RentMoola, the Canada-based operator of a rent payment network, secured “over $5m” on Wednesday in an oversubscribed round led by led by utility billing system producer Conservice and backed by the principals of energy submetering product maker Wyse Meter Solutions. The startup is looking to follow the round, which was structured as crowdfunding, with additional funding as 2016 progresses.
Niantic, a US-based mobile game development spinout from internet technology group Alphabet, has raised $5m in additional seed funding from media firm Fuji Television, Alsop Louie and various angel investors, VentureBeat has reported. The startup raised up to $30m from Google, now an Alphabet subsidiary, game and toy producer The Pokemon Company Group and gaming company Nintendo in October 2015.
Deep Optics, an Israel-based developer of dynamic focal eyeglasses, received $4m in series A funding on Monday from prescription lens provider Essilor, Atomics 14 Ventures and angel investors including Saar Wilf, described by Deep Optics as its earliest investor. The startup’s Liquid Crystal adaptive electronic lens technology could also have applications in augmented and virtual reality. It will spend the money on product development.
Wrap Media, the US-based creator of an interactive storytelling and commerce platform, received $4m from consulting and business development firm Dream Incubator yesterday, which will be added on to its $12.7m series B round, backed by media company ProSiebenSat.1 Media, Salesforce Ventures, the corporate venturing subsidiary of cloud computing company Salesforce.com, Raine Ventures, Dream Incubator, FF Angel and Transmedia Capital. Wrap has now raised $25.2m altogether.
Lucro, a US-based healthcare product data platform spun out of investment firm Martin Ventures, received an undisclosed amount of funding from Health Insight Capital, a subsidiary of healthcare provider HCA, and venture capital firm Heritage Group yesterday. Lucro’s platform helps health systems evaluate and buy healthcare technologies, products and services more efficiently.
Property development and e-commerce holding company Market Tech Holdings has paid €3.6m ($3.9m) for a 25% stake in Germany-based in-store data analysis technology company MiNodes, Alliance News has reported. MiNodes’ technology analyses sources of in-store data like wifi and Bluetooth beacons to give detailed insights into visitor behaviour at retail outlets for more than 50 brands across 12 countries.
Amvac-Netherlands, a subsidiary of agricultural products manufacturer American Vanguard Corporation, invested an undisclosed sum in Netherlands-based crop protection technology developer Biological Products for Agriculture (Bi-PA) on Tuesday. Amvac picked up a 15% stake in Bi-PA as well as distribution rights in the Americas for products including its biological fungus control agent and access to a pipeline of other products.
US-based organic tampon subscription service Lola has closed a $3m seed round featuring BBG Ventures, the female-focused corporate venturing unit founded by telecoms firm Verizon, TechCrunch reported on Wednesday. The round was led by Lerer Hippeau Ventures and included Brand Foundry, BoxGroup, VaynerRSE, 14W and angel investors Seth Berkowitz, Nicolas Jammet, Nathaniel Ru and Jonathan Neman. It follows $1.6m of angel funding.
Pathmatics, the US-based creator of an intelligence platform for the online advertising industry, raised $3m yesterday in a series A round led by Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), a corporate venturing unit owned by media group Bertelsmann. The round included Upfront Ventures, Karlin Ventures, Baroda Ventures, Double M Partners, Daher Capital, Wavemaker Partners and Manatt Venture Fund, a subsidiary of law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, and followed a $1.7m BDMI-backed seed round in 2013.
France-based augmented reality technology developer Augment has taken its overall funding to $4.7m after securing series A funding from backers including Salesforce Ventures. A graduate of accelerator Le Camping, Augment had previously raised approximately $1.8m from angel investors including Alain Roubach, Georges Saier and Stanislas Crombac.
Media group MNC has made a strategic investment in KerjaDulu, the Indonesia-based creator of a social recruitment platform, Tech in Asia reported on Tuesday. The amount provided by MNC was not disclosed but KerjaDuju’s post-money valuation was $5m. The round comes after a six-figure dollar investment from Budi Setiadharma, chairman of conglomerate Astra International, in late 2014.
