Weekly corporate venturing deal net: 9-13 February 2015
Each Friday the Global Corporate Venturing Deal Net rounds up the week’s smaller deals and tracks the emerging companies accessing corporate funds.
Fundraising
Ex-corporate venturers form $150m VC firm
Brian Kang, from Samsung Ventures and Connie Sheng from Foxconn are seeking $150m for a venture capital firm that has reportedly secured corporates as backers.
IBM launches $60m South African technology hub
The computer company will partner with local startups, government agencies and universities to boost mobile and big data technology.
Cisco and Alcatel-Lucent join Team8
Israel-based Team8 will incubate and launch cybersecurity startups, supported by $18m of series A funding from backers including Alcatel-Lucent and Cisco.
Line opens $42m Gateway for startups
Instant messaging company Line has launched a $42m fund that will seek to fund e-commerce, payment, media, entertainment and online-to-offline companies.
Exits
Vista and Stats acquire Automated Insights
Samsung and Associated Press (AP) previously backed Automated Insights’ $5.5m series B round in June 2014.
Kuaidi Dache may share rides with Didi Dache
Softbank and Alibaba-backed Kuaidi Dache and Tencent-backed Didi Dache are considering a merger, in a deal that would cover a 95% share of the ride-sharing market in China.
Microsoft draws up N-trig acquisition
N-trig, a developer of pens for touchscreens, has been bought by Microsoft for $200m.
Twitter finds Niche for acquisition
Facilitating brand partnerships with social media celebrities, Niche raised approximately $3m.
GSK acquires GlycoVaxyn for $212m
GlaxoSmithKline originally invested in the vaccine developer in 2012.
Genomic Health-backed Invitae will offer 6.35 million shares priced at $16, raising $101.6m.
HP acquires Siemens-backed Voltage Security
Hewlett-Packard has bought the cybersecurity company previously backed by Siemens’ corporate venturing arm.
IT
Alibaba has led a $60m series D round in the app search engine, alongside Twitter, SoftBank and Goldman Sachs.
Cisco helps CloudVelox migrate $15m
Cloud disaster recovery and migration services company CloudVelox has closed its series C round.
Investors transfer $36m to Metaps
Unnamed existing and new investors have participated in the app monetisation company’s $36m series C round.
Sigfox networks its way to $115m
A range of corporates including telecom companies Telefonica, SK Telecom and NTT Docomo have invested in the company’s series D round.
Hammer & Chisel forges series B
The mobile gaming company adds Tencent to its list of corporate investors as it raises an undisclosed amount.
Reply awards cash to ‘Best in Breed’
The digital services company has provided $3.75m to three internet of things startups as part of its IoT Best in Breed initiative.
Big data analytics company Bottlenose raised the money in a series B round led by professional services firm KPMG.
Health
Novo is among the backers of the life sciences tools company that will focus on acquisitions.
Aventura records $14m series C
Siemens and Merck-backed Aventura has developed a platform using electronic health records to improve workflow in hospitals.
DigiSight sees GE for $7.8m series B
General Electric’s corporate venturing arm has participated in the remote patient monitoring company’s $7.8m round.
Quantum Biosystems leaps to $20.5m
The genome sequencing technology developer raised the funding from backers including the venture capital arms of Mitsubishi and Mizuho.
Consumer
PolicyBazaar prepares for $40m
The Info Edge and Intel Capital-backed company is reportedly in advanced talks to raise a series D round.
Google helps Jet fly towards $140m
E-commerce company Jet has closed a series B round which puts the company’s total funding at $220m.
Online second-hand furniture marketplace Move Loot, previously backed by Google, has raised $9m in a series A round featuring IDG.
The bank-backed Business Growth Fund has provided $5.3m in expansion funding for door, kitchen and window maker Stevenswood.
Lamudi houses Tengelmann in $18m series B
Rocket Internet-owned online property listings company Lamudi has increased its total funding to $25m with backing from existing investor Tengelmann.
Meizu dials up Alibaba for $590m investment
Alibaba will take a minority stake in the smartphone maker, as the two revealed plans to operate more closely as part of a strategic partnership.
Suja raises $21m in fresh funding
Evolution Media Partners, a joint venture featuring CAA and Participant Media, has backed the organic drinks company’s $21m round.
Financial
Existing investor American Express returns to back the business payments platform’s $50m series F round.
Barclays launches fintech accelerator
Financial services firm Barclays has partnered with accelerator Techstars to launch the programme in New York.
Borro hits up Rocket Internet for series E
Rocket Internet and OurCrowd have backed the luxury pawnbroker’s $19.5m series E round, increasing its total funding to $171.5m.
Cloud-based banking and payment services provider MineralTree has secured $11.1m from investors including Fidelity Growth Partners.
Ant Financial to raise funding at $30bn valuation
The Alibaba-affiliated online payment company has lined up China’s National Social Security Fund, Postal Savings Bank of China and China Development Bank as backers.
CommonBond forms link with Nelnet
Nelnet has invested an undisclosed sum in student loans company CommonBond, as well as agreeing to finance up to $150m in loans each year.
Energy and Natural Resources
BioFields provides more fuel for Algenol
Carbon dioxide-to-fuel technology developer Algenol has secured another $25m from BioFields, the biofuel producer that invested $40m in the company last year.
Industrial
Wangzhu constructs $60m series A
Real estate services company E-House has participated in the e-commerce platform’s first external funding round.
PoLight zooms in on $19m series B
Sinvent-backed smartphone camera lens developer PoLight has secured $19m as it looks forward to an initial public offering.
Transport
Lyft wants to pick up another $250m
The round would value the Alibaba-backed ride-sharing company at $2bn.
Financial services firm Comerica and Plaza Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of real estate developer Plazacorp, are among the investors in the vehicle traffic analyst’s $23.8m round.
Cheyipai drives away with $110m
Online automotive trading platform Cheyipai raised the money in a series D round featuring Renren and Tencent, taking its total funding to $185m.