Corporate venturing deal net: 30 October-3 November 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
Milwaukee corporates commit $10m to startup initiatives
Northwestern Mutual and Aurora Health Care have each put $5m into respective VC vehicles Cream City Venture Capital and InvestMKE.
CAA experiments with Creative Labs venture
The talent agency has launched a startup studio that is equipped with $12.5m of cash from investors including Telegraph Media and Entertainment One.
SenseTime seeks out CDH for AI fund
The deep learning technology developer is combining with one of its investors, CDH Investments, and aims to raise more than $450m for the fund.
BioGeneration Ventures seals third fund
Bristol-Myers Squibb andJohnson & Johnson Innovation – JJDC have helped biotech-focused VC firm BioGeneration Ventures close the fund at $95.5m.
Mumtalakat mulls Vision Fund investment
Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund is considering a commitment that will help SoftBank’s fund reach its $100bn target for a final close.
People
Martín-Villa replaces Placer at Telefonica Open Future
The promotion follows the recent departure of Javier Placer, ranked 23rd on Global Corporate Venturing’s 2017 Powerlist.
Buckner joins ATN to head ventures
Laurel Buckner has moved from GCI Communications to a role as managing director of ATN International’s new corporate venturing unit, ATN Ventures.
Evonik’s Nagler plans Singapore move
Peter Nagler is leaving Evonik Industries, where he was head of international innovation, for a position at Singapore’s AStar.
Exits
Synopsys reveals $565m Black Duck acquisition
Software management technology provider Black Duck Software had raised more than $70m in funding from investors including Intel, Siemens and Red Hat.
Vorwerk and Rocket Internet-backed meal kit delivery service HelloFresh has priced its shares in the middle of the range at $11.90 and could raise up to $369m.
NewMotion, the operator of an EV charging station network, has been acquired by Shell, providing exits for AutoBink and Alliander.
Kaltura clears path for 2018 IPO
The Intel, Mitsui and Nokia-backed video software producer is talking to banks for an initial public offering tentatively planned for next year.
The cloud security software provider has confidentially filed for an intial public offering, two years after an Alphabet and Dell-backed series B round.
Cardlytics to transfer to public markets
ITC Holdings-backed marketing technology producer Cardlytics is awaiting the right moment to go public, potentially targeting a 2018 flotation.
Argus braces for Continental acquisition
Continental is reportedly in advanced talks over a $400m acquisition of Magna and Allianz-backed in-car cybersecurity technology provider Argus.
IT
Globetouch connects to corporates in series C
Globetouch aims to bring in $40m in the round and has already received investments from Verizon and Spark New Zealand.
AppZen accepts $13m in series A funding
The back office auditing software developer, which counts MasterCard and Bloomberg as investors, secured $13m in a Redpoint-led round.
Ayla integrates Sunsea into $60m series D
Sunsea Telecommunications co-led the round as part of a partnership that will help IoT management software developer Ayla Networks expand in China.
SenseTime seeks $500m in series C round
The Dalian Wanda-backed deep learning technology provider is aiming to raise the funding at a $2bn valuation.
Recorded Future fuels expansion plans with $25m
Insight Venture Partners led a round that took the GV, REV and MassMutual Ventures-backed company’s total funding to almost $58m.
Vector imparts funding to mPrest
Uitlity operator Vector has paid $10m for a minority stake in mPrest, an IoT control software developer that had already raised $20m in a GE-backed round.
City Cloud hosts corporates to raise $30m
Cisco Investments and Country Garden Holdings have co-led the cloud computing and big data technology provider’s series B round.
Megvii faces corporates in $460m round
Foxconn, SK Group and Ant Financial have participated in a $460m funding round for Megvii, the facial recognition software provider also known as Face++.
The language translation software developer has received seed capital from investors including a joint venture backed by Meiya Pico.
S&P spots Ursa for $7m series A
The market intelligence provider was among the investors in a round that will fund further development of Ursa Space Systems’ technology.
SoundAI deciphers investment in $15m round
Baidu has participated in a series A round for sonic-focused AI technology developer SoundAI that took its total financing to $57m.
Reflektion reveals $12m in financing
The Intel and Nike-backed retail marketing software developer will use the proceeds from the Hasso Plattner Ventures-led round for global growth.
