Cool Planet Energy Systems, a US-based green fuels producer backed by energy producers Exelon and NRG Energy, industrial conglomerate General Electric, internet company Google and petroleum producers BP, Concord Energy and ConocoPhilips, received an undisclosed sum on Wednesday in a round co-led by Northbridge Venture Partners and Yung’s Enterprise. The company had raised more than $121m in funding as of its last disclosed round in March 2014.
Fashion retailer Future Lifestyle Fashions has upped its stake in Mineral Fashions, the India-based owner of clothing line Mineral from 37% to 49.6%, according to a stock exchange filing. Future previously increased its share in Mineral from 22.7% to 37% in December 2014.
US-based mobile financial tools developer Trading Ticket secured $4m on Tuesday in a series A round co-led by Citi Ventures, the strategic investment arm of financial services firm Citi, and venture capital firm Valar Ventures. The company’s first tool, Trade It, helps users place direct securities orders quickly and securely using an app, website or Twitter account.
Shots, a US-based ‘selfie’ app developer backed by Major League Baseball Ventures, the eponymous sporting league’s corporate venturing unit, has raised $4m in a round led by VC firm DCM Ventures, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. The unit was joined by WI Harper, Launch Fund, Upfront Ventures, 500 Startups and music producer Rodney Jerkins for an $8.5m series A round in April 2015, and Shots has raised approximately $15.2m in total.
Photosynth, the Japan-based creator of smart lock system Akerun, has secured ¥450m ($3.7m) in funding from YJ Capital, which acts as internet company Yahoo Japan’s corporate venturing unit, game development feedback service Gaiax, Jafco and Beta Catalyst, The Bridge reported on Wednesday. The cash will go to strengthening Photosynth’s sales and engineering teams.
LookLive, the Netherlands-based developer of an app that identifies items in TV shows or films and allows users to buy the product online, raised €2m ($2.2m) on Monday in a series A round co-led by Liberty Global Ventures, mass media company Liberty Global’s corporate venturing unit, and VC firm Volta Ventures. It will spend the money on furthering development of its platform and forming additional partnerships with broadcasting and consumer brands.
US-based on demand technology assistance and repair service Eden has received $2m in seed funding from investors including Comcast Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of mass media company Comcast, SV Angel, Redpoint Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Slow Ventures, Index Ventures and Canvas Venture Fund, TechCrunch reported on Tuesday. Eden previously raised $1.3m in July from Comcast Ventures, Canvas Venture , Eniac Ventures, Maven Ventures, Y Combinator, Dylan Smith and James Beshara.
Constantia New Business, the corporate venturing unit owned by diversified conglomerate Constantia Industries, invested an undisclosed sum in Germany-based switchable privacy filter developer Sioptica on Monday. The funding will support the expansion of Sioptica’s range of privacy filters, which are predominantly used at ATMs and payment terminals, and follows an undisclosed amount of seed capital raised from corporate-backed VC fund High-Tech Gruenderfonds in 2013.
US-based home maintenance services platform Canopy raised $1.5m on Wednesday in a seed round co-led by Idea Fund Partners and Cofounder’s Capital, and backed by home improvement company Lowe’s and Great Oaks Venture Capital. Canopy, which announced the round at the same time as its rebranding from Pack Purchase, will use the funding to expand from its current markets in North Carolina into nearby urban centres such as Charlotte and Atlanta.
Moff, the Japan-based developer of a wearable smart toy equipped with a gesture recognition system, has secured ¥160m ($1.3m) from game publisher Bandai Namco Entertainment, mobile game developer Orso, investment firm TomyK and unnamed angel investors, The Bridge reported on Monday. The startup, which has now raised almost $1.8m in total, will use the capital to further developf a gamification platform it is building to make use of its technology.
AXA Strategic Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of insurance firm AXA, led a $1.3m round for US-based event planning and community engagement platform VolunteerSpot on Wednesday. Founded in 2007, VolunteerSpot has now raised $4.9m in total from backers also including FF Venture Capital, Central TX Angel Network, Nebraska Angel Network, Angel List and Baylor Angel Network.
Opt Ventures, the investment arm of digital advertising agency Opt, has invested an undisclosed sum in MerryBiz, the Japan-based developer of a crowdsourced bookkeeping service, The Bridge has reported. MerryBiz previously received seed funding from Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Venture Capital, insurer Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance’s corporate venturing arm, in May 2014.
Venneos, a Germany-based spin-out of research organisation the Max Planck Society that is developing a silicon chip-based imaging system to analyse biological cells, raised about €1m ($1.1m) in seed funding from High-Tech Gruenderfonds, Max Planck Society, undisclosed family offices and a syndicate of Stuttgart-based business angels yesterday. The funding will support the further development of the system, currently in pilot form.
Real estate network RE/MAX Italia has invested an undisclosed amount in Italy-based real estate brokerage platform Wikire, FinSMEs reported on Wednesday, citing local press reports. RE/MAX provided the cash as part of a strategic partnership agreement.