PeaTix, a Japan-based self-service event and ticketing platform, has raised $3m series A funding led by Fidelity Growth Partners Japan, the Japan-focused venture capital (VC) and private equity arm of financial services company Fidelity. Also participating in the round were Itochu Technology Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of Japan industrial group Itochu , and financial investors 500 Startups, Digital Garage, Draper Nexus Ventures, SunBridge Global Ventures and ZenShin Capital.
The series A investment will fuel PeaTix’s international expansion efforts in the US and Southeast Asian markets, especially to hire talent across Japan, the US and in Asia.
Previously, PeaTiX raised a total of $1.62m pre-series A funding from backers such as 500 Startups, DG Incubation and Itochu Technology Ventures, among others.
Taku Harada, co-founder & chief executive officer of PeaTix, said in his blog: “It is with huge relief and a dash of euphoria that I announce our Series A investment round … Seeing so many startups gleefully announcing their series A rounds and hearing critics warn us about the ‘Series A Crunch,’ I only imagined that concluding the round would have me flipping cartwheels…but this was not the case. I’m happy, don’t get me wrong, but every funding round leads to a new set of promises, aspirations and goals. The hurdle just gets higher.”
PeaTix was founded in May 2011.