Telecommunications firm AT&T invested an undisclosed amount in US-based augmented reality technology developer Magic Leap on Wednesday, completing a $963m series D round featuring media companies Axel Springer and Grupo Globo, e-commerce group Alibaba, internet technology provider Google and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The previous close valued Magic Leap at $6.3bn, according to TechCrunch, and increased the company’s overall funding to about $2.35bn.
Inspectorio, the US-based creator of an artificial intelligence-equipped quality and compliance platform, has closed a $10m series A round led by accelerator operator Techstars that also featured retailer Target, water and hygiene technology provider Ecolab and venture capital fund Matchstick Ventures, Minneapolis/St.Paul Business Journal reported on Tuesday. Inspectorio participated in the Target + Techstars Retail Accelerator in 2016 before raising $3.7m in a Target-led round in January 2017.
Israel-based imaging radar technology developer Arbe Robotics raised $10m from Taya Ventures, the corporate VC arm of media company Taya Media, 360 Capital Partners, which led the round, Canaan Partners Israel, iAngels, Manic Mobility, OurCrowd and OG Tech Ventures on Wednesday. The round took Arbe’s total funding to $23m, the company said, and it followed a $9m series A round in 2015 co-led by OG Tech Ventures and OurCrowd that included existing investors Taya Ventures, Canaan Partners and iAngels.
US-based virtual reality entertainment producer Penrose Studios completed a $10m series A round on Wednesday that included telecoms firm Korea Telecom and design studio Co-Made. The round was led by TransLink Capital and also featured Sway Ventures, 8VC, Suffolk Equity and angel investors Marc Benioff and Will.i.am. It came after $8.5m in seed funding from TransLink Capital, 8 Angel, Suffolk Equity and Accelerate-IT Ventures in early 2016.
India-based credit score and analytics provider IndiaLends secured $10m last week in a series B round co-led by asset management firm ACPI Investment Managers and VC firm Ganesh Ventures that included American Express Ventures, a subsidiary of payment services firm American Express, as well as DSG Consumer Partners and AdvantEdge Partners, Inc42 reported on Monday. DSG led a $1m seed round for IndiaLends in 2015 before joining Amex Ventures, AdvantEdge and Cyber Carrier VC for a $4m round in late 2016.
Journera, the US-based developer of a travel data platform, closed a $9m series A round yesterday led by VC firm B Capital Group that included business consulting firm Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Andreessen Horowitz and Pritzker Group Venture Capital. The startup said it launched in 2016 with an undisclosed amount from BCG, aviation companies United Airlines and American Airlines, and hotel operators Hilton, InterContinental Hotels Group, Marriott International and Hyatt Hotels Corporation, the latter through an affiliate.
Nextbiotix, a France-headquartered developer of microbiome-based therapies, has raised €7m ($8.2m) in series A funding from investors including pharmaceutical company Biocodex. The round was led by Auriga Partners and also featured Sofimac Innovation, Cap Innov’Est and INRA, the French National Institute for Agricultural Research.
US-based augmented reality developer Octi has secured $7.5m in a seed round that included alcoholic beverage producer Anheuser-Busch InBev and live event promoter Live Nation, Forbes reported yesterday. The corporates were joined by Shasta Ventures, I2BF Ventures, Bold Capital Partners, Day One Ventures, Human Ventures and angel investors including Tom Conrad, Shiva Rajaraman, Scott Belsky, Abbe Raven and Joshua Kushner.
Rimidi, the US-based developer of an analytics software platform for chronic disease management, received approximately $6.6m on Tuesday in a series A-1 round that included pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, automotive and communications technology provider Cox Enterprises, Turner Investments, Village Capital, The Jump Fund and JAMB Global. Cox and the latter three all participated as existing investors, and Rimidi had previously raised about $1.3m in equity financing and $1.4m in debt, according to regulatory filings.
QC Ware, a US-based developer of quantum computing technology for enterprise clients, completed a $6.5m series A round co-led by financial services firm Citi and investment banking firm Goldman Sachs on Tuesday. Airbus Ventures and DE Shaw Ventures, respective subsidiaries of aerospace manufacturer Airbus and investment manager DE Shaw, also took part in the round along with Fenox Venture Capital, the former two as existing investors.
Spring Health, the US-based developer of a digital health platform, raised $6m yesterday in a seed round featuring BBG Ventures, the female-focused VC arm of digital media company Oath. The round was led by Rethink Impact and included Work-Bench and Partnership Fund for New York City as well as RRE Ventures and William K. Warren Foundation, which had joined North Sound Ventures, Saddlefire Ventures, Rough Draft Ventures and angel investor Kevin Ryan to invest $1.5m in the startup in April 2017.
