Big Deal: Ring announces $109m round
The success of the smart doorbell producer, which is backed by Qualcomm, JF Shea and American Family, indicates the potential for internet-of-things startups in the home sphere.
Corporate venturing deal net: 30 January-3 February 2017
Each Friday the Global Corporate Venturing Deal Net rounds up the week’s smaller deals and tracks the emerging companies accessing corporate funds.
Fundraising
Henkel sticks to open innovation
Henkel has disclosed it has invested $10.4m into two venture capital funds in addition to making direct investments in two technology producers.
Utilities charge up Free Electrons
AusNet Services, Origin Energy, Tokyo Electric Power, ESB, EDP, Innogy, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority and Singapore Power have partnered for the accelerator.
Ananda Development moves into corporate venturing
The Thailand-based property developer will invest in funds, startups and the local ecosystem to promote technology that can enhance urban living.
Siemens joins Techstars Mobility and IoT lineup
Next47, the $1.1bn corporate venturing unit Siemens launched in October, has joined accelerator Techstars as a corporate partner.
Bank Central Asia to deposit $15m in startups
The financial services firm is set to establish a corporate venturing division called Central Capital Ventura with $15m in capital to invest in fintech startups.
IDG Ventures closes $200m third fund
The IDG-affiliated venture firm has closed its third fund with backing from limited partners including IFC and has reserved about 25% for later-stage deals.
DIC discovers Emerald’s fourth fund
Emerald Technology Ventures’ latest fund, Emerald Industrial Innovation Fund, has signed on printing ink manufacturer DIC Corporation as a limited partner.
ARM reaches investors for $800m fund
SoftBank’s semiconductor technology subsidiary will co-manage the Hou An Innovation Fund and has recruited several state-owned funds as limited partners.
Pangaea Ventures collects corporates for Fund IV
CoorsTek, JSR, Mitsubishi Chemical, Sekisui Chemical, Henkel and Lam Research have contributed as Pangaea’s latest fund reaches about halfway towards its $80m target.
Oracle to extend accelerator to seven new cities
Oracle launched the Startup Cloud Accelerator in Bangalore in April 2016, and will expand into Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Singapore, Paris, São Paulo, Tel Aviv and Bristol.
People
Walsh waltzes to Konica Minolta
Brian Walsh, founder and ex-CEO of livestock sensor developer Vital Herd, will direct Konica Minolta’s innovation strategy and venture development in North America.
Exits
Snap sets a $3bn target as it files for IPO
Alibaba, Tencent and Yahoo are all set to exit the $25bn ‘camera company’ in what could be the biggest initial public offering for a tech company in more than two years.
Plex reports Watchup acquisition
The transaction has provided an exit to Watchup investors that include Microsoft, Tribune Media and McClatchy Company.
Cybersecurity unicorn ForeScout files confidentially for IPO
Intel and Itochu-backed ForeScout Technologies has confidentially filed for an initial public offering, a year after closing a $76m round that valued it at $1bn.
Intel eyes Delta ID exit through $106m acquisition
Intel Capital will exit Iris verification technology developer Delta ID in a $106m acquisition by Fingerprint Cards, three years after investing in its $5m series A round.
SmartRecruiters takes on Jobspotting
Employment recommendation platform Jobspotting has been acquired by SmartRecruiters in a deal that gave an exit to Axel Springer.
Ingenico engineers TechProcess acquisition
Ingenico is set to purchase payments processing firm TechProcess for approximately $89m, providing an exit to shareholders including Nokia Growth Partners.
Ebates rewards USAA in Cartera Commerce acquisition
USAA has exited loyalty and rewards platform Cartera, which had raised $43m in capital, through an acquisition by Rakuten subsidiary Ebates.
Razer goes for Nextbit in acquisition move
Alphabet and Dentsu have exited cloud-linked smartphone developer Nextbit in an acquisition of undisclosed size by Razer.
Celgene and Pharmstandard scored exits as part of an initial public offering in which immuno-oncology company Jounce floated above its range.
IT
Samsung, Nvidia, Recruit, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa and Nomura Holdings all took part in the conversational AI software developer’s latest round, taking its total funding to $115m.
Microsoft Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures and Citi have joined the backers of cybersecurity foundry Team8, which has raised an undisclosed amount of new funding.
Microsoft Ventures makes Illusive investment
Microsoft Ventures has invested an undisclosed amount in cybersecurity startup Illusive Networks, which already counts Citi Ventures as an investor.
WorkFusion processes $35m series D
The intelligent automation technology provider has closed a Nokia Growth Partners-backed round that increased its total funding to $71m.
Health
PPF stars in Cellestia’s $8m seed round
Oncology drug startup Cellestia Biotech has closed its seed funding at $8m after securing a third tranche backed by PPF Group, the owner of biotech company Sotio.
Consumer
Paytm E-Commerce lines up $200m
Alibaba is set to lead a round for the e-commerce arm of One97 Communications that values it at $1bn, separately to the mobile payment branch.
Torstar-backed sports management software provider TeamSnap has welcomed back Foundry Group and added Fairfax Financial Holdings to its shareholders.
The round was co-led by Yicun Capital, a subsidiary of Jiangsu Huaxicun, and will help Wanyoo progress toward 5,600 internet cafés internationally by 2020.
Eight entices Comcast back for $5m round
Comcast Ventures, a participant in the smart mattress developer’s $6m seed round last year, has come back for its $5m series A round.
Financial
The BBVA-backed mobile bank is set to announce $125m in new funding over the next few weeks, according to chairman Anthony Thomson.
Power Financial drives WealthSimple investment to $38m
Online wealth management platform WealthSimple has added extra funding from the financial services firm as it expands from Canada to the US.
The online mortgage broker has secured property marketplace Zoopla as an investor, in a round led by Orange Growth Capital.
Aavishkaar-Intellecap raises $25m to make impact
The Shell-backed Shell Foundation invested $10m while Triodos Bank supplied the other $15m, as Aavishkaar-Intellecap looks to increase its global activities.
Energy and Natural Resources
In addition to investing, Invenergy, Citi, Goldman Sachs and Macquarie Group all intend to begin using Aquilon Energy Services’ energy transaction settlement platform.
GreenSync snatches up series B funding
The SoftBank-backed Southern Cross Renewable Energy Fund has co-led an $8.7m series B round for the Australian energy software provider.
Industrial
Xometry manufactures new funding
GE Ventures has taken part in a round sized at about $14m, taking the manufacturing services platform’s total funding to $23m.
Kinestral Technologies has closed a series C round led by AGC Asahi Glass, the strategic partner that will help it market and sell its responsive tinting glass.
Transport
ClearMotion moves into the light with $100m
The advanced driving technology developer has emerged from stealth with a $100m series C round that includes Qualcomm Ventures, bringing its total financing to $130m.
Services
Reserve tables $10m in series B investment
The Diageo-backed restaurant table booking and management platform has now raised a total of $27m and has expanded to the whole of the US.
Comparably recruits corporates to raise $7.3m
Comcast and Cornerstone on Demand have joined existing investors for a round that will help Comparably improve its employment comparison tools.
YouEarnedIt engages investors for $6.5m series A
IDG Ventures USA co-led a round that included Motley Fool and WPP, and which will support product development, sales and marketing.
SoftBank envisions billion-dollar WeWork investment
SoftBank is reportedly considering an investment of more than $1bn in working space provider WeWork as the first deal for its $100bn Vision Fund.