India-based messaging app developer Hike has received an undisclosed amount of funding from individual investors Adam D’Angelo, Matt Mullenweg, Aditya Agarwal and Ruchi Sanghvi, TechCrunch reported on Monday. It had previously raised approximately $86m from Bharti Softbank, a joint venture formed by telecommunications companies Softbank and Bharti Group, and Tiger Global Management.
US-based cancer diagnostics technology company 20/20 GeneSystems has received $4.5m in series A funding from backers including Ping An Ventures, the venture capital arm of insurance firm Ping An, and undisclosed family offices and angel investors. Founded in 2000, the company is developing a blood test for the early detection of lung cancer, and had previously raised about $2.5m according to regulatory filings.
Computing company Hewlett Packard invested an undisclosed amount in US-based software-defined storage technology provider Scality on Tuesday through its Hewlett Packard Ventures unit. The funding, supplied in connection with a strategic partnership between Scality and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, will be added on to the $45m in series D funding Scality raised from investors including IT infrastructure technology company BroadBand Tower in August 2015.
Blinkist, the Germany-based operator of a service that distils and explains non-fiction books in 15-minute snippets, has raised €4m ($4.3m) in a series A round co-led by Greycroft Partners and E.Ventures, according to Gruenderszene. It had previously raised about €1.8m in seed funding from backers including MGO Digital Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of media company Mediengruppe Oberfranken, and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft.
Telecommunications network Spice Mobility has paid an undisclosed sum to acquire a 22.5% stake in India-based educational services company Sunstone Eduversity, the Economic Times has reported. The firm, which took the stake through its Spice Digital subsidiary, is now also an associate company of Sunstone, according to a regulatory filing.
Picwell, a US-based startup that has built a predictive recommendation engine for the selection of health plans, raised $3m from BlueCross BlueShield Venture Partners, the corporate venturing vehicle of health insurance association BlueCross and BlueShield Association, and venture capital firm Sandbox Industries on Tuesday to close its series A round at $7m. The $4m first tranche in July 2015 was led by MassMutual Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of insurer MassMutual, and also included Osage University Partners.
US-based organic superfood producer Rhythm Superfoods completed a $3m series C round on Wednesday led by 301, consumer food product manufacturer General Mills’ corporate venturing unit. CircleUp Growth Fund also invested in the round, which sourced participants through CircleUp’s crowdfunding platform. It followed $510,000 raised by Rhythm in 2010 and, according to deals database CrunchBase, $175,000 from Houston Angel Network in 2012.
Zapr, the India-based creator of an app tool that tells developers which television channel mobile users are watching, has received an undisclosed sum in a round led by e-commerce company Flipkart that also included music streaming platform Saavn, smartphone maker Micromax and a host of angel investors. It plans to double the size of its team to 50 by the end of this year.
Unmute, the US-based developer of an open platform where users can make and share interactive phone calls, raised $2.2m yesterday in a seed round backed by mass media company Comcast’s corporate venturing unit, Comcast Ventures. The round was led by Greycroft Partners and included Crosscut Ventures, Betaworks, David Stern, the commissioner emeritus of the NBA, and Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman.
TravelCircus, the Germany-based developer of a travel booking app, has secured €2m ($2.2m) in its first funding round, which featured Tengelmann Ventures and MairDumont Ventures, the respective corporate venturing arms of retail chain Tengelmann and travel publisher MairDumont, as well as Howzat Partners and IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft, Deutsche Startups has reported. The cash will support international expansion, with Scandinavia the first priority.
POSpulse, a Germany-based developer of point-of-sale analytics technology, has raised an undisclosed seven-figure euro amount in a series A round backed by media company Medien Union, which invested through its Intermedia subsidiary, mobile network Drillisch, which participated through its Mobile Ventures unit, and unnamed business angels. The company previously received an undisclosed amount of seed capital from High-Tech-Gruenderfonds in 2014.
Canada-based retail analytics platform developer Askuity closed a $2m series A round featuring Dunnhumby Ventures, the strategic investment arm of customer science firm Dunnhumby, and undisclosed angel investors on Monday. Dunnhumby Ventures also led Askuity’s $1.8m seed round in May 2014, investing alongside MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund.
Germany-based breast cancer treatment developer Myelo Therapeutics received an undisclosed amount of series B funding last month from Eckert Life Science Accelerator, the incubator founded by isotope technology producer Eckert & Ziegler and biopharmaceutical company Glycotope, as well as IBB Beteiligungsgesellschaft and VC Fonds Technologie Berlin, according to Labiotech. The company’s lead product candidate is about to enter phase 2 clinical trials.
US-based custom shirt maker Original Stitch has raised $1.1m in funding from mobile network operator NTT Docomo, VC firm Inspire Ventures and angel investor Bill Lohse, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. Customers send their measurements and specifications to the company, which then gets Japanese tailors and factories to make the shirts in about a week for about $75.
Brand Capital, the ad-for-equity subsidiary of media firm Times Group, has provided an undisclosed amount for Zoctr, an India-based aggregator of health and wellness services, VCCircle reported today. Zoctr aims to raise $10m in series A funding in the next six months, having previously received an undisclosed amount from angel investors in April 2015 and $1m more in angel funding three months later.
Planet Table, the Japan-based developer of a platform that links farmers with restaurants, has raised ¥100m ($850,000) in a series A round featuring CyberAgent Ventures and Saison Ventures, the corporate venturing units owned by internet company CyberAgent and payment services firm Credit Saison, as well as a third unnamed investor, The Bridge has reported. The startup, which launched the platform in August 2015, plans to expand by creating a network of partner companies that will enable it to expand its logistics across the country.
Corporate-backed VC fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds and DocCheck Guano supplied a “high six-figure” amount of euros to Heartbeat Medical, the Germany-based developer of a patient health tracking system, on Tuesday. Heartbeat Medical will spend the cash on hiring developers and establishing a distribution channel for its platform.
High-Tech Gruenderfonds also invested a six-figure sum in Gravit, which has built what it claims is the world’s first web-based vector design tool, the same day. Gravit, which was founded in February 2014, will utilise the funding to enhance its product and launch a design marketplace that will offer design templates that can be bought and adapted by users.
Japan-based social media-focused marketing startup Tagpic secured an undisclosed amount of series A capital last month from Nissay Capital, the corporate venturing unit owned by insurer Nippon Life, and angel investors including Shigeru Urushibara, according to The Bridge. Founded in September 2015, the company harnesses famous Instagram personalities and celebrities to market products on social media.
Mitochondrial medicine producer NeuroVive Pharmaceutical has agreed to acquire a 10% stake in Isomerase Therapeutics, a UK-based biosynthetic medicinal chemistry services provider. NeuroVive acquired the first 5% on Wednesday in a share-swap deal and will pay £550,000 ($790,000) for the rest.
Digital marketing company GBIM Technologies has supplied $45,000 in seed funding to India-based planning and education advisory startup Gyaanzone, Gyaanzone founder Sultan Ansari has told TechCircle. The capital will fund marketing, the expansion of Gyaanzone’s team and an increase in the range of services it provides.
RWE Vertrieb, a subsidiary of power utility RWE, has invested an undisclosed amount in Greenergetic, the Germany-based operator of an online portal where utilities can sell solar systems to consumers. Greenergetic had previously raised €2m ($2.2m) in its first funding round, in 2013.