Healthcare provider Physician Partners has invested $5m in Viome, the US-based developer of a personal health advice platform that utilises biological data, as part of a $5.5m funding round, GeekWire has reported. The other $500,000 was put up by an unnamed second investor, and the round follows a $15m series A in July 2017 led by VC firm Khosla Ventures and backed by Bold Capital Partners and angel Peter Diamandis that increased the company’s overall funding to $21m.
Leo Digital Network, the digital networking division of pump and gardening equipment manufacturer Leo Group, has led a series B1 round of undisclosed size for China-based online call and chat technology developer YeeCall Online, China Money Network has reported. The round, sized in the eight-figure renminbi range (RMB10m = $1.5m), included financial technology provider Shenma Internet Financial Information Service and Jin’ge Capital, and followed a $12m series B round led by Addor Capital in April 2017.
The Blockchainer, a China-based provider of marketing services for the blockchain sector, has also raised an eight-figure renminbi sum, in a round that included blockchain technology provider Ontology’s VC arm, Ontology Global Capital, China Money Network reported on Monday. J One Capital, JRR Crypto and Timestamp Capital also participated in the round, which will fund the startup’s global growth. It recently formed a joint venture in order to enter the South Korean market.
Lodgify, a Spain-based provider of software for those wishing to rent out their holiday homes, has received $5m on Tuesday in a series A round that included Intermedia Vermögensverwaltung, a subsidiary of media company Medien Union. The corporate was joined by existing investors Nauta Capital, Howzat Partners and Business Angels, and the round boosted its total funding to $7.3m.
SoftBank Ventures Korea, a corporate VC subsidiary of telecoms and internet group SoftBank, invested $5m in US-based data science collaboration software developer ZEPL yesterday. Founded in South Korea as NFLabs, ZEPL raised $1.5m in series A funding from Big Basin Capital, Bon Angels and Coolidge Corner Investment in 2014 and another $4.1m from Vertex Ventures, Translink Capital, Specialized Types and Big Basin Capital in late 2016.
Tata Motors Finance Holdings, a subsidiary of conglomerate Tata & Sons, has paid an undisclosed amount for a 26% stake in Loginomics Technologies Solutions, the India-based owner of freight trucking marketplace TruckEasy, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday. TruckEasy currently only operates in Banglore but will use the funding to expand into other Indian cities.
Camber Creek, the VC arm of property developer Berman Enterprises, has co-led a $4.5m funding round for US-based real estate marketing and leasing platform Nestio with VC firm Trinity Ventures. The round increased Nestio’s total funding to more than $16m and included real estate developers The Durst Organization, Moinian Group, TheLightstone Group and LeFrak – the latter three through their Currency M, Torch Venture Capital and LeFrak Ventures units – Rudin Ventures, Freestyle Capital and Lazerow Ventures.
Bitcoin miner and cryptocurrency mining technology provider Bitmain has invested an undisclosed amount in hackathon organiser DoraHacks, China Money Network reported on Tuesday. DoraHacks has not publicly disclosed details of its previous funding but its earlier backers include hacker organiser TopHacker Group, 8 Decimals Capital and BA Capital, according to China Money Network.
Anglr, the US-based creator of an online platform that helps anglers plan trips and track their catches, has secured $3.3m in a series A round led by investment firm KB Partners that also featured marine and sporting equipment producer Brunswick Corporation, Bluetree Allied Angels and M25 Group, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Monday. Bluetree invested $1m in Anglr in August 2016, before the company added $2.5m in a February 2018 seed round co-led by Connetic Ventures and TechNexus that included unnamed existing investors.
Oil and gas supplier BP provided £1.5m in funding for UK-based energy monitoring system developer Voltaware on Tuesday as part of a £2.5m ($3.3m) funding round. BP, which invested through its corporate venturing vehicle, BP Ventures, was joined by Imagine Ventures and Contrarian Ventures, and the proceeds will be used to enhance the company’s artificial intelligence and data science technology.
US-based sales and marketing software provider Integrate has added $2.6m from undisclosed investors to a series E round featuring LGI Ventures, a subsidiary of mass media group Liberty Global, which now totals $25.6m according to a securities filing. The round also includes Foundry Group’s Foundry Group Next unit, Iron Gate Capital, Forte Ventures, Alumni Ventures Group and High Alpha, and Integrate has now raised a total of almost $60m. Its earlier investors include Comcast Ventures, part of mass media company Comcast.
