Kaizen Platform, the developer of a crowdsourcing platform enabling businesses to find growth hackers, has secured $5m from Fidelity Growth Partners Asia and GREE Ventures, and will use the funds to expand overseas and increase its staff numbers. The Japan-based company previously raised $800,000 in August 2013 in a seed round backed by GMO Venture Partners, part of internet company GMO, as well as GREE and venture capital firm CyberAgent.
ESN Group, a Russia-based investment holding company focused on energy, has invested in a $5m series B round raised by Smartfin, the startup that operates Russia-based smartphone payment service 2can, along with existing investors InVenture Partners and Almaz Capital. Smartfin, which has now raised $7.3m in total, will use the funding to increase 2can’s market share and develop its service, and to further integrate it with Russia’s banks.
Fuel cell technology developer Plug Power has acquired the assets of US-based fuel cell stack producer ReliOn for $4m in an all-share deal. Founded in 1995, ReliOn had raised $67.5m from investors including Allianz Private Equity Partners through 2011 before picking up an undisclosed investment from industrial component manufacturer Cummins.
US-based boat rental marketplace Boatbound has secured $2.5m in a round led by recreational services provider Brunswick and supported by Israel-based crowdfunding platform OurCrowd and angel investors. The ‘pier-to-pier’ company has now pulled in just over $4m in total funding, and prior backers include 500 Startups, TA Venture, Kima Ventures, Atlas Venture, Structure and Expansion Venture Capital.
AdsNative, a US-based native online advertising platform, has raised $2m in a seed round including kbs+ Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of advertising firm Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners. The round also featured InterWest Partners, ONSET Ventures, Foundry Group, AngelList, Barry Honig, Mike Kerns and Sourabh Niyogi.
Intel Capital has participated in a $1.9m seed round closed by 3Gear Systems, a US-based startup that is developing a gesture recognition system for computer interfaces. The round was led by K9 Ventures, VC fund that backed 3Gear’s $350,000 seed round in 2012, and also included CrunchFund, Ovo Fund and angel investor Safa Rastchy.
Media company Nikkei has invested ¥165m ($1.6m) in EventRegist, a Japan-based online ticketing agency serving several countries across East Asia, as part of a deal that will involve Nikkei promoting the service to its online subscribers, according to The Bridge. EventRegist previously raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from East Ventures, Skyland Ventures, and Shinwa Agency, a subsidiary of home builder Daiwa House, in June 2013.
Omnia Media, a US-based, music-focused Youtube network, has raised $500,000 in a seed round backed by Canada-based online media company Blue Ant Media. Blue Ant’s shareholders include financial services firm Fairfax Financial.