Danone Manifesto Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of food producer Danone, yesterday completed a $10m investment in Laird Superfood, a US-headquartered producer of plant-based superfoods. The company secured $1.5m in a 2017 crowdfunding campaign before pulling in $7.1m across rounds in late 2017 and 2018, according to securities filings. Co-working space provider WeWork led a $32m funding round for Laird in January 2019, and the latest funding will support the expansion of its product range and manufacturing facilities.
MGI Tech, a genetic sequencing technology subsidiary of China-based genome research organisation BGI Group, has received an undisclosed amount of series B funding from GF Xinde, a subsidiary of investment bank GF Securities, DealStreetAsia reported today. MGI raised $200m from venture capital firm Green Pine Capital Partners, Goldstone Investment and Orient Securities Capital Investment, the latter two on behalf of investment banks Citic Securities and Orient Securities respectively.
Investment bank JP Morgan led a $4.3m extension to US-based cash analysis software developer Trovata.io’s seed round on Tuesday to bring the round to $9.8m. Trovata raised the first $5.5m in an April 2019 tranche led by VC firm Fintop Capital – which also contributed to the extension – and backed by JP Morgan’s owner, financial services firm JP Morgan Chase.
US-based smart connectivity system producer Astera Labs completed a series B round of undisclosed size on Wednesday that included semiconductor and data technology provider Intel’s corporate venturing unit, Intel Capital, as well as VC firm Sutter Hill Ventures and private investors Avigdor Willenz and Ron Jankov. The company had previously received $6.4m in funding in April 2018 according to a regulatory filing, and will put the latest financing into expanding its product range and the manufacturing of its Smart Retimer product.
Ureeka, the US-based operator of an online mentorship community for minority founders, received $8.6m in funding on Monday from investors including Salesforce Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of customer relationship management software provider Salesforce. The round also featured venture capital fund Bullpen Capital and VC firm Chicago Ventures, and Ureeka is already partnering Salesforce on the allocation of its Salesforce Care Small Business Grants.
SensorFlow, the Singapore-based developer of a smart heating and air conditioning control system for large buildings, has secured $8.3m in a series A-plus round featuring Aurum Investments, a VC affiliate of construction firm Woh Hup Holdings, DealStreetAsia reported yesterday. Openspace Ventures and Gaw Capital Partners co-led the round, which included private investor Pierre Lorinet. SensorFlow had raised a total of $3.5m as of a $2.7m round in February 2019 backed by property developer Aurum Land, hospitality services firm InSitu Asia, Pierre Lorinet, Playfair Capital, Cocoon Capital, Entrepreneur First and 2be.lu Investments.
Singapore-based digital insurance provider Axinan has rebranded to Igloo and completed a series A round led by InVent, the investment arm of telecommunications firm Intouch Holdings, that took its total funding to $16m, e27 reported today. The round was sized at $8.2m according to TechCrunch and it included Singtel Innov8, telecoms firm Singapore Telecommunications’ corporate VC arm, as well as Cathay Innovation, Partech Partners and existing investors Openspace Ventures and Linear Capital. Igloo had raised about $1m in its seed round.
Sweden-based accounting software provider Bokio raised €7.4m ($8m) on Tuesday from investors including European financial services group Svea Ekonomi and VC firm Creandum, both of which had taken part in a $4.4m round for the company in December 2019 that increased its total funding to $7.9m. The latest round was announced in tandem with a merger between Bokio and competitor Red Flag, and it also featured Red Flag investors Öhman Group, Anders Ström, Staffan Persson, Mattias Söderhielm and Mikael Pawlo as well as angel investor Carl Manneh.
Internet group NHN invested $8m in Audiens, a UK-based developer of customer data management software, on Tuesday. The deal was disclosed alongside the promotion of Audiens’ chief commercial officer, Jonathan Brech, to chief executive, and the funding will support the company’s geographic expansion. Audiens had been acquired by digital payment technology provider Bango for approximately $1.8m in January 2018.
US-based charging station software provider AmpUp has secured an undisclosed amount of series B funding yesterday from investors including automotive manufacturers SAIC Motor and Hyundai Motor Company, it disclosed yesterday. The only other investor named by the startup, a graduate of YCombinator’s incubator, was VC firm Forest Ventures. The capital will be channelled into technology development.
