Funding
AI
Television programming producer D Complex took part in a ¥100m ($782,000) round today for Silva Compass, the Japan-based developer of an artificial intelligence-equipped video dialogue system called Talk With. The round was filled out by Kintetsu Venture Partners, Shizuoka Capital, Aigin Future Creation Fund and Nanto CVC, part of rail operator Kintetsu Railway and financial services firms Shizuoka Bank, Aichi Bank and Nanto Bank respectively.
Computing
Home appliance and camera producer Yodobashi Holdings provided ¥150m ($1.2m) in funding for Japan-based cloud integration software developer CreationLine today through a strategic partnership.
Crypto, gaming and Web3
Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase (through its Coinbase Ventures unit) and quantitative trading firm Alameda Research joined Hashed to co-lead a $9.5m round for UK-based blockchain payment service Merge yesterday. They invested alongside blockchain app developer Aave, Ethereum network scaling platform Polygon and various angel investors.
Video game publisher Wemade has provided an undisclosed amount of funding yesterday for India-based blockchain gaming platform developer Froyo Games.
Blockchain game publisher Animoca Brands has led a €2.1m ($2.2m) pre-seed round for UK-based Web3 platform Village Studio, investing together with social gaming platform developer WinZo as well as Venrex, AngelHub, K3 and angel investors including Jas Purewal and Phil Mansell.
Mobile game developer GoGame invested an undisclosed amount in Slime Royale, the Japan-based developer of a game driven by non-fungible tokens, yesterday.
Energy
Tsinghua Holdings Capital led a RMB320m ($48m) pre-series A-plus round today for Zhongshu Guoneng Technology, a China-based developer of compressed air energy storage technology. The round included Legend Star and CAS Star, respective vehicles for conglomerate Legend Holdings and Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as power plant operator China Three Gorges Corporation, department store chain owner Beijing Cuiwei Tower, CMB International, Puhua Capital and Gaorong Capital.
Enterprise software
Ingage, the Japan-based operator of customer support software platform Re:lation, increased its series D debt and equity round to ¥1bn ($7.8m) today having closed second and third tranches featuring Orix and fellow financial services firms Nanto Bank, Mitsubishi UFJ, Hiroshima Bank and Mizuho Bank (which were represented by Nanto Capital Partners, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, Hiroshima Venture Capital and Mizuho Capital respectively). They were joined by Nippon Venture Capital and Future Venture Capital while Mitsubishi UFJ, Bank of Kyoto and Shoko Chukin Bank supplied debt financing.
ESG
Payment services firm Visa and professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Germany have participated in a €13.5m ($14.5m) round for Germany-based sustainability data software developer Ecolytiq yesterday, the latter through an unnamed vehicle run by venture capital firm Segenia Capital. They invested alongside VCM Global Asset Management and Btov.
Healthcare, personal care and biotech
Japan-based nucleic acid drug developer Purmx Therapeutics has raised ¥850m ($6.6m) today in a series A round featuring Mitsubishi UFJ Life Science Fund 3, part of financial services firm Mitsubishi UFJ’s corporate venturing arm, Mitsubishi UFJ Capital. The round included Hiroshima University/Hiroshima Prefectural University Venture Support Fund, a vehicle co-founded by car dealership Balcom, financial services firms Saikyo Bank and Hiroshima Bank as well as VC firm Hiroshima Venture Capital, in addition to Utec Fund 5 (managed by University of Tokyo’s Edge Capital Partners unit); OUVC Fund 2, part of Osaka University’s VC arm, Osaka University Venture Capital; QB Fund 2, a joint vehicle between financial services firm NCB Bank subsidiary NCB Venture Capital and university spinout-focused QB Capital; Hiroshima Venture Capital’s HVC2 fund and Hiroshima Environment and Health Association.
Mitsubishi UFJ Capital, a subsidiary of financial services firm Mitsubishi UFJ, has provided an undisclosed amount of funding for Evec, a Japan-based developer of human peripheral blood-derived antibodies.
Sumisei Innovation Fund, a vehicle for insurer Sumitomo Life co-run by financial services firm SBI through its SBI Investment subsidiary, has invested an undisclosed amount in Japan-based prenatal care provider FamiOne.
Industrial
Tokai Tokyo Investment, part of financial services firm Tokai Tokyo Financial Holdings, took part in a ¥350m ($2.7m) round today for Photo Electron Soul, a Japan-based developer of electron beam semiconductor inspection technology that was spun out of Nagoya University. Japan Science and Technology Agency, I-Nest Capital and unnamed private investors filled out the participants in the round.
Funds
Switzerland-based corporate venture capital-as-a-service provider Fusion Partners and investment firm Polytech Ventures have raised CHF11m ($11.5m) for a startup studio initiative dubbed WeBuild Ventures to help local entrepreneurs build businesses in the real estate, mobility, financial services and insurance spaces. The backers were unidentified but Fusion Partners said they were “major names from the Swiss investment and banking community”.
M&A
Video game studio Supercell has paid an undisclosed amount for a majority stake in one of its portfolio companies, UK-based peer Trailmix. The corporate had already provided $4.2m for the company in 2018 and intends to invest $60m more.
