ICG Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of publishing services provider Ingram Industries, led a $5m series A round on Monday for CampusQuad, the US-based developer of a mobile platform linking students with university services. Educational services company Follett Corporation invested $1m in CampusQuad in 2013, and regulatory filings show it has also raised $1.4m in debt financing.
Tantan, a China-based clone of dating app Tinder, has raised $5m in a series A round led by Bertelsmann Asia Investments, a corporate venturing subsidiary of media company Bertelsmann, Sina Tech reported on Monday. The company will use the funding to increase the rate at which users communicate with each other, co-founder Wang Yu told Sina Tech.
Velano Vascular, a US-based startup developing technology to aid the blood drawing process, closed a $5m series A round on Thursday backed by healthcare providers Griffin Hospital and The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, as well as First Round Capital, White Owl Capital, Kapor Capital, Safeguard Scientifics and undisclosed angels. The company plans to now move its technology into the clinical evaluation stage.
Oral hygiene company Orabrush spun out its online video marketing business on Tuesday into an independent company called Molio. Molio launched with a $3m of series A funding from venture capital firms Greycroft Partners, True Ventures, Subtraction Capital and Peak Ventures, and investment firm Advancit Capital.
Homelight, the US-based operator of a website that matches home buyers and sellers with estate agents, closed a $3m series A round on Wednesday backed by Bullpen Capital, Montage Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Krillion Ventures, 500 Startups, and Western Technology Investment. It previously raised $1.5m in seed funding in 2012 from Google Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of diversified internet company Google, Crosslink, Innovation Endeavors and a host of angel investors.
Graylog, a US-based developer of software that can store and analyse data from IT infrastructure and applications, secured $2.5m in seed funding on Wednesday from corporate-backed VC fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds, as well as Mercury Fund, Crosslink Capital and Draper Associates. It will use the funding to accelerate development and commercialisation of its open source platform.
US-based home furnishings e-commerce company Dering Hall received $2.5m on Wednesday in a series A round featuring SoftBank Capital, a corporate venturing subsidiary of telecommunications company SoftBank, media company Hearst Magazine and VC firm Lerer Hippeau Ventures. The same three investors provided $1.4m in seed funding for Dering Hall in 2013.
HiberGene Diagnostics, an Ireland-based startup developing molecular diagnostic testing technology for infectious diseases, raised €2m ($2.3m) in seed funding on Monday, receving €500,000 from financial services firm Bank of Ireland’s MedTech Accelerator Fund and the rest from private investors. The company plans to now commercialise its first two products, molecular tests for meningitis and group B streptococcus.
Japan-based customer experience management service provider Wizpra has secured ¥230m ($2m) in seed funding from Gree Ventures, the investment arm of internet company Gree, SMBC Venture Capital and Mizuho Capital, the respective VC units of financial services providers Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation and Mizuho Bank, and Mobile Internet Capital, according to The Bridge.
Follett Corporation invested an undisclosed sum in US-based online learning company Vocabulary.com on Thursday. Founded in 2011, Vocabulary’s adaptive learning platform uses big data to help its users find suitable words for everyday and specialist use.
Leading Mark, the Japan-based creator of a service that enables users to upload video resumes, has raised $1.45m in series A funding from network services provider Link and Motivation, Mizuho Capital, SMBC Venture Capital, Nippon Venture Capital, East Ventures and undisclosed angel investors, Tech in Asia reported today. CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of internet company CyberAgent, funded Leading Mark’s $500,000 seed round in 2013.
Valet Anywhere, a US-based service that enables drivers to request a parking valet using their smartphone, closed a $1.35m seed round on Wednesday from investors including CyberAgent Ventures, AngelPad, Urban.US and assorted angels from AngelList. The New York-headquartered startup has also launched a monthly version of its service called Valet Anywhere Long Term.
Ireland-based context marketing platform developer Pulsate has raised $1.2m in seed funding from Dunnhumby Ventures, the investment unit of market research firm Dunnhumby; online payment company PayPal; the Bank of Ireland seed fund managed by VC firm Delta Partners; and Enterprise Ireland. It will use the cash to accelerate the development of its product and to increase its presence in the US, where it has opened a San Francisco office.
Information processing technology provider DST Systems invested an undisclosed sum on Wednesday in CouponCloud, the US-based creator of a system through which small businesses can create, issue and collect coupons. CouponCloud will use the cash to support development of a retail-based version of its system, which is largely used by consumer packaged goods companies.
Chintai Joho, the Japan-based operator of apartment listings platform Cashback Chintai, secured ¥100m ($850,000) from Dentsu Digital Holdings, a subsidiary of advertising agency Dentsu, and SMBC Venture Capital, The Bridge reported on Wednesday. Chinati, which has now listed about 1.8 million properties on its site, will use the funds to enhance its marketing.