Zikani Therapeutics, a US-based developer of treatments for mutation-driven diseases, completed a $7.5m series A-1 round on Monday featuring Roche Venture Fund, the strategic investment arm of pharmaceutical firm Roche, in addition to Advent Life Sciences and Gurnet Point Capital. Formerly known as Macrolide Pharmaceuticals, Zikani had secured a total of $42m from Roche Venture Fund, Advent Life Sciences, Gurnet Point Capital, Novartis Venture Fund and SR One – subsidiaries of pharmaceutical companies Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline – as of 2018.
KB Global, a subsidiary of financial services firm KB Global, has provided $7m in funding for India-based online education platform developer Vedantu, Entrackr reported yesterday, citing a regulatory filing. The deal valued Vedantu at $280m and it comes after a total of more than $83m in earlier funding as of a $12.6m series C1 round earlier this month, from investors including education services provider Tal Education and Legend Capital, the VC firm established by conglomerate Legend Holdings.
Biobot Analytics, the US-based creator of a public health analysis system that makes use of wastewater measurement, increased its seed round to $6.7m on Tuesday, adding $4.2m from insurance firm American Family’s AmFam Institute Impact Fund, The Engine, Y Combinator and DCVC. The May 2018 first close had been led by Ekistic Ventures and backed by Y Combinator, Refactor Capital, Liquid 2 Ventures and undisclosed investment firms. The extension comes as Biobot’s technology is directed towards the spread of Covid-19.
Japan-based direct-to-consumer genmai rice supplier Yuwaeru received ¥720m ($6.7m) in equity funding yesterday from investors including hemp fabric producer Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten, price data aggregator Aucfan and IT consulting firm LTS. The equity portion of the round, which also included Shinsei Corporate Investment and Shizuoka Capital, on behalf of financial services firms Shinsei Bank and Shizuoka Bank, as well as Energy and Environment Investment, WM Partners, GrowthPoint Equity and unnamed individuals, was secured with $1.4m in debt financing from Japan Finance Corporation.
Hugo, the US-based developer of a software tool that pools meeting notes, has raised $6.1m in a seed round led by internet technology provider Google’s artificial intelligence fund, Gradient Ventures, it disclosed on Wednesday. Enterprise communication software provider Slack Fund also took part in the round, through its Slack Fund, and the corporates were joined by Founder Collective and Entrée Capital. The capital will be channelled into recruitment and product development.
Japan-based robotic process automation technology developer BizteX secured ¥630m ($5.9m) in debt and equity financing on Monday from telecommunication firm KDDI’s Open Innovation Fund, IT services provider TIS, Kyoto University’s Miyako Capital affiliate, World Innovation Lab (WIL), Japan Finance Corporation and Shoko Chukin Bank, the latter two providing the debt. It raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding in 2017 from investors including Genesia Ventures, which returned for a $3.6m series A round led by WIL in August 2018. Globis Alumni Growth Investment added $180,000 two months later.
Electronics producer Samsung invested an undisclosed amount in DigiLens, a US-based developer of extended reality display technology, on Monday, through corporate VC subsidiary Samsung Ventures. DigiLens had raised a total of $82m as of a series C round that closed in May 2019 featuring Samsung Ventures as well as advanced materials supplier Universal Display Corporation, mobile game developer Niantic, tyre manufacturer Continental, chemicals producer Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings and consumer electronics provider Sony, the latter two through subsidiaries Diamond Edge Ventures and Sony Innovation Fund.
Pharmaceutical firm WuXi AppTec has provided $5m for Cayman Islands-registered venture capital firm Creacion Ventures’ first fund through affiliate Wuxi PharmaTech Healthcare Fund I, DealStreetAsia reported on Tuesday, citing a stock exchange filing. The filing states Creacion Ventures has so far raised approximately $155m for the fund, which has a $200m target according to a separate regulatory filing in January this year.
Hacarus received an undisclosed amount of series B funding today from gas utility Osaka Gas, veterinary drug producer DS Pharma Animal Health and financial services firm Bank of Kyoto’s Kyogin Lease & Capital subsidiary. It closed a $2.4m series A round in late 2018 featuring corporates Paltek, Kaga Electronics, Ohara Pharmaceutical and Capital Medica, the latter through its Capital Medica Ventures unit, as well as VC firm Innovation Engine and VC fund manager Miyako Capital. It had raised a total of $890,000 in debt and equity financing as of 2017.
