Social marketing platform Involver raised $8 million in Series C funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners with participation from previous investors Cervin Ventures and Western Technology Investment. Added to a $1.44 million first round raised in September 2008 and a $1.6 million second round closed just a month ago, the Series C brings Involver’s total funding to a little over $11 million. Involver is already capital, but the new funds are necessary to expand the company.
Kabongo, developer of online educational games for young children, raised $1.1 million in equity. Founded in 2008, the Ann Arbor, MI-based company has raised a total of $2.3 million with the help of previous investors RPM Ventures, DFJ Mercury, Illinois Innovation and Accelerator Fund. At least one study found a correlation between how much a child played a Kabongo game and higher reading test scores. Though Kabongo releases games for children aged four to seven, the company has plans to develop games for older children as well.