Brazil-based e-commerce marketplace integrator Olist raised $186m in a series E round that featured funds managed by internet and telecommunications group SoftBank, taking its valuation to $1.5bn. Wellington Management led the round with participation from investment bank Goldman Sachs’ Asset Management unit, Valor Capital Group, Corton Capital, Globo Ventures and private investor Kevin Efrusy.
Real estate developer Greenhawk and alcoholic beverage producer Pernod Ricard’s Convivialité Ventures unit backed a $160m series B round for US-based rental property decoration and short-term leasing platform AvantStay. The round was co-led by Tarsadia Investments and 3L Capital and included financial services firm Capital One, Plus Capital, Bullpen Capital, Saluda Grande, Coller and private investors Stephen Pagliuca, Jerry Coleman, Fred Tuomi, Jay Mckee, Paul George and Shawn Mendes.
Innovaccer, a US-based healthcare patient data platform, raised $150m in series E funding at a $3.2bn valuation from investors including computing technology producer Microsoft’s CVC unit M12, taking the company’s total funding to $375m. The round was led by Mubadala Capital and featured Omers Growth Equity, Dragoneer, Steadview Capital, B Capital Group, Tiger Global Management, Whale Rock Capital, Avidity Partners and Schonfeld Strategic Advisors.
Internet and telecommunications group SoftBank led a $115m funding round for Open Co, a Brazil-based consumer credit platform, through its SoftBank Latin America Fund. Raiz Investimentos, LTS and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation filled out the participants in the round.
US-based corporate catering services provider ezCater secured $100m in a series D-2 round at a post-money valuation of $1.6bn, led by internet and telecommunications firm SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2. Singaporean sovereign wealth fund GIC also invested in the round alongside Quadrille Capital, Iconiq Growth, Invus, Insight Partners and unnamed others, bringing ezCater’s overall funding to $425m.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and trading firms CMT Group and Susquehanna International Group’s respective subsidiaries Coinbase Ventures, CMT Digital and Susquehanna Private Equity Investments invested in a $70m series B round for Canada-based digital assets saving and lending platform Ledn at a $540m valuation. 10T Holdings led the round, investing alongside FJ Labs, Raptor Group, Golden Tree Asset Management, Kingsway Capital, White Star Capital, Parafi Capital, Global Founders Capital, Hashed, Ascendant Capital and private investors Alan Howard and John Pfeffer.
Stoke Space, a US-based developer of reusable space rockets, secured $65m in funding from quantitative trading firm Alameda Research and Toyota Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of automotive manufacturer Toyota. Breakthrough Energy Ventures led the round, joined by Point72 Ventures, Spark Capital, MaC Ventures, NFX, Global Founders Capital, SevenSevenSix, Liquid2 and unnamed other investors.
Internet and telecommunications group SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 led a $60m series C round for India-based payments platform Juspay, investing alongside Wellington Management and VEF, according to VCCircle. The round valued the company at $460m.
US-based cybersecurity technology provider Cequence Security raised $60m in a series C round featuring telecommunications companies T-Mobile and Telstra’s corporate venturing units Telstra Ventures and T-Mobile Ventures, as well as computing technology producer Dell Technologies’ CVC unit Dell Technologies Capital. The round, which took the company’s overall funding to $100m, was led by Menlo Ventures and featured Shasta Ventures, Icon Ventures and HarbourVest Partners.
Crypto financial services firm Galaxy Digital backed a $52.7m series A round for US-headquartered crypto payment services provider Ramp. Balderton Capital led the round, which featured Seedcamp, NFX, Firstminute Capital and private investors Taavet Hinrikus and Francesco Simoneschi, bringing Ramp’s total funding to $63m.
US-based mobile-based bill payment platform Papaya raised $50m in a series B round featuring financial services firm Fidelity’s F-Prime subsidiary. Bessemer Venture Partners led the round with participation from Sequoia Capital, 01 Advisors, Acrew Capital, Mucker Capital, Fika Ventures and Sound Ventures.
