Daily funding roundup - August 18, 2015
BuzzFeed raised $200M; Datameer received $40M; Platform9 secured $10M
- BuzzFeed, a company that shows you what’s buzzing on the web, has raised a $200 million funding round from NBCUniversal. The company had previously raised a little less than $100 million in funding, including a $50 million round almost a year ago exactly. Previous investors have included Andreessen Horowitz, NEA, Lerer Ventures, Hearst Media, Softbank and RRE Ventures. As part of the investment, the companies say that they will "also explore strategic partnerships across both organizations in the coming months."
- Singapore-based Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) and mobile computing solutions provider CloudDesk, has secured SG$589,000 (estimated US$418,000) from the Singapore National Research Foundation (NRF) through its Technology Incubation Scheme (TIS), and IncuVest, a Singapore-based investment firm and incubator. Through this scheme, the NRF co-invests up to 85 per cent of the total investment into a Singapore-based startup, while the technology incubator co-invests the remaining 15 per cent, as well as provide mentorship and guidance to the startup.
- Fixy, a Mumbai-based startup that provides maintenance services on demand, has raised seed funding from members of VentureNursery, an angel-backed accelerator for startups. NM Fix Maintenance Services Pvt Ltd, the company behind Fixy, will use the money raised to create a technology infrastructure for residents (customers) and vendors (handymen), as per a press statement. By automating its platform, Fixy hopes to scale operations and improve efficiencies, it added.
- Eco Wave Power, an Israeli wave energy developer, has closed the first round of fundraising led by Pirveli Venture, where the company gathered investment in the amount of $2 million. The fundraising follows the completion of the second generation wave power plant in Jaffa Port, Israel, in July this year, and the beginning of the parts procurement process for the announced wave energy project in Gibraltar.
- Bright Cellars uses a machine learning taste preference algorithm to introduce members to high quality wines they’ll truly love at an affordable price point. They closed a $2million seed round of funding led by venture fund CSA Partners to build the future of how millennials buy, drink, and learn about wine. Bright Cellars will use this seed round to build out a complete member experience and grow the team.
- Filament is a startup that is taking two of the most overhyped ideas in the tech community—the block chain and the Internet of things—and applying them to the most boring problems the world has ever seen. Gathering data from farms, mines, oil platforms and other remote or highly secure places.The company has attracted an array of investors who have put $5 million into the company, a graduate of the Techstars program. Bullpen Capital led the round with Verizon Ventures, Crosslink Capital, Samsung Ventures, Digital Currency Group, Haystack, Working Lab Capital, Techstars and others participating.
- Apiary, the company that makes application programming interface (API) development simple and collaborative, completed a $6.8 million Series A round of funding led by Flybridge with participation from Baseline Ventures and Credo Ventures. The company had previously raised $1.6 million, bringing the total to $8.4 million raised to date.
- Peach has nailed down a successful formula for delivering lunch to office workers in places like Seattle and San Diego. Now, the young company has more capital to help bring its model to other big cities across the country. The Seattle startup announced a $8 million Series A round led by Madrona Venture Group that also included participation from Vulcan Capital. Total funding for the company stands at $10.75 million.
- Platform9, a company making private clouds easy, announced that it has secured $10 million in Series B funding, bringing the funding total to $14.5 million. Menlo Ventures led the round, and previous investor Redpoint Ventures also participated. The company plans to use the money to accelerate its product roadmap for its growing customer base.
- iPad point-of-sale platform maker Revel Systems nabbed $13.5 million in funding from ROTH Capital Partners to fuel its rapid growth. A follow-up to Revel’s Series C, which it announced last November, the new capital brings that round’s total to about $113.5 million, valuing the company at more than $500 million. The company, which is eyeing an initial public offering, also disclosed that financial software developer Intuit was an investor in its Series C.
- Tracksmith, a running apparel brand based in Boston, pulled in $4.1 million in new funding to outfit a growing pack of runners in the traditional style of the world’s oldest sport. Pentland Group, the management group behind Reebok, Speedo, and Lacoste footwear, among other sporting brands, led the Series A round, which brings the company’s funding total to $5.7 million.
- Roposo, a fashion-focussed social networking platform for women in India, raised US$15 million from existing investor Tiger Global. The Gurgaon-based startup will use the funds to build the team, improve technological infrastructure, and enhance and revamp the product.
