Projector, the US-based developer of a messaging and push notification platform for businesses, raised $4.5m on Wednesday in a seed round featuring IDG Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of IT media company International Data Group. Venture capital firm Baseline Ventures led the round, which included Freestyle Capital, SV Angel and True Ventures.
JD Finance, the financial service arm of e-commerce firm JD.com, has invested an undisclosed amount in China-based peer-to-peer lending platform Meili Jinrong as part of a strategic partnership agreement, China Money Network reported on Wednesday citing local media reports. Jinrong raised $65m in a November 2015 series A round led by Bertelsmann Asia Investments, a corporate venturing subsidiary of media group Bertelsmann.
US-based business-to-business demo automation software producer DemoChimp rebranded itself as Consensus on Tuesday, also revealing it has closed a $4.2m series A round led by venture capital firm Peak Ventures that included best practice services and technology provider CEB and angel investor Nobutaka Mutaguchi. The startup had raised $5.3m in funding from investors including Select Venture Partners, Albion Financial, Peak Ventures and Seed Equity as of December 2015.
E-commerce company Overstock.com has provided $4m for Bitt.com, the Barbados-based operator of a cryptocurrency exchange focused on the Caribbean region. The funding will be added to the $1.5m in seed funding Bitt received from investment firm Avatar Capital in March 2015.
Alcoholic beverage producer Diageo has invested an undisclosed sum in Reserve, the US-based operator of a digital concierge service for restaurants. Reserve, which had previously raised $17.3m from backers including Human Ventures Capital, Expa, First Round Capital, Lowercase Capital, Advancit Capital, Sherpa Ventures, SV Angel, Venture 51, Visionaire Ventures and angel investors including Jared Leto, Will.i.am and Jon Favreau, will use the money to acquire bar tab payment platform Dash.
Sweetch, the Israel-based developer of a diabetes prediction platform, raised $3.5m yesterday in a series A round co-led by electronics and healthcare equipment producer Philips and crowdfunding platform OurCrowd, Geektime has reported. The round, which included Pontifax and Lionbird, will be used to complete a pilot program for the app and initiate clinical trials.
EastMeetsEast, the US-based operator of an online dating service aimed at Asian Americans, has received an undisclosed amount of series A funding from internet company DeNA, East Ventures, 500 Startups, ISGS Investment Works and angel investor Shintaoro Yamada, The Bridge reported yesterday. DeNA and investment partnership Eureka Ventures had previously supplied $500,000 in seed funding for the company in 2014.
Kamarq Holdings, the Japan-based operator of smart furniture brand Kamarq, has secured ¥350m ($3.2m) in capital from Saison Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of payment services firm Credit Saison, VC firm Energy & Environment Investment and ISGS Investment Works, The Bridge has reported. Kamarq revealed the funding as it launched its first product, a connected table that can play music or background sounds.
Diversified holding group MV Holdings and VC fund Revo Capital provided an undisclosed amount of funding for Turkey-based payment technology provider Cardtek on Tuesday, taking a combined 24% stake in the company. Cardtek will use the capital to enhance its presence in the North America, Europe, Middle East and Asia-Pacific regions.
US-based retail and market analytics startup Second Measure has closed $2m of seed funding from investors including Norwest Venture Partners, the VC firm that manages funds for financial services firm Wells Fargo, as well as Y Combinator, Foundation Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners and Shasta Ventures, Business Insider reported on Tuesday. Second Measure’s technology analyses billions of anonymised credit card transactions to track where and when consumers are spending their money.
Sam, the Canada-based creator of a social media search and curation platform for newsrooms, raised an undisclosed amount of seed financing yesterday from media company Associated Press and other, undisclosed investors. It will use the capital to grow its team as it looks to expand the product’s user base.
Zeto, an Ireland-based developer of management software for commercial refrigeration systems, has raised €1.7m ($1.9m) in a round led by Bank of Ireland Kernel Capital, the VC fund founded by financial services firm Bank of Ireland and VC firm Kernel Capital, The Irish Times reported on Monday. The round also included green investment manager Business Venture Partners and state-owned fund Enterprise Ireland.
UK-based casual game studio TrulySocial received an undisclosed amount of funding yesterday from mobile game publisher Nazara, game-focused seed fund London Venture Partners and Drussila Hollanda-Grönberg, game lead at gaming company Supercell. TrulySocial’s first game, currently in beta, is a story-driven game aimed at women that combines dress-up, fashion and celebrity content into a narrative focused on dating and romantic relationships.
CuneSoft, a Germany-based developer of data management software for the pharmaceutical industry, closed its series A round yesterday, having raised an undisclosed seven-digit amount from investment firm and brokerage services provider Occident Group, corporate-backed VC fund High-Tech-Gruenderfonds (HTGF) and Bayern Kapital. HTGF and Bayern had already supplied an undisclosed amount of seed funding for CuneSoft in late 2014.
Logistics company DTDC Express has paid “over $1m” for a 20% stake in Llama Logisol, the India-based operator of logistics services startup Shipsy, Moneycontrol reported on Wednesday. The cash, which follows an angel investment from Dheeraj Jain in September 2015, will be used to strengthen Shipsy’s core technology and expand its offering.
Vineet Singh, the managing director of building materials startup Buildzar, has invested an undisclosed sum in Housing.com, the India-based realty portal backed by telecommunications company SoftBank, the Economic Times reported on Monday. Housing.com had reportedly already raised $169m from SoftBank, Qualcomm Ventures, which acts as mobile technology manufacturer Qualcomm’s corporate venturing unit, Falcon Edge, DST Global, Helion Venture Partners and Nexus Venture Partners.
Bitwala, a Germany-based company that uses blockchain technology to facilitate international money transfers, secured €800,000 ($900,000) on Monday in a seed round led by High-Tech-Gruenderfonds and backed by cryptocurrency investment firm Digital Currency Group. It will use the capital for product development and international growth.
Lockbox, the Germany-based operator of beverage delivery service Trinkkiste.de, raised an undisclosed six-figure amount of funding from undisclosed investors on Tuesday. The round, which follows an undisclosed amount of seed funding from High-Tech-Gruenderfonds in late 2014, will support the expansion of Trinkkiste from six German cities to 11 this month.
Industrial product and appliance manufacturer Siemens invested an undisclosed sum in Australia-based risk management software developer PHM Technology last month. Founded in 2006, PHM signed a global technology partner agreement with Siemens Industrial Software in 2012.
IT services company Wipro invested an undisclosed amount in US-based risk assessment and fraud prevention software provider Emailage Corporation last month. Emailage will leverage the partnership to extend the industries to which it offers compliance, risk assessment and fraud prevention services.