Malaysia-based co-working space provider Worq has received RM10m ($2.5m) from investors including consulting firm Bangsawan Consulting and financial services provider Philip Capital, Kr Asia reported on Monday. The round followed $790,000 of funding from venture capital firm Cradle Fund, investment firm SMG and 500 Durians, a branch of seed-stage VC firm 500 Startups, in February 2017, and will support the opening of Worq’s second space in October this year.
Construction firm McKinsey has contributed to a $2.5m funding round for Optio3, the US-based developer of a software platform that helps businesses harness and analyse data collected by their internet-of-things devices, Geekwire reported yesterday. The round also featured unnamed angel investors and came after $2m from undisclosed angel investors in October 2016.
ShooWin, the US-based operator of an online marketplace for sports event ticket reservations, has secured an undisclosed amount in a round co-led by investment and advisory firm Bellnote Partners and Cuneo & Co, the VC representative of the Cuneo family, on Tuesday. The company had previously raised $1.25m in a March 2016 series A round led by BBG Ventures, a corporate venturing subsidiary of digital media group Oath.
Insurance firms Aviva France and Macif have provided €1.8m ($2.1m) of series A funding for Fundvisory, a France-based robo-advisory platform focused on insurance coverage, Les Echos reported on Monday. Aviva put up 60% of the funds and Macif 40%, and the capital will be added to the €300,000 the company raised in a 2016 friends and family round.
Fuel Games, the Australia-headquartered creator of a blockchain-based eSports platform, disclosed on Monday that it has raised A$2.4m ($1.8m) in seed capital from investors including digital currency exchange operator Coinbase. The round was co-led by Continue Capital and Nirvana Capital with participation from Sora Ventures, and Fuel will use the funding to enhance its core platform and develop additional games following the launch of its first title this week.
Cell-Ed, the US-based developer of a mobile skills teaching platform for employees, secured $1.5m on Monday in a seed round featuring enterprise software provider Twilio’s Twilio.org Impact Fund. The round was led by Lumina Impact Ventures, the impact investment arm of the education-focused Lumina Foundation, and included Strada Education Innovation Fund, which is overseen by non-profit organisation Strada Education Network, and Partners Group Impact, which is overseen by investment manager Partners Group.
Blink Identity, the US-based developer of a biometric identification system capable of identifying people when they are walking at a brisk pace, received $1.5m in seed funding on Monday from investors including Live Nation, which will pilot the technology in its venues. VC firm Sinai Ventures led the round, and Blink raised the funding after graduating from Techstars Music Accelerator in 2017.
POSRocket, a Jordan-based point-of-sale system developer backed by internet company Jabbar Internet Group, has raised $1.5m in a round led by VC firm Algebra Ventures and backed by consulting firm Financial Horizon Group, Kisp Ventures and Arzan VC, MGZN reported on Monday. Jabbar had joined Arzan VC, Propeller and two angel investors to provide $650,000 in seed capital for POSRocket in September 2017.
Legal services provider LegalZoom has invested A$1.8m ($1.3m) in Australia-based online legal services platform LawPath, Australian Financial Review reported on Tuesday. The company had previously raised $940,000 from Macdoch Ventures and Adcock Group in 2015, a year after Brook Adcock invested $560,000.
Moladin, the Indonesia-based operator of an e-commerce platform for motorcycles, has received $1.2m in funding from diversified conglomerate Berjaya Group, VC firm East Ventures and private investment office Ethos Partners, Digital News Asia reported yesterday. The funds will be used to grow the size of Moladin’s team as the startup prepares to expand across its home country.
Prednalytics Health, the India-based owner of medical diagnostics services provider 5th Vital, has raised $500,000 in funding from investors including Brand Capital, the ad-for-equity subsidiary of media group Bennet, Coleman & Co (BCC), VCCircle reported yesterday. Brand Capital participated in the round alongside undisclosed Indian angel investors.
Classified listings operator Info Edge has paid Rs 30m ($440,000) to increase its stake in ZippServ, an India-based provider of risk assessment services for real estate financing, to 45% according to VCCircle, which cited a stock exchange filing. Info Edge had previously invested $390,000 in ZippServ in May 2017, taking a 28% stake in the process.
Avenue Growth, an India-based online sales services marketplace backed by BCC’s Brand Capital, has also secured Rs 30m in funding, in a pre-series A round co-led by angel investors Avtar Monga and Aditya Malik, VCCircle reported on Tuesday. The startup, which was founded in 2017, had previously received an undisclosed amount from Aditya Malik, Brand Capital and innovation hub GSVlabs.
– Image courtesy of Magic Leap, Inc.