Farmobile picks up pace with series B
AmTrust Agricultural Insurance Services has joined the agricultural data software developer’s investors, taking part in an $18.1m round.
Snapcart accelerates to raise $10m
The series A round, which included SPH Ventures and Kickstart Ventures, will support the retail analytics provider’s entry into new markets.
Health
Annoroad reaches corporates for $105m
The genome sequencing services and technology provider raised the cash in a round co-led by Ping An Ventures that included SBCVC.
Baebies screens investors for $10m series B
Rex Healthcare-backed infant screening test developer Baebies has closed a round anchored by BOE Technology Group.
VitalConnect caps series C round at $38m
The biosensor developer has closed the final tranche of a series C round co-led by Baxter International’s corporate venturing unit.
Corporates visit for Riverfield series B round
The surgical robot developer has raised $10.1m to continue development, from investors including Toray Group and SBI Holdings.
The oncology diagnostics startup has approached SoftBank and Mubadala for funding, eight months after raising $900m.
Livanova pumps cash into HighLife
Cardiac valve replacement developer HighLife Medical has raised $14.3m from investors including medical device maker and existing backer Livanova.
Sistema and Tanncam prescribe $14m for Netmeds
Online pharmacy Netmeds has raised $14m in a round featuring Sistema Asia Fund that follows $50m in financing secured two years ago.
Ada Health gets Access in series A round
Access Industries has led a $46.5m series A round for Ada Health, the developer of an app that helps users understand their health condition and recommends treatments.
Kymera transforms corporate interest to $30m
Lilly Ventures and Amgen Ventures have co-led protein degradation-based biotech startup Kymera’s series A round with Atlas Venture.
Pacira forms $25m funding deal with Tela Bio
Bioscaffold product maker Tela Bio will receive an initial $15m from Pacira Pharmaceuticals and up to $10m in additional funding.
Consumer
Online fashion retailer Pomelo raised cash in a series B round featuring e-commerce firm JD.com that will be used to expand its product line.
Althea sits pretty with $7m series B
Posco-backed Althea will use the capital to expand internationally and boost the range of beauty products it sells online.
Wonder Workshop creates $41m series C
Tencent and SoftBank Korea have contributed to a round that took educational robot developer Wonder Workshop’s total funding to $78m.
Financial
Openpay closes Meydan-backed funding
The payment platform has cancelled its IPO plans and raised $7.7m in a round backed by property developer Meydan Group.
TransferWise traps $280m in series E round
Mitsui has come on board as an investor, in a round that valued the cross-border financial transfer platform at $1.6bn.
Lendingkart Finance carries new funding
Lendingkart unit Lendingkart Finance has secured $24.9m in debt and equity financing from backers including Tata Capital Financial Services.
Fosun fixes funding for BondIT
Bond portfolio management platform BondIT has received $14.3m in funding from Fosun, which plans to help it expand in China.
PayU to help transfer $115m to Remitly
The financial remittance platform, responsible for the transfer of about $4bn a year, is set to raise $115m in a PayU-led series D round.
Energy and Natural Resources
Oil and Gas Climate Initiative, which operates a $1bn fund backed by 10 corporates, has named Solidia Technologies and Achates Power among its first investments.
Transport
Innoviz increases series B to $73m
Samsung Catalyst and SoftBank Ventures Korea added $8m to the $65m previously supplied by investors including Magna, Delphi Automotive, Delek and Naver.
Chehaoduo, the Shougang Group-backed operator of used car marketplace Guazi, has raised $180m in its series B+ round.
SouChe’s series E search uncovers $335m
The automotive e-commerce marketplace has raised $335m in a round led by Alibaba, which is now its largest external investor.
Delphi foresees $450m for Nutonomy
Delphi Automotive agreed to purchase autonomous driving software developer Nutonomy, thus proving with an exit Samsung Ventures, one of its backer since seed stage.
Services
GetYourGuide books $75m in series D capital
Nokia Growth Partners has returned for GetYourGuide’s series D round, having already contributed to its $50m series C in 2015.
Xiaozhu houses $120m in funding
The Bertelsmann-backed short-term accommodation platform has received $120m in a round that valued it at $1bn or more.
The real estate marketing software developer has brought Goodfellows on board as an investor and will expand into the US next year.