Filament, a US-based developer of sensor network technology for internet of things applications, closed a $5m series A round on Tuesday led by Bullpen Capital and backed by Verizon Ventures and Samsung Ventures, the respective corporate venturing units of telecommunications company Verizon and electronics producer Samsung. The round also included Crosslink Capital, Digital Currency Group, Haystack, Working Lab Capital, Techstars and unnamed existing investors.
India-based finance news source YourStory raised series A funding on Monday from Qualcomm Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of semiconductor technology provider Qualcomm, as well as angel investors T V Mohandas Pai and Ratan Tata. The round was sized between $3m and $5m, YourStory founder and editor-in-chief Shradha Sharma told VCCircle.
Blue Medora, a US-based provider of cloud systems management software, has raised $4.6m in series A funding from investors including cloud and virtualisation software company VMware, it revealed on Monday. The round, initially announced in June, also included Michigan eLab, Start Garden and Grand Angels, and followed a $1.25m seed round in 2013 backed by Start Garden and Grand Angels.
Pharmaceutical firm Takeda invested an undisclosed sum in US-based oncology treatment developer Presage Biosciences on Thursday through its corporate venturing subsidiary, Takeda Ventures. Presage had previously raised $13.6m since it was founded in 2008 from undisclosed backers.
Apparel producer Pentland Brands has led a $4.1m series A round for US-based running apparel startup Tracksmith that will be used to expand Tracksmith’s clothing range and support a digital version of its running-themed magazine, Meter, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. Tracksmith previously closed $1.6m in seed funding in July 2014 from backers including Lerer Hippeau Ventures and Index Ventures.
Thrive Bioscience, a US-based developer of cell culture-focused pharmaceutical research technology, raised $4m on Tuesday in a seed round featuring optical image technology supplier Optikos, technology research facilitator Triple Ring Technologies, Life Science Angels, SideCar Angels and numerous angel investors. The funding will be used to advance Thrive’s technology towards commercialisation.
US-based digital health technology startup Fit4D received an undisclosed amount of series A funding on Wednesday from healthcare system Sovereign Health System, health insurance company Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, and venture capital fund SJF Ventures. Fit4D will use the capital to expand the distribution of its diabetes management platform and increase its coverage to include other chronic diseases.
US-based speech interface tool developer API.ai has raised $3m in a round led by SAIC Capital, the early-stage investment arm of automotive manufacturer SAIC Motors, and backed by Intel Capital, Motorola Solutions Venture Capital and Alpine Technology Fund, the respective corporate venturing arms of semiconductor technology producer Intel, communications technology provider Motorola Solutions and electronics manufacturer Alpine Electronics, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday. Intel Capital has been a backer since 2012 and API.ai, then known as Speaktoit, raised $2.6m in July 2014.
Yoogaia, the Finland-based creator of an online yoga studio, received $3m in seed funding from Nokia Growth Partners, the corporate venturing unit owned by communication technology producer Nokia, Sanoma Ventures, which fulfils the same function for media company Sanoma, Inventure and Point Nine Capital yesterday. The startup previously raised $630,000 in October 2014 from Inventure, which provided $320,000, and undisclosed angel investors.
AdasWorks, a computer vision, artificial intelligence and navigation technology spin-out of Germany-based performance optimisation company Kishonti Kft, has closed a $2.5m series A round co-led by Robert Bosch Venture Capital, the investment unit of industrial product maker Robert Bosch. The round included Inventure, OTP-Day One Seed Investment Fund and Tim Draper.
EBS Technologies, a Germany-based developer of treatments for visual field loss, raised €1.1m ($1.2m) in a round co-led by corporate-backed VC fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF) and Earlybird Venture Capital. The round, which also included three unnamed private investors, follows a €3m round in 2010 featuring HTGF, Earlybird and Brandenburg Capital.
GMO Payment Gateway, a financial services subsidiary of internet company GMO, invested $1m in Taiwan-based online payment service provider Neweb Technologies on Wednesday as part of a strategic partnership. The cash will support Neweb’s expansion in Taiwan and mainland China as well as strengthening support for products sold by Taiwanese online merchants on the GMO Payment Gateway platform.
Gone, a US-based second hand buying platform, has raised $1m in seed funding from payment services provider MasterCard, Silicon Valley Bank and undisclosed angel investors, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday. Users list items valued at $100 or over on the platform and once Gone has given them a quote, its concierge service picks up the item, secures a buyer and gives the seller the money minus a commission and flat $16 fee.
US-based mobile video platform developer OneMob has secured $900,000 in a round featuring Salesforce Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of enterprise software producer Salesforce.com, as well as angel investors including Tim Draper and Steve King. OneMob, a graduate of Alchemist Accelerator in February 2014, enables users to upload short videos that can be branded with a corporate logo and shared.
Flatpebble.com, an India-based online marketplace for event services such as styling and photography, has received $600,000 in funding from Indian Angel Network, the Economic Times reported yesterday. The company, which graduated from computing company Microsoft’s Microsoft Ventures accelerator, raised less than Rs 10m ($150,000) in a 2013 angel round.
India-based visual blogging platform Bluegape raised $600,000 yesterday from Times Internet, the internet subsidiary of media conglomerate Times Group, Ah! Ventures and Rudy Gopalakrishnan. Bluegape closed the $200,000 first tranche of the round in April this year and has now accumulated a total of $1.1m in capital from backers also including TLabs.