AAA Daily Deal Round Up: December 17, 2021

Daily Deal Round Up: December 17, 2021

US-based cloud analytics and business intelligence platform developer Sigma Computing raised $300m in series C funding from data analysis software provider Snowflakes’s corporate venturing arm Snowflake Ventures. The round was co-led by XN and D1 Capital Partners, with Sutter Hill Ventures and Altimeter Capital also investing.

Cockroach Labs, a US-based database management software provider, raised a $278m series F round from investors including internet and technology conglomerate Alphabet’s GV unit and investment banking firm JP Morgan at a $5bn valuation. The round was led by Greenoaks and included Altimeter Capital, Bond, Coatue Management, FirstMark, Redpoint Ventures, Lone Pine Capital, Tiger Global, Index Ventures, Lone Pine Capital and Benchmark.

Netherlands-based urban farming company Infarm secured $200m in a series D round closed at a valuation of over $1bn featuring media group Bonnier. Qatar Investment Authority led the round, which also featured Partners in Equity, Atomico, Hanaco and Lightrock.

Internet and technology group Alphabet and mobile carrier T-Mobile’s respective corporate venturing subsidiaries GV and T-Mobile Ventures participated in a $170m funding round for US-based AI-powered cloud communication platform Dialpad. Iconiq Capital led the round, which featured Amasia, Omers Growth Equity, Section 32 and Work-Bench.

Conglomerate Koch Industries’ investment subsidiary Koch Strategic Platforms made a $150m investment in US-based solar panel tracking systems developer GameChange Solar.

Switzerland-based immuno-oncology treatment developer Anaveon received CHF 110m ($119.6m) in series B funding from pharmaceutical firms Novartis and Pfizer’s respective corporate venturing units Novartis Venture Fund and Pfizer Ventures. Forbion led the round with backing from Cowen Healthcare Investments, Syncona and Pontifax.

Internet and technology group Alphabet’s GV subsidiary backed a $100m series B round for US-based weight management platform Found, TechCrunch has reported. The round was led by WestCap and filled out by IVP, Chernin Group, G9 Ventures, Able Partners, Define, Atomic and angel investors Fidji Simo and Julia Cheek.

Tasso, a US-based provider of blood collection technology, received $100m in series B funding from hospital Cedars-Sinai and pharmaceutical firm Merck & Co’s Global Health Innovation Fund and medical research company InCube. RA Capital Management led the round and was joined by DE Shaw Group, Senvest, SVB Innovation Fund, Foresite Capital, Hambrecht Ducera Growth Ventures and J2V.

US-based AI-powered drug discovery platform Verge Genomics received $98m in a series B round that included pharmaceutical firms Eli Lilly and Merck & Co, the latter through its Merck Global Health Innovation Fund. Funds managed by BlackRock led the round with participation from Section 32, Vulcan Capital, ALS Investment Fund, Threshold Ventures, Lifeforce Capital, Tao Capital Partners and unnamed others.

Media group Mediahuis (through its Mediahuis Ventures unit) invested in a $40m Target Global-led funding round for Netherlands-headquartered educational technology provider Lepaya, which also featured Tablomonto as well as private investors Noor van Boven, Anna Brandt, Jordy Kool and Chris Zadeh, according to Bloomberg.

Stockwits, a US-based social platform for investors and traders, raised a $30m series B round led by quantitative trading firm Alameda Research and featuring media conglomerate The Times Group subsidiary Times Bridge. True Ventures, FFVC, Social Leverage and Foundry Group filled out the round.

US-based AI-supported machine vision for manufacturing inspection technology provider Elementary secured $30m in a series B round backed by Toyota Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of automotive manufacturer Toyota. Tiger Global Management led the round, which included Fika Ventures, Fathom Capital, Riot VC and Threshold Ventures.

Yara Growth Capital, the corporate venturing subsidiary of agrochemicals producer Yara International, led a $30m series C round into Argentina-based farmer marketplace Agrofy with participation from farming supply chain services provider Bunge, agrochemical producer Syngenta unit Syngenta Ventures and agricultural companies BrasilAgro, Lartirigoyen and Cresud, AgFunder News has reported. Acre Venture Partners, Capria, Glocal, Draper Cygnus, Endeavor, SP Ventures, Bunge Ventures and Fall Line Capital filled out the participants.

US-based app testing virtualisation technology provider Corellium raised $25m in series A funding backed by computing and IT group Cisco’s investment arm Cisco Investments and led by Paladin Capital Group. The round included unnamed other strategic investors.