Jobbatical, the Estonia-based operator of a platform for overseas jobs, received $2m on Thursday in a round co-led by VC firms Union Square Ventures and LocalGlobe that included existing backer Smartcap. It had previously raised €770,000 ($840,000 at current exchange rates) from investors including media company Ekspress Group, Trind Investments, ImCap Finland, Camelus Invest and a host of angel investors.
Human resources firm Temp Holdings provided an undisclosed amount of funding for HiQ Labs, the US-based operator of predictive analytics technology for employee-based decisions, on Monday. The funding was supplied by Temp’s corporate venturing unit, Temp Innovation Fund, and will be used for product innovation, and to expand sales and marketing.
Mobile game publisher Colopl invested an undisclosed amount in US-based immersive indoor cycling software startup Zwift on Wednesday. The investment will support product development and the growth of Zwift’s user base as it aims to incorporate its 3D immersive cycling software into the training programs of more cyclists.
Financial services firm DCB Bank has paid approximately Rs 100m ($1.5m) for a 5.8% stake in India-based microfinance provider Annapurna Microfinance, according to a stock market filing on Tuesday. Annapurna has more than 170 branches in rural branches across the Indian states of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
IT services company Capillary Technologies invested an undisclosed amount in India-based customer engagement tool developer WebEngage alongside the formation of a strategic partnership between the companies, Times of India has reported. WebEngage previously received an undisclosed amount of funding from Indian Angel Network and angel investors including Rajan Anandan, Sunil Kalra, Sadeesh Raghavan, Ashim Mehra, Nitin Singhal, Pradeep Gupta and Harish Mehta.
Philippines-based online pawn service PawnHero has received an undisclosed amount of pre-series A funding from Kaikaku Fund, a local fund affiliated with SoftBank, as well as 500 Startups and IMJ Investment Partners, Tech in Asia reported on Wednesday. Founded in February 2015, PawnHero will use the funding to hire additional staff as it looks to expand across the Philippines.
Germany-based medical consultation platform Medlanes secured an undisclosed amount on Monday in a seed round led by AXA Strategic Ventures, the corporate venturing vehicle for insurance group AXA. Medlanes, a graduate of the Berlin branch of Microsoft Ventures, will use the cash to expand into new markets and broaden its service.
Videogram, the US-based video content monetisation platform formerly known as Cinemacraft, has raised $600,000 in a bridge round led by ABC Dream Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of media company Asahi Broadcasting, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. The round included 500 Startups and followed $5.9m of earlier funding from investors including NTT Docomo Ventures, Samsung Ventures and Media Camp, corporate venturing units backed by telecoms network NTT Docomo, electronics manufacturer Samsung and broadcaster Turner respectively.
Conglomerate LNB Group and YourNest Angel Fund has provided $600,000 in pre-series A funding for India-based customer engagement platform and mobile wallet startup Momark Services, India Infoline reported on Wednesday. MoMark will invest the funding in beefing up its technology platform and product, increasing its presence in existing and new markets and expanding its team.
Cycle, a Germany-based developer of laser technology for scientific and industrial applications, secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding on Tuesday from corporate-backed growth equity fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds (HTGF), angel investor Tim Bode and Innovationsstarter Fonds Hamburg.
HTGF also supplied an undisclosed amount of funding for another Germany-based laser technology company, Pulsar Photonics, on Wednesday. Spun out of the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology in 2013, Pulsar is developing laser-equipped micro-machining production systems.
Rahan Tata, chairman emeritus of conglomerate Tata & Sons, has invested an undisclosed sum in NestAway, an India-based home rental platform backed by e-commerce company Flipkart and media firm International Data Group, the Economic Times reported on Monday. NestAway had raised $13.3m in 2015 from Flipkart, IDG Ventures India, which acts as IDG’s local VC affiliate, Tiger Global Management and various angel investors.
Tracxn Labs, the corporate venturing arm of VC data provider Tracxn Technologies, has supplied an undisclosed amount of seed funding for India-based stock investment platform Tauro Wealth, Times of India reported on Tuesday. Tracxn Labs typically invests between $50,000 and $60,000 at a time.