Argo Group US, a subsidiary of insurance provider Argo Group International Holdings, invested an undisclosed sum in Canada-based personalised healthcare plan provider Newtopia on Thursday. Newtopia, which raised $1.1m in seed funding in May 2013, will pilot its platform among the employees of Argo Group US.
US-based data storage start-up Indicative has raised $2m in seed financing from Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), a subsidiary of media company Bertelsmann, Acadia Woods and a host of angel investors, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. Indicative aims to create big data software that is both cheaper and easier to use than existing products.
Otter Media, the online video joint venture between media company Chernin Group and telecommunications firm AT&T, has led a $2m seed round for AirMedia, the US-based creator of an online distribution network for sports videos, TechCrunch reported today. The other investors in the round, which followed $900,000 of seed funding raised in June, were angel investors Allen Debevoise, Trevor Traina, and Skip Paul.
Tetra Discovery, a US-based start-up developing drugs for psychiatric, neurological and inflammatory diseases, received an undisclosed amount of seed funding on Thursday from Johnson & Johnson Development Corporation, the corporate venturing arm of pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, and angel investor group Grand Angels. Grand Angels, Biosciences Research & Commercialization Center, Michigan PreSeed Capital Fund and Michigan Emerging Technology Fund invested $1m in seed funding in Tetra last year.
US-based big data visualisation company Map-D Technologies has raised $1.5m from Google Ventures, which operates as the corporate venturing arm of internet company Google, and computing components maker Nvidia, VentureBeat reported on Tuesday. Map-D, which claims to have built the world’s fastest big data visualisation platform, received $100,000 from Nvidia in March after graduating from its Emerging Companies Summit.
Jukin, a US-based company that licenses viral online video content to marketers, has raised $1.2m from Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Canyon Creek Capital, Karlin Ventures and assorted angel investors. BDMI also contributed to a previous $1m seed round Jukin raised in May, which included online video network Maker Studios and Launchpad LA as investors.
German corporate-backed venture fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds has invested an undisclosed amount in 4 Animals AlsterScience, a Germany-based start-up developing medical treatments for animals, along with Innovationsstarter Fonds and an unnamed business angel. The company’s drugs have already proven successful for viral diseases, tumours, inoculations and cell therapies.
SpaceMarket, a Japan-based marketplace for land rental, has raised ¥1bn ($930,000) from CyberAgent Ventures, internet company CyberAgent’s strategic investment unit, and Mizuho Capital, the venture capital affiliate of Mizuho Bank, Tech in Asia reported on Tuesday. Founded in January, the start-up will invest the funding in expanding its product, as well as its sales and marketing.
High-Tech Gruenderfonds led a seed round for Germany-based e-mobility start-up Chargepartner on Thursday that also included Seedfonds Baden-Wuerttemberg and InnoWerft. The amount raised was not disclosed. Chargepartner’s technology allows corporations, retailers or energy companies to operate their own electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Internet holding company Jabbar Internet Group led an $825,000 seed round for US-based personalised content app developer Vyu on Monday that also featured undisclosed backers from the technology and media sectors. Vyu plans to use the funds to expand globally, with India, the Middle East and Latin America identified by Jabbar chairman Samih Toukan as key target markets.
Germany-based mobile food services provider Fooboo raised an undisclosed amount on Wednesday from a seed round backed by High-Tech Gruenderfonds and venture capital firm Media Ventures. Fooboo’s product is based around recipe platform Kochrezepte and its attendant iOS and Android apps.
High-Tech Gruenderfonds invested in a fourth Germany-based company, virtual reality technology start-up ImmerSight, on Friday along with MBG Baden-Wuerttemberg. The amount invested was not revealed. Immersight will put the funding towards developing its business, which enables people to view how bathroom renovations will look after completion while they are still in the planning stage.
Cable television provider and broadcaster BskyB invested $500,000 in US-based online video platform Pluto.tv.on Tuesday. The start-up, which has also received funding from backers including Intel Capital, the corporate venturing unit of semiconductor chip producer Intel, talent agency UTA and marketing firm Omnicom, harnesses content from around the web which is then curated into themed 24-hour video feeds.