- Quanta Fluid Solutions Ltd, an Alcester, UK-based developer of advanced haemodialysis systems, received an Invention for Innovation (i4i) award worth £1.85 million ($2.9 million) from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) – the research arm of the NHS. The funds will be used to develop a new product concept for nocturnal haemodialysis leveraging the company’s knowledge in the development of its CE marked, portable, cartridge-based haemodialysis system, SC+.
- Datameer, a San Francisco-based data analytics provider, received a $40 million round of Series E funding to help it expand globally. The Series E round was led by ST Telemedia, along with Top Tier Capital Partners, Kleiner Perkins Caulfield & Byers, Redpoint, Next World Capital and Software AG. Nikhil Eapen, chief strategy and investment officer of ST Telemedia, is joining Datameer’s board.
- Genalyte, Inc. has completed a Series C Financing round of $44 million, led by Khosla Ventures. The company is redefining diagnostics with a testing platform and microchip technology that can be utilized in physician offices. With the application of a single drop of blood to a silicon microchip, Genalyte's Maverick Detection System can offer a complete panel of diagnostic test results in fifteen minutes.
- Channel Partners LLC, a provider of small business working capital loans, announced today a new, broad-based funding partnership with Chicago-based Monroe Capital LLC. Under the terms of the deal, affiliate Channel Partners Capital secured a minority equity investment from Monroe and closed a new three-year $50 million credit facility with certain Monroe affiliated investment funds.
If you are interested in being included in our funding roundup, submit your press release or blog post about your financing round to mitos@vator.tv.
Image source: entrepreneur.com
Mitos Suson
I produce Vator Events and enjoy the challenge. I am learning and growing a lot, being involved with Vator and loving every moment of it!
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Khosla Ventures
Angel group/VC
Joined Vator on
Khosla Ventures offers venture assistance, strategic advice and capital to entrepreneurs. The firm helps entrepreneurs extend the potential of their ideas in both traditional venture areas like the Internet, computing, mobile, and silicon technology arenas but also supports breakthrough scientific work in clean technology areas such as bio-refineries for energy and bioplastics, solar, battery and other environmentally friendly technologies. Vinod was formerly a General Partner at Kleiner Perkins and founder of Sun Microsystems. Vinod has been labeled the #1 VC by Forbes and Fortune recently labeled him as one the nation's most influential ethanol advocates, noting "there are venture capitalists, and there's Vinod Khosla." Vinod Khosla founded the firm in 2004.
Crosslink Capital
Angel group/VC
Joined Vator on
Crosslink Capital is a leading stage-independent venture capital and growth equity firm with over $1.5 billion in assets.
Crosslink, which traces its roots back to 1989, was among the first and largest investment firms in the U.S. to integrate public and private growth investing in three families of funds: venture capital funds, long/short hedge funds and a unique hybrid crossover fund. This strategy allows Crosslink to partner with its portfolio companies on a long-term basis.
Bullpen Capital
Angel group/VC
Joined Vator on
Bullpen Capital is second round investor who invests in companies previously seeded by the Super Angel funds.
BuzzFeed
Startup/Business
Joined Vator on
Find Buzz: We show you what’s buzzing on the web. Our technology, human editors, and trend spotters help you find your new favorite thing. Get fresh buzz daily on BuzzFeed.com, via RSS, and from our extended network.
Create Buzz: BuzzFeed’s publishing tools and trend detection empower a select group of trend-spotters and buzz-makers. Our new publishing tools are currently in a limited beta. Let us know if you want to know more or are interested in participating.
1. Find Good Things
We use technology and human editors to find the hottest buzz on the web. Each weekday, we publish ten stories that highlight the best stuff emerging from the Internet popularity contest. Find your new favorite thing on BuzzFeed.com, via RSS, and from our extended network.
2. Promote Great Sites
We strive to send as many clicks as possible to the bloggers, journalists, and fans who are creating buzz, driving the conversation, and making the web exciting. And we pay special attention to the quality sites who join our network by displaying the BuzzFeed widget. Are you a blogger or publisher? Join our network now!
3. Web-ify Advertising and PR
We developed a new form of PR and Advertising designed for the new networked world where consumers have the power. Instead of press releases and canned ad copy, we work with partners to amplify the voice of the most interesting bloggers, fans, journalists, and buzz makers. Inquire about BuzzFeed PR and Advertising Services.
Credo Ventures
Angel group/VC
Joined Vator on
Credo Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early stage funding. Our mission is to identify and back interesting startups in Central Europe, support them in their business plans (including global expansion) and help them to achieve their objectives. We are focused on IT and Internet.