US-based on-chip network technology developer NetSpeed Systems raised an undisclosed amount of funding on Tuesday from Intel Capital, the corporate venturing arm of semiconductor technology company Intel, and Walden-Riverwood Ventures, a partnership between venture capital firms Walden International and Riverwood Capital. NetSpeed is one of 16 companies Intel said it had funded this week.
Intel Capital and venture capital firm OneVentures co-led a $4.9m series A round for Australia-based mobile video engagement platform creator Incoming Media on Tuesday which will be used to grow Incoming’s geographic reach and enhance its research and development. OneVentures invested $1.1m alongside Citrix Startup Accelerator, the start-up accelerator formed by software producer Citrix, and the Australian government-backed Nicta in May 2013.
US-based dog hiring platform Rover.com raised an undisclosed sum of series D funding on Tuesday from Ashton Kutcher, Guy Oseary and A-Grade Investments. Rover previously closed a $12m series C round in March this year backed by pet supplies company Petco, Foundry Group, Madrona Venture Group and Crunchfund that took its total funding to $25m.
Online video technology provider Harmonic led a $3.5m series B round for Encoding.com, a US-based developer of cloud-based video encoding technology, on Thursday. The round, which also featured existing investors Metamorphic Ventures and Zelkova Ventures, increased Encoding’s total funding to $8m.
Paracosm, a US-based developer of three-dimensional reconstruction software, secured $3.3m in seed funding on Tuesday from robot builder iRobot, Osage University Partners, BOLDstart Ventures, New World Angels, Deep Fork Capital and additional, undisclosed angel investors. The start-up intends to use the cash to further advance its 3D scanning, reconstruction, and machine learning technology.
ZergNet, a US-based developer of monetisation technology for online publishers, closed a $3.2m series A round on Wednesday backed by Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments (BDMI), a corporate venturing unit owned by media company Bertelsmann, as well as Greycroft Partners, Lerer Hippeau Ventures and angel investor Mark Cuban. Founded in 2012, ZergNet will invest the funding in expanding its team and distribution network.
DeltaDNA, the UK-based creator of an analytics and personalisation platform for games, agreed $3m in series A funding on Tuesday from media company STV Group, Par Equity, Scottish Investment Bank and Edge Performance. STV, Par and Scottish Investment Bank previously supplied $1.3m in seed funding for the company in July 2013.
Japan-based internet services provider GMO Internet Group invested an undisclosed amount of series A funding in Philippines-based online payment card supplier Dragonpay on Tuesday. GMO, which operates online payment system GMO Payment Gateway, made the investment through the GMO Global Payment Fund.
Broadcaster Tribune Media led a $2.75m series A round for personalised multi-channel news app Watchup on Thursday, which also included publishing firm The McClatchy Company, Knight Enterprise Fund, Stanford-StartX Fund and Ned Lamont. Watchup had previously raised $1.5m in seed funding from backers including Microsoft Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of software provider Microsoft, StartX, Knight Enterprise, Lamont and Digital News Ventures.
Iris Capital, the VC firm backed by telecommunications firm Orange and marketing firm Groupe Publicis, and affiliate Capnamic Ventures have invested $2.6m in Agorize, a France-based start-up that crowdsources information and data for businesses, TechCrunch reported on Thursday.
Netherlands-based peer-to-peer borrowing platform Peerby has raised €1.7m ($2.1m) from XAnge Private Equity, which acts as the the corporate venturing subsidiary of French postal service La Poste, SanomaVentures, media company Sanoma’s corporate venturing arm, TechStars and assorted angel investors from the US and Canada. Sanoma and TechStars previously provided seed funding for Peerby over 2012 and 2013.
China-based conglomerate Legend Holdings invested an undisclosed amount in China-based peer-to-peer lending platform Eloan.com on Monday. Legend invested in another Chinese finance company, personal finance app developer Tongbanjie, through its Legend Capital corporate venturing unit last month.
Mobile game developer Nazara Technologies has led a Rs 42m ($680,000) series A round for India-based social gaming start-up HashCube Technologies, Times of India reported on Thursday. Nazara, which invested out of the $1.6m fund it set up earlier this year, was joined by Ah Ventures and existing investors Indian Angel Network and Blume Ventures, both of which contributed to Hashcube’s 2012 seed round.
Poynt, a US-based start-up that produces smart payment terminals for brick-and-mortar retailers, has secured an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Google Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of internet company Google, Matrix Partners, Webb Investment Network and Nyca Partners, according to financial news source Forbes. Poynt founder and CEO Osama Bedier worked in Google’s mobile payment division for two years between 2011 and 2013.
CyberAgent Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of internet company CyberAgent, invested an undisclosed amount of series A funding in Indonesia-based online education start-up HarukaEdu on Thursday. HarukaEdu, which runs its own courses as well as supplying technology to academic institutions, will use the cash to hire additional staff.
– Image courtesy of NetSpeed Systems