Funding
Klue, the Canada-based creator of a data-focused business intelligence software platform, has raised $62m in series B funding from investors including enterprise software provider Salesforce. Investment firm Tiger Global Management led the round while Salesforce took part through corporate venture capital subsidiary Salesforce Ventures.
Convenience store chain GS Retail has paid $55m for a 1.3% stake in Kakao Mobility, the mobility and ride hailing service spun off by South Korea-headquartered internet group Kakao, TechCrunch has reported. The spinoff had raised a total of about $860m in funding as of a June 2021 round featuring internet technology provider Google.
Travel search engine provider Kayak has co-led a $60m series C round for US-headquartered hotel management software provider Life House with VC firm Inovia Capital. They were joined by real estate services firm JLL and law firm Cooley as well as Tiger Global Management, Derive Ventures, Trinity Ventures and Sound Ventures.
US-based sustainability data software developer Clarity AI completed a $50m funding round in August this year led by telecommunications and internet group SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 at a $450m valuation, it revealed last week. VC firm Fifth Wall’s ClimateTech Fund also took part, as did private investor Jonathan Ive and existing backers including financial exchange operator Deutsche Boerse, BlackRock, Kibo Ventures, Mundi Ventures, Seaya Ventures and Founders Fund.
Enfuce, a Finland-based developer of payment card issuing technology, has secured €45m ($50.8m) in series C funding from investors including internet and gaming group Tencent. The round was led by investment firm Vitruvian Partners, and Enfuce also named Maki.vc as an existing investor.
SoftBank Vision Fund 2 has provided $50m in series D funding for US-based recruitment software provider Sense at a valuation reported by TechCrunch to be $500m. The deal took the company’s total funding to about $90m and came six months after a $16m series C round featuring internet and technology conglomerate Alphabet’s GV subsidiary, Accel and Avataar Venture Partners.
Quantitative trading firm Alameda Research has co-led a $35m series A round for Stacked, a US-based provider of crypto investment software tools, TechCrunch has reported. The round was co-led by Mirana Ventures and included trading firms DRW and Jump Trading Group (through DRW Venture Capital and Jump Capital respectively) as well as investment and financial services group Fidelity International’s Strategic Ventures unit and Alumni Ventures.
AAG Ventures, the Singapore-headquartered operator of a play-to-earn gaming guild and online learn-to-earn platform, has closed a $12.5m funding round featuring ViaBTC Capital, a vehicle for cryptocurrency miner ViaBTC, as well as automotive component producer Wanxiang’s HashKey Capital affiliate, consulting firm YellowBlocks and video game studios Vulcan Forged, Sipher, Cukies.world, Immortal Game and Community Gaming. The round was co-led by Shima Capital, Tribe Capital and Tess Ventures and also backed by Everest Ventures Group, Republic Realm, Portico Ventures, Genblock Capital, Kosmos Capital, Muses Builder, GDP Venture, Slayton Capital, Synergis Capital, Sanctor Capital, Oyster Ventures and Fomocraft Ventures.
Video game developer Krafton has led an $11m series B round for Tamatem Games, a Jordan-headquartered developer of Arabic language mobile games. It was joined by Venture Souq, Endeavor Catalyst and existing backers that may have included conglomerate Al Faisaliah Group’s Modern Electronics Company and holding group Almajdouie’s Raed Ventures fund.
StormSensor, a US-based provider of water infrastructure management technology, has secured $10m in a funding round co-led by industrial manufacturer Orbia’s corporate VC unit, Orbia Ventures, GeekWire has reported. Buoyant Ventures co-led the round, which included insurer American Family’s Institute for Corporate and Social Impact, Burnt Island Ventures, Gratitude Railroad, Portland Seed Fund and unnamed private investors.
Japan-headquartered battery technology producer 3DOM and Singapore-based floating solar project developer G8 Subsea have agreed a share swap in conjunction with a supply deal. 3DOM is set to invest up to $10m in G8 at a $200m valuation while G8 will acquire an 8% stake in 3DOM subsidiary 3DOM Singapore.
Australia-based touchless technology developer Elenium Automation has received A$10m ($7m) in funding from investors including insurance firm NMRA, Startup Daily has reported. Thorney Investment Group led the round, which also featured Acorn Capital.
Financial services firm MVB Bank has supplied $6m in seed funding for US-based payment software developer Victor Technologies. The cash was invested by the bank’s MVB Edge Ventures vehicle seven months after Victor was founded in May this year.
Consulting firm Accenture has invested an undisclosed amount in Interos, a US-based developer of risk management software focusing on the supply chain. The transaction valued Interos above $1bn and it raised the cash from Accenture’s strategic investment arm, Accenture Ventures.
Ignite Tournaments, a Panama-registered developer of software infrastructure for play-to-earn gaming tournaments, has raised $3m in a seed round co-led by gaming guild Yield Guild Games and digital asset investment firm Ascensive Assets. They were joined by Arca, Mechanism Capital, SkyVision Capital, Eden Holdings, D1 Ventures, Morningstar Ventures, Genblock Capital, Moonboots Capital, Ghaf Capital and assorted angel investors.
MetaGods, the creator of an 8-bit play-to-earn role-playing game, has secured $3m in funding from investors including digital asset information provider BoxMining, blockchain marketing firm Cinchblock and digital currency exchange CoinUnited. The round also featured hedge fund manager Raptor Group’s Raptor Capital subsidiary, Hashed, ABV, Faculty Capital, Magnus Capital, Banter Capital, Icetea Labs and angel investor Mr Beast.
Board game publisher Asmodee has agreed to provide an undisclosed amount of funding for US-based card game brand Exploding Kittens. France-headquartered Asmodee has distributed the company’s products in Europe since 2016.
Cybersecurity software provider Venafi has co-led a $2.9m seed round for UK-headquartered identity and access management technology developer Device Authority. The round was co-led with Alsop Louie Partners and Tern, and it came after the startup had raised cash from Venafi’s Machine Identity Management Development Fund in 2019.
Automotive manufacturer Porsche has invested an undisclosed amount in 1Komma5°, a Germany-based developer of carbon-neutral air-conditioning and energy technology. The capital was provided through corporate venturing unit Porsche Ventures and will support the growth of Porsche’s mobility holdings.
LogX Ventures, the VC firm backed by logistics firm DP World, has participated in a $2.3m pre-series A1 round for India-based marketing automation software developer Immensitas. The round was co-led by GrowX Ventures, Artha Venture Fund (AVF) and DSP Investment Managers and it also featured Atrium Angels. The company said it had received an undisclosed amount of funding from LogX and AVF in July this year.
Marketing consulting firm Spring Marketing Capital has provided $1.25m in funding for India-based digital health app developer Mosaic Wellness. It invested through a marketing partnership which came less than a month after Sequoia Capital India, Elevation Capital and Matrix Partners India had supplied $24m in series A funding for Mosaic at an $111m valuation.
US-based data analytics software developer Eureka has received an undisclosed amount of funding from Mars Growth, a joint venture between Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Liquidity Group, a provider of credit market automation software. Eureka had previously raised $20m from investors including corporates SoftBank and PPF Home Credit in February 2020.
M&A
Risk assessment services firm Moody’s has agreed to buy 360kompany, an Austria-based provider of know-your-customer software, for an undisclosed amount in a deal that would allow insurance firm Uniqa and financial services firm Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) to exit. Corporate venturing unit Uniqa Ventures had joined RBI’s Elevator Ventures vehicle and European Super Angels Club in a round of undisclosed size for the company in 2019 and its earlier investors include IECT Capital Partners, Livag and AC & Friends.
