Hambro Perks and angel investor Charlie Songhurst.
Lumanu, the US-based operator of an influencer-based marketing platform, has received $1m in seed capital from investors including Cream City Venture Capital, a corporate venturing subsidiary of insurance and investment group Northwestern Mutual, American Inno has reported. 500 Startups, Gener8tor, Rightside Capital and angel investor Peter Sachse also took part in the round, and Lumanu will get space in Northwestern Mutual’s Milwaukee headquarters along with its investment.
Momentum, a corporate venturing subsidiary of rail network operator SMRT Corporation, has led a funding round of undisclosed size for Telepod, the Singapore-based owner of an electric scooter sharing service, E27 reported on Wednesday. Bravio Capital and Quest Ventures participated in the round alongside two unnamed angel investors, and Telepod will use the proceeds to enhance its technology and logistical capabilities as it prepares to expand across Singapore and upgrade its e-scooters.
Mojro, the India-based developer of an urban logistics management platform, has secured $650,000 in a round featuring diversified conglomerate Naga, VCCircle reported on Wednesday. Equity crowdfunding platform 1Crowd led the round, the startup’s second according to founder Swaminath Jeyachandran, and the proceeds will go to strengthening its technology and marketing capabilities and expanding its partnerships.
India-based enterprise blockchain technology startup Elemential has raised an undisclosed amount of seed capital from investors including diversified conglomerate Hinduja Group, Inc 42 reported on Tuesday. VC firm Matrix Partners India led the round, which also featured Investopad, Digital Currency Group, Lightspeed India, Eight Innovate and angel investors including Amit Ranjan, Prashant Malik and Amrish Rau.
Textbook publisher S. Chand has invested Rs 3.5m ($540,000) in Smartivity Labs, an India-based developer of robotics and augmented reality-based technology for children’s learning products, TechCircle has reported, citing a stock exchange filing. S. Chand had initially provided $200,000 of funding for Smartivity in 2015 before returning to co-lead a $1m round with AdvantEdge Partners in 2016 that included CFG Offshore Holdings, Tandem Capital and undisclosed angel investors.
Brand Capital, an investment vehicle for media group Bennett Coleman & Co, provided an undisclosed amount of funding on Tuesday for PsyInnovations, the US-based creator of cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness and positive psychology platform WayForward. The investment followed an undisclosed amount of funding from angel investors including Harsh Mahajan, Gunjan Khanna and Sreepathy Viswanathan, and the cash will support the company’s expansion in India.
– Photo courtesy of Sensoro Co., Ltd.