Funding roundup

Active.com, Conviva, SpeedDate are among those that received funds

Here's a look at some of the funding announcements across the social network, community, video, digital media and advertising sectors.

The biggest fundraising announcement came from Active.com, a community site that focuses on sports. The 

San Diego-based Active.com, a community site that focuses on sports raised $80 million from Canaan Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, and Performance Equity Partners in this round. The amount brings the company's total funding raised to $275 million, according to PEHub.

San Mateo, Calif.-based Conviva raised $20 million. The live video media platform source was backed by UV Partners with participation from Series A investors New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Foundation Capital, according to a release.

Online speed-dating service, SpeedDate.com, raised $6 million from Menlo Ventures. Launched 10 months ago, SpeedDate has millions of users in 190 different countries, has been growing at 50% per month, and hosts over 100,000 online speed dates every day, which is estimated to be more daily speed dates than occur offline in the entire United States, according to PEHub.

StudioNow Inc., which helps produce inexpensive videos, raised $2.38 million in a Series A round, according to VentureWire. Clayton Associates, a Franklin, Tenn.-based private equity firm and existing investors were behind the deal, according to VentureBeat.

Cambridge, Mass-based JumpTap raised a fourth round of funding of $23 million. JumpTap is a mobile search and advertising company. AllianceBernstein led the round, and was joined by earlier investors Catalyst Partners, Redpoint Ventures, Summerhill Venture Partners, Valhalla Partners and WPP. The company has raised a total of $73 million in total VC funding, according to PEHub.

Norwest Venture Partners led a $10 million Series B round in Brand.net, an online ad network that is focused on exclusively on brand advertising. “Brand advertising is the biggest growth opportunity online,” said Robert Abbott, General Partner, Norwest Venture Partners, who will be joining Brand.net’s board of directors," according to a release.

Lexington, Mass-based Mall Networks, a provider of merchant-funded loyalty shopping solutions, raised $7 million in Series B funding. Dace Ventures led the round, which included Flybridge Capital Partners, Venture Capital Fund of New England and LBO Enterprises, according to PEHub.

Online photo-sharing and fundraising service for schools, PicateersInc., raised $66 million from Norwest Venture Partners and Storm Ventures, according to the San Francisco Business Times.

(Image sources: Princesspromenade