Greeneye Technology, an Israel-based precision spraying technology for farmers, closed a $22m funding round that included agrochemical producer Syngenta’s corporate venturing subsidiary Syngenta Group Ventures and agricultural machinery manufacturer Agco. Jerusalem Venture Partners led the round with participation from Hyperplane Venture Capital, One Way Ventures and KDT.

Brainomix, a UK-based software provider to detect strokes and lung conditions, received £16m ($21.2m) in a series B round co-led by pharmaceutical firm Boehringer Ingelheim’s Venture Fund and backed by internet group Tencent. Parkwalk Advisors also co-led the round with participation from Oxford University’s Innovation Fund.

Analytical laboratory equipment manufacturer Agilent Technologies took part in a $20m series A round for Canada-based proteomic solutions company Nicoya Lifesciences. Whitecap Venture Partners spearheaded the round and was backed by MaRS IAF, BDC Capital, Export Development Canada, Garage Capital and unnamed others.

Cryptocurrency research platform ZK Validator and digital asset wallet IMToken took part in a $17m series A round for crypto privacy technology developer Aztec Network. The round was led by Paradigm and filled out by A_Capital, Ethereal Ventures, Libertus Capital, Scalar Capital, Variant Fund, Nascent, Defi Alliance, IOSG Ventures and angel investors Stani Kulechov Bankless, Defi Dad, Anthony Sassano, Mariano Conti and Vitalik Buterin.

Japan-based sounding rocket and small satellite developer Interstellar Technologies has raised ¥1.77bn ($15.6m) in a series D round from internet company CyberAgent, screw trader Sunco Industries, IT services firm Inclusive, SerialIncubate, SevenStar Capital and private investors Makoto Fujita, Hiroshi Yamamoto, Anna Nakajima and Mizuki Nakajima.

India-based verification and fraud prevention platform Bureau received $12m in series A funding from authentication software provider Okta Identity, The Economic Times has reported. Quona Capital led the round and was joined by Commerce Ventures and private investors Mark Britto and Bobby Mehta.

US-based developer of rewards systems for gamers Mana Interactive received $7m in seed funding from BlockDream Ventures, an investment vehicle of cryptocurrency exchange Okex. One Way Ventures, Pillar and Quasar Holding Co also invested alongside private investors Sundance DiGiovanni and Sandeep Nailwal.

Fine Structure Ventures, an investment vehicle backed by financial services firm Fidelity Investments, is investing in a $5.7m funding round for UK-based crop genome editing technology developer Phytoform. Eniac Ventures led the round with participation from FTW Ventures, Refactor Capital, Pale Blue Dot, WireFrame Ventures, Backed VC and private investors Jeff Dean, Rick Bernstein and Ian Hogarth.

Ukko Agro, a Canada-based agricultural analysis platform, secured CAD5.1m ($3.9m) in seed funding from telecommunications company Telus’ strategic investment arm Telus Ventures and led by Emmertech, a fund backed by Conexus Venture Capital, the corporate venturing unit of credit union Conexus. Whitecap Venture Partners, PIC Investment Group and Ag Capital Canada filled out the participants.

Israel-based agricultural yield management platform FruitSpec received $5m in funding from agricultural technology and services provider Smart-Agro. The Trendlines Group and Agriline filled out the round.

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase and blockchain technology developer Solana invested in a $4.5m seed round for Bridgesplit, a US-based non-fungible token (NFT) yield and monetisation platform, through their respective corporate venturing units Coinbase Ventures and Solana Labs. CoinFund and Jump Capital led the round with backing from Rucker Park Capital and angel investors including Joe Montana, Packy McCormick and Anthony Pompliano.

US-based AI platform for data management Continual raised $4m in a seed round featuring navigation technology for mobiles provider Wayfinder. Amplify Partners led the round, investing alongside Illuminate Ventures, Essence and DCF.

Japan-based expertise search platform Arches Corporation secured $1.8m in funding from business intelligence platform Uzabase and Hakuhodo DY Ventures, the corporate venturing unit for communications conglomerate Hakuhodo DY. Eight unnamed angel investors also took part in the round.

Vmates, a US-based virtual pet play-to-earn blockchain game platform, raised an undisclosed amount of funding in a round featuring cryptocurrency exchange FMFW.io and crypto technology and operations company Pluto Digital Assets. Other investors in the round include Marshland Capital, Next Block Accelerator, Vendetta Capital, Next Block Accelerator, Moonrock Capital and Magnus Capital.

By Fernando Moncada Rivera

Fernando Moncada Rivera is a reporter at Global Corporate Venturing and also host of the Global Venturing Review podcast.