US-based digital learning platform Planet3 attracted $10m in series A funding from data centre operator Switch. The company expects to release its first product, focusing on earth, life and physical sciences and targeting school children aged 11 to 15, in autumn 2016.
Samsung Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of electronics conglomerate Samsung, has led a $4.6m round for Canada-based Bubl Technology, which is developing 360 degrees cameras. J-Tech Capital also contributed funds.
ShadowFax, an India-based hyperlocal delivery service for restaurants and shops, has raised a $9m series A round from Eight Roads Ventures, the investment vehicle of financial services firm Fidelity International. The company had secured $300,000 in seed funding only last month.
US-based cloud networking service Aviatrix raised a $10m co-led by corporate-backed Formation 8 and Ignition Partners. Aviatrix’ platform enables businesses to move their applications to the cloud, and connect to the cloud without the need for additional networking equipment or traditional corporate virtual private networks.
Spain-based games streaming platform PlayGiga secured €5m ($5.6m) in series A funding from Caixa Capital Risc, the investment arm of financial services provider La Caixa, commercial bank Bankinter and Adara Ventures as well as Inveready. The round was closed in July but only disclosed now. PlayGiga plans to use the funds to expand internationally.
Corporate-backed venture capital firm High-Tech Gründerfonds and research organisation Max Planck Society invested €1m in Venneos, a Germany-based biotechnology company working on technology to analyse cells. The funding will support the development and commercial launch of the technology. Venneos is a spinout of Max Planck Society.
High-Tech Gründerfonds has also backed Germany-based music learning platform Skoove with an undisclosed amount of seed funding. Skoove previously graduated from software company Microsft’s accelerator programme.
Holtzbrinck Ventures, the venture capital firm spun out of publisher Georg von Holtzbrinck, supported a seed round for Movago, a Germany-based professional moving platform. Piton Capital and a range of angel investors also participated in the round. The amount was not disclosed.
IDG Ventures, a venture capital affiliate of publishing and research company International Data Group, Lebox Capital and Maison Capital co-led a $5.5m pre-series A round for US-based USens. Stone Capital, Fulcrum Capital, ChuanCheng Fund and Chalor Capital also took part. USens is developing virtual and augmented reality technology and will use the cash for research and development.
US-based business consultancy Tectonic obtained $2m in funding from cloud computing platform Salesforce’s corporate venturing arm Salesforce Ventures. Fortitude MB led the round. Tectonic assists companies with integration of cloud-based technologies into their businesses.
Architectural design software developer Autodesk invested in US-based Source3D’s $4m seed round, alongside Contour Venture Partners, Western Technology Investments, Correlation Ventures, Crosslink Capital and 645 Ventures. Autodesk invested through its Spark Investment Fund. Source3 operates a platform to license and distribute 3D content.
United Arab Emirates-based Compareit4me, a comparison website for financial services, received $3m in a funding round led by STC Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of telecoms firm Saudi Telecom. Wamda Capital also participated in the round. Compareit4me currently operates in seven countries across North Africa, the Middle East and UAE, and will use the cash to expand into three more markets this year.
E.Ventures, the venture capital firm formerly operating as media company Bertelsmann’s corporate venturing unit BV Capital, has contributed to a $6m series A round for HouseCall, a US-based platform aimed at home services businesses. The round was led by August Capital and also featured private investor Michael Beaudoin. HouseCall previously raised $3m in seed funding over two equal rounds backed by real estate investment firm Canter and E.Ventures.
Hotel booking platform HRS has injected $7.9m in seed funding into Germany-based Conichi, which relies on beacon technology to identify a guest as soon as they enter a hotel and displaying relevant information on the reception desk’s tablet. Conichi has so far partnered with 50 hotels across Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Take-away delivery service Delivery Hero and Global Founders Capital have invested an undisclosed amount of series A funding in UK-based on-demand delivery service Quiqup. Quiqup enables users to order anything from a store or restaurant and have it delivered by bike courier. The company currently only operates in central London, and claims to have delivered more than 100,000 orders since its launch in September 2014.
China-based pharmaceutical research firm Crystal Pharmatech has raised a $10m series A round led by social network service Renren. Crystal offers drug development support to other pharmaceutical companies. The company launched in 2010 and has since also expanded into the US.
UK-based medical devices maker Creo Medical attracted a $10m commitment from medical device company Pentax Medical. Creo previously secured £3.5m ($5.4m) in seed funding from Finance Wales and Angel CoFund in November 2014.
OriginGPS, an Israel-based manufacturer of small global navigation satellite systems, closed a $1.75m fund backed by Lab IX, the accelerator programme of supply chain services provider Flex – which was previously known as Flextronics. Unnamed existing shareholders also participated in the round.
US-based cloud infrastructure services provider Iron.io obtained $8m in series A funding led by Baseline Ventures. Bain Capital Ventures, Divergent Ventures, Ignition Partners and Cloud Capital Partners also joined the round. Iron.io previously raised $5.5m in seed funding from technology company Citrix Systems, Baseline, Ignition Partners, Cloud Capital Partners and assorted angel investors.
Technicolor Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of creative industries conglomerate Technicolor, has participated in a $3m seed round for Enoy, a US-based digital concierge service for the elderly and caregivers. SoftTech VC, Lowercase Capital, Eniac Ventures, Structure Capital, Vayner/RSE, and several private investors also took part in the round.
India-based tea retailer Chai Point has closed a $10m series A round led by Eight Roads Ventures, an investment arm of financial services provider Fidelity International. Saama Capital and DSG Consumer Partners also invested in the round, having previously contributed to an undisclosed seed round.
Diversified conglomerate 3M’s unit Safety and Graphics Business Group has invested an undisclosed sum in StrongArm Technologies, a US-based producer of safety equipment for industrial workers. The company’s flagship product is an exoskeleton dubbed ErgoSkeleton.
DreamIt Ventures, a venture capital firm backed by cable company Comcast, has contributed to an $800,000 seed round for Servy, a US-based app developer that enables restaurants to collect private feedback and reward customers with discounts. RiverPark Ventures, Beacon Fund, DreamIt Ventures and Nick Kenner participated in the funding round.