Funding
Telecommunications and internet group SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 joined investment firm Tiger Global Management to provide $60m in funding for US-headquartered blockchain security software provider Certik on Friday. Tiger Global had previously co-led Certik’s series B round with Insight Partners and Advent International at a $2bn valuation earlier this month, investing with Goldman Sachs, Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed Venture Partners.
US-based medical communication software provider Syllable received $40m in series C funding today from investors including Verily, the life sciences subsidiary of internet and technology conglomerate Alphabet. The round was led by growth equity firm TCV and backed by Oak HC/FT and Section32 – both, like Verily, described as existing investors.
GenieMode, the India-based operator of a business-to-business e-commerce marketplace, is raising $27.5m in series B funding from investors including classified listings operator Info Edge, Inc42 reported on Saturday. Investment firm Tiger Global Management is leading the round, which comes four months after Info Edge subsidiary Info Edge Ventures led its $7m series A.
UK-headquartered online seafood marketplace Rooser has secured $23m in a series A round that included GV, the subsidiary of internet and technology group Alphabet formerly known as Google Ventures, Sifted reported today. Venture capital firms Index Capital and Point Nine Capital also contributed to the round, as did angel investors Dylan Field and David Nothacker according to TechCrunch.
A subsidiary of internet and gaming group Tencent is leading a £10m ($12.7m) series B round for UK-based supply chain finance provider Previse at an $83m valuation, Sky News has reported, citing undisclosed sources. Previse had raised over $20m as of an $11m round co-led by payment services firm Mastercard and Reefknot Investments in 2020 that also featured Bessemer Venture Partners, Hambro Perks and Augmentum Fintech.
Zenda, the United Arab Emirates-based creator of a personal finance management app aimed at families, received $9.4m in seed funding today from investors including STV, the VC firm backed by telecoms firm Saudi Telecom. The oversubscribed round also featured Cotu Ventures, Global Founders Capital and VentureSouq.
India-headquartered skincare brand Earth Rhythm has secured $8m in a series A round backed by online cosmetics retailer Nykaa, which paid $5.5m for an 18.5% stake, YourStory reported on Friday. Investment firm and existing backer Anicut Capital also contributed to the round.
F10, the Switzerland-based operator of an accelerator for financial and insurance technology startups, has raised an amount of funding in the mid-single digit range, from investors including consulting firms Synpulse and On-Point. The round was led by Five T Fintech, and also featured private investor Christian Frahm and unnamed others. F10 is also acquiring the team at SIX Fintech Ventures, the corporate VC arm of financial technology provider SIX, and will advise the unit’s existing portfolio companies.
Flowty, the operator of an online non-fungible token (NFT)-based lending marketplace, received $4.5m on Friday in a seed round backed by blockchain game developer Dapper Labs. The round was co-led by Greenfield One and Lattice Capital and included Sfermion, Tiny VC, Luno Expeditions, Red Beard Ventures and assorted angel investors.
Japan-based film distributor Team Joy secured an undisclosed amount of series A funding from entertainment group Bushiroad today. Team Joy specialises in animated films and the funding will support development of its latest title, Blue Thermal.
Afterparty, the US-based creator of an NFT platform focused on celebrities and influencers, completed a $4m funding round on Friday featuring 11:11 Media, the media company formed by celebrity Paris Hilton. It was joined by Acrew Capital, Blockchange Ventures, TenOneTen Ventures and private investors Spencer Rascoff, Jason Calacanis, David Friedberg, Nicole Farb, Andre Iguodala, Rudy Cline-Thomas, Reade Seiff and Desiree Gruber.
Netherlands-based contract drug product manufacturer BioConnection raised an undisclosed amount on Friday from investors including biopharmaceutical company Pharming Group. Investment firm Gimv led the round while Mibiton and BioConnection’s management team also took part, and founding investor Brabant Development Agency exited the company through the round.
GlobalBees, the brand aggregation subsidiary of infant and child-focused e-commerce company FirstCry, is paying $3.2m for a 39.3% stake in India-based online home appliances retailer Candes, Inc 42 reported on Saturday. GlobalBees CEO Nitin Agarwalis is joining Candes’ board of directors in connection with the deal, alongside its chief business officer, Damandeep Soni.
Retail chain FamilyMart invested an undisclosed amount in Luup, the Japan-based operator of an electric scooter and bicycle sharing service, on Saturday. Real estate developer Mori Trust, internet company Digital Garage’s DG Incubation unit, navigation technology producer Zenrin’s Future Partners vehicle, construction firm Daito Trust and a subsidiary of broadcaster TBS all contributed to Luup’s $18.3m series B round in August 2021, taking its total funding to over $26m.
Moojo, a Germany-based developer of freelancer invoicing software, has raised $2m from investors including insurance group MS&AD and APX, the VC fund formed by media group Axel Springer and carmaker Porsche, Deutsche Startups has reported. Helvetia Venture Fund, Neoteq Ventures and Red Swan Ventures also took part in the round, as did multiple undisclosed angel investors.
US-headquartered NFT game studio 5×5 Gaming completed a $1.7m seed round on Friday backed by blockchain gaming platform developer Com2us and blockchain creator Harmony. They were joined by the founders of metaverse game studio The Sandbox and gaming guild YGG.
Japan-based sales automation tool developer Moja received an undisclosed amount of funding from app development software provider Mint and VC firm DNX Ventures today. The company has now collected approximately $1.1m altogether.
Leasing services firm Mizuho Leasing provided an undisclosed amount of funding for Japan-based warehouse picking robot developer Rapyuta Robotics today. Rapyuta had raised a total of $22.5m before adding undisclosed sums from warehouse operator manager Global Logistic Properties’ Monoful subsidiary and electronic component producer Yaskawa Electric in February 2020 and BizTech Fund five months later.
M&A
Industrial robotics technology provider Intrinsic agreed on Friday to acquire Vicarious, a US-based intelligent automation technology developer backed by electronics producer Samsung, IT services provider Wipro and power and automation equipment provider ABB, for an undisclosed sum. Vicarious had raised under $158m in venture funding as of its $50m series C round in 2017, but its website places its overall funding at over $250m.
Funds
Real estate investment trusts UCR and Essex Property Trust are co-leading the first close of RET Ventures ESG Fund, a vehicle formed by venture capital firm RET Ventures, the former revealed on Friday. UCR is committing $10m to the fund, which has an $80m target for its close according to a securities filing.
Additional reporting by Liwen-Edison Fu. Photo courtesy of Vicarious.