Milize, the Japan-based developer of a price-analysis software platform, increased its series D round to ¥530m ($4.9m) on Wednesday, pulling in extra funding from Hakuhodo DY Ventures, a subsidiary of advertising group Hakuhodo DY Holdings, and financial services firm Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. The December 2019 first close included postal service Japan Post, recruitment firm DIP Corporation and K & P Partners, and it followed $3.2m in funding from advertising agency Vector, Daiwa Corporate Investment and Mizuho Capital – on behalf of brokerage Daiwa and Mizuho Bank – as well as Nippon Venture Capital.
Chile-based urban logistics software developer SimpliRoute has received $3m in a series A round led by VC fund and accelerator TheVentureCity, Crunchbase News reported yesterday. SimpliRoute had previously raised $1.5m since 2015 from investors including telecoms firm Telefónica’s open innovation arm, Wayra, as well as VC firm and accelerator 500 Startups, according to Crunchbase.
Gatsby, the US-based operator of a retail options trading platform, secured an undisclosed amount yesterday in a funding round led by VC firm SWS Venture Capital. The company raised $500,000 from financial services firm Barclays, virtual bank Radius Bank, Techstars and Alex Wohl in February 2019 before adding $1.5m in seed capital from investors including SWS Venture Capital, Plug and Play Ventures and Irish Angels five months later.
US-based remote training platform developer Hone closed $2.75m in seed capital from investors including messaging app developer Slack’s corporate venturing vehicle, Slack Fund, on Wednesday. Firework Ventures, NextGen Venture Partners, Cowboy Ventures, Harrison Metal and Reach Capital also took part in the transaction, the latter three having joined Slack Fund, Rethink Education, Day One Ventures, Entangled Ventures and various angel investors to provide $3.6m in earlier seed funding for Hone in January 2019.
Lebo Robotics, a Japan-based provider of wind turbine maintenance robots, received an undisclosed amount of funding today from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Capital and Monex Ventures, on behalf of insurance provider Mitsui Sumitomo and financial exchange operator Monex respectively. The funding will cover recruitment and an increase in marketing across Japan, the US and Europe.
Plantio, the Japan-based operator of online vegetables distribution platform Grow Share, raised ¥230m ($2.1m) today from Canal Ventures, the corporate VC arm of IT services firm Nihon Unisys, as well as VC firm Genesia Ventures. Both investors had previously taken part in a $1.4m round for Plantio in June 2019 alongside leasing services provider JA Mitsui Leasing, and real estate developer Tokyu Real Estate’s Shibuya Innovation Program.
Office machinery producer Toshiba Tec provided an undisclosed amount of series A funding for WFrontier, the Japan-based operator of a locally-focused e-commerce platform, on Monday, following an undisclosed amount from investors including Japan Startup Support Association for the round’s first tranche. Database services provider Planet supplied approximately $900,000 in seed capital for WFrontier between June 2018 and the end of the year, and $630,000 from energy utility Tokyo Electric Power’s Tepco Frontier Partners unit and Sawada Holdings in November 2018.
Automattic, the owner of online blogging platforms WordPress and Tumblr, led a €1m ($1.1m) funding round for Frontity, the Spain-based creator of a WordPress site development tool, on Wednesday. The round also featured K Fund, the VC firm that led a $470,000 round for the company in May 2018 that included undisclosed angel investors. The latest cash injection will support further development of Frontity’s product.
TDK Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for electronics manufacturer TDK, invested an undisclosed amount in US-based biomagnetics technology developer Genetesis on Tuesday. Genetesis raised $1.2m in a 2016 seed round led by CincyTech that included Wilson Sonsini, Radical Investments, Loud Capital, Danmar Capital, angel investors and members of the company’s management team, and $7.5m in series A funding from CincyTech, Radical Investments, Ohio Innovation Fund and Raptor Group in June 2018.
BLive, an India-based electric-vehicle tour operator backed by live entertainment promoter DNA Entertainment Networks, has received an undisclosed amount of pre-series A financing from angel investment group Mumbai Angels Network that boosted its overall funding to $1m, Hindu Business Line has reported. DNA invested $560,000 in the startup in September 2019 following roughly $140,000 from angel investors Shivanand V Salgaocar and Shrinivas V Dempo earlier the same year.
Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu. Image courtesy of Laird Superfood.