Israel-based rail cybersecurity technology developer Cylus secured $30m in series B funding from rail and mobility engineering services provider Strides International Business. The Ibex Investors-led round also included Vertex Growth Fund, Magma Venture Partners, Vertex Ventures Israel, GlenRock Israel and private investor Zohar Zisapel.
Carbon America, a US-based developer of technology for carbon capture and sequestration, raised $30m in a series A round featuring property developer Golden Properties. Pension investor Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, ArcTern, Energy Impact Partners and the Granthan Environmental Trust’s Neglected Climate Opportunities Fund filled out the participants. The shareholders may provide an additional $15m by April 2022 to help accelerate the company’s growth initiatives.
FineHeart, a France-based manufacturer of implanted devices for cardiac health, grew its series B round to €21m ($21.7m) with participation from aerospace component supplier Lauak Group, following a €6m ($6.8m) extension. Doliam, Verve Ventures and unnamed private investors also took part, investing alongside returning investors Irdi, Aquiti, Galia, Broadview Ventures and M Capital.
Luxana Biotech, the Japan-based nucleic acid drug developer leveraging the research from Osaka University’s School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has received ¥1.22bn ($10.7m) from the university’s Osaka University Venture Capital fund, Mizuho Bank subsidiary Mizuho Capital’s Mizuho Life Science Fund, another financial services group Shinsei Bank unit Shinsei Capital Partners’ New Life Science Fund as well as Nippon Venture Capital and Healthcare Innovation.
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase’s corporate venturing unit Coinbase Ventures is backing a $7m funding round for augmented reality non-fungible token (NFT) jetpack and hoverboard developer Jadu. The VR Fund, LionTree, Sound Ventures, PKO Investments & Progression Fund, General Catalyst and private investors Guy Oseary, Keith Grossman and Nick Adler filled out the participants.
Epitomap, the Japan-based zoonotic vaccine commercialisation group using the technology developed at research institute Riken, has received ¥300m ($2.6m) in seed funding from veterinary pharmaceutical groups Nippon Zenyaku Kogyo (also known as Zenoaq) and Animal Allergy Clinical Laboratories (or AAC Laboratories for short).
Japan-based humanoid robot developer Tokyo Robotics has raised ¥200m ($1.8m) from electrical appliance wholesaler Igarashi Electric Works, taking its total funding to about ¥400m ($3.5m).
Japan-based expert network operator Arches has raised ¥180m ($1.6m) from business intelligence platform Uzabase, marketing group Hakuhodo DY subsidiary Hakuhodo DY Ventures and eight unnamed angel investors.
Showroom, the Japan-based digital entertainment service spun out of internet company DeNA, has secured an undisclosed sum from media services provider Air Works, broadcaster MBS Media Holdings’ MBS Innovation Drive unit, telecommunications firm Dwango, toy manufacturer Bandai, video game publisher Bandai Namco and ticketing and merchandise platform Lawson Entertainment.
M&A
Data analytics platform SQcream has acquired Israel-based no-code data platform Panoply for an undisclosed amount, marking an exit for Intel Capital, the strategic investment arm of chipmaker Intel.
Fundraising
Japan-based venture capital firm Idaten Ventures has formed a second fund of undisclosed size that counts limited partners including automotive clutch maker FCC, fire alarm system producer Fenwal Controls of Japan and printed circuit board manufacturer P-Ban.com. Incubate Fund and Mistletoe Venture Partners filled out the LP roster.
Anobaka, the Japan-based venture capital group spun out of mobile game publisher KLab’s KLab Venture Partners subsidiary, has formed a ¥6bn ($52.5m) third vehicle from unnamed returning limited partners set to close in May 2022. The unit did not disclose its previous LPs but they include amusement park operator Oriental Land’s corporate venturing unit Oriental Land Innovations and financial services firm Kiraboshi Bank, according to The Bridge.
