Grail, the US-based oncology diagnostics startup spun out of biotech company Illumina, has received an undisclosed amount of funding from GV, the corporate venturing unit of internet technology conglomerate Alphabet, and appointed Jeff Huber, a former executive of Alphabet subsidiary Google, as its CEO. Illumina, Arch Venture Partners, Bezos Expeditions and Sutter Hill Ventures provided $100m in series A funding for Grail at the time of its launch last month.
Aasaanjobs, an India-based online recruitment marketplace backed by IT media firm International Data Group (IDG), has raised $5m in a series A round led by Aspada Advisors that included undisclosed existing investors, E27 reported on Monday. The startup previously received $1.5m in a January 2015 seed round funded by IDG Ventures India, IDG’s local venture capital affiliate, and VC firm Inventus Capital Partners.
Kaiser Permanente Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of pharmaceutical firm Kaiser Permanente, has invested $5m in US-based senior care provider Hometeam, Fortune reported on Wednesday. The funding will be added to the $27.5m in series B funding it received from Recruit Strategic Partners, the corporate venturing unit of human resources provider Recruit, Oak HC/FT, Lux Capital and IA Ventures last month. Hometeam has now raised $38.5m in total.
US-based software video analytics technology provider Intellivision raised an undisclosed amount on Wednesday in a round featuring Shea Ventures, which acts as home builder JF Shea’s corporate venturing arm, and Zebra Ventures, which fulfils the same function for tracking technology provider Zebra Technologies. The corporates invested alongside Benhamou Global Ventures, Inventus Capital Partners and Forté Ventures.
Icustommadeit.com, the India-based operator of a platform that sells handcrafted and customised goods, has received the equivalent of $4m in a pre-series A round featuring Brand Capital, the advertising-for-equity investment subsidiary of media firm Times Group, E27 reported on Tuesday. The round also included Siddhivinayak Skyscrapers, a subsidiary of construction firm Siddhivinayak Group, and angel investor Dinesh R. Challa, and followed $500,000 of angel funding secured in 2015.
Healthcare provider St. Joseph Health and Premier Supply Chain Improvement, an affiliate of healthcare services company Premier, provided $3.75m on Wednesday for Bloodbuy, the US-based operator of a platform that connects blood banks and hospitals. Bloodbuy will put the funding toward expanding its network, growing its team and expanding its technology offering.
China-based online clothing brand Grana raised $3.5m in seed funding from fashion conglomerate Bluebell Group, Golden Gate Ventures and MindWorks Ventures on Tuesday. Grana, which recently launched in the US, will use the capital to support additional international expansion. It previously raised $2.5m from Bluebell, Golden Gate and various angel investors across rounds in October 2014 and July 2015.
Japan-based digital design firm Goodpatch secured ¥400m ($3.5m) today from DG Innovation, Salesforce Ventures, SMBC Venture Capital and SBI Investment, the respective corporate venturing subsidiaries of internet company Digital Garage, enterprise software provider Salesforce.com and financial services firms Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and SBI Holdings, as well as online weight loss app developer Finc. DG Innovation previously invested $1m in Goodpatch in 2013.
McKesson Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for pharmaceuticals distributor McKesson, has invested an undisclosed amount in PokitDok, the US-based developer of a cloud-based platform for healthcare transactions, Silicon Valley Business Journal reported on Tuesday. PokitDok had previously raised $43m in equity and debt from backers including Rogers Venture Partners, the corporate venturing arm of telecommunications company Rogers Communications.
Nomva, the US-based operator of a fruit and vegetable delivery service, closed a $3m series A round co-led by fruit and vegetable producer Taylor Fresh Foods and Evolution Media Partners, a joint venture backed by talent agency CAA and film production company Participant Media, on Wednesday. CEO Caroline Beckman said the round be used to “support and build customer relationships, scale distribution nationwide, and grow internal talent”.
US-based student loan benefits provider Student Loan Genius secured $3m on Wednesday in a seed round that featured Gibraltar Ventures, a venture capital affiliate of insurance and financial services group Prudential Financial, and an undisclosed affiliate of financial services firm Manulife Financial Corporation. The round also included Kapor Capital, Capital Factory and Village Capital.
Silk Labs, the US-based developer of a smart sensor for internet of things products in the home, launched a Kickstarter campaign for its product on Tuesday. It has raised $2.5m in funding from Lab 360, the incubator subsidiary of IT technology provider Qihoo 360, as well as Harrison Metal, 500 Startups, Sparkland Capital, Ming Li, Timothy Lee and Joshua Schachter, according to TechCrunch.
Financial services firm Hauck & Aufhäuser has provided an undisclosed amount of funding for Naga Group, the Germany-based developer of social trading app SwipeStox, in the form of a strategic investment. Founded in August 2015, Naga currently operates SwipeStox in Germany, the UK, Cyprus and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Agic, a Japan-based electroconductive ink technology developer spun out from University of Tokyo, has raised ¥175m ($1.5m) in a round led by VC fund Beyond Next Ventures that included instant glue manufacturer Cemedine, TechCrunch Japan has reported. The round follows ¥60m of earlier funding from internet of things consulting firm Yoren, Tomyk and East Ventures, and ¥36m in debt financing.
Baimos Technologies, a Germany-based developer of authentication and authorisation technology for the internet of things, received a seven-figure euro amount of funding on Tuesday from corporate-backed growth equity fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds, HCS Beteiligungsgesellschaft, and Bayern Kapital. The capital will support future growth.
Credit Suisse Asset Management, a subsidiary of financial services firm Credit Suisse, made a strategic investment in US-based big data software provider Koverse on Wednesday, supplying an undisclosed amount. The funding will be used to expand Koverse’s team and product range.
Triple W Japan, the Japan-based creator of a wearable bowel movement predictor called D Free, has been certified by state business promotion agency Nedo, making it eligible for up to ¥60m ($620,000) in subsidies that would be added to $450,000 recently raised from investors including railway operator Hankyu Corporation and Osaka municipal government-backed fund Hack Ventures, The Bridge has reported. It previously secured an undisclosed sum from Nippon Life Insurance subsidiary Nissay Capital and ISGS Investment Works in April 2015.
Management consulting services and performance management software provider Kaufman Hall invested an undisclosed sum in Total Benchmark Solution, a US-based supplier of benchmarking and analytics technology for healthcare organisations, on Thursday. The funding was provided as part of a strategic partnership agreement.
Foodscovery, the Italy-based operator of an online portal where consumers can buy Italian-made food directly from producers, has raised €800,000 ($890,000) in funding from investors including media company Editoriale Il Fatto, which paid €250,000 for a 7% stake. The round also featured FI.R.A., a state-backed fund from Italy’s Abruzzo Region, which followed an earlier €500,000 investment with another €300,000; Digital Magics and angel investors Claudio Di Zanni and Rosario Didonna. Media firm Axel Springer, PR firm Grassi & Partners and online payment company Paymill are also backers, according to Foodscovery’s website.
Thailand-based event organisation and management services provider Event Pop has secured $500,000 in seed funding from investors including Opt SEA, the Southeast Asian subsidiary of marketing company Opt, Tech in Asia reported yesterday. VC fund KK Fund, led the round, which also included angel investor Hirokazu Mashita.
Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of conglomerate Tata & Sons, has invested an undisclosed amount in SnapBizz, the India-based operator of a platform that connects to local grocers, the Economic Times has reported. SnapBizz raised an undisclosed amount in September 2014 from Qualcomm Ventures, mobile chipmaker Qualcomm’s corporate venturing unit, e-commerce firm Tradus and Blume Ventures, and $7.2m from Blume, Jungle Ventures, Taurus Value Creation and Konly Venture last month.
Gamezop, the India-based operator of a social network for casual mobile games, has raised $350,000 in funding from talent agency Kwan, Powerhouse Ventures, Tracxn Labs, Aecal and angel investors Vinay Menon, Anand Chandrasekaran and Phanindra Sama, the Economic Times reported on Wednesday. It will use the capital to expand its team and strengthen its technology and distribution partnerships.
India-based warehouse automation startup Ark Robot received $350,000 from Qualcomm Ventures yesterday, Press Trust of India has reported. Ark Robot received the funding as the winner of Qualcomm Ventures’ QPrize – Make in India competition.
Bollywood actress Saumya Tandoni has invested an undisclosed amount in Jugnoo, an India-online based automotive rickshaw booking service backed by online payment services provider Paytm, as part of a deal that will involve her becoming an ambassador for the startup. Jugnoo had raised $19m from Paytm and Snow Leopard Technology Ventures as of November 2015.