A weekly newsletter summarizing recent activity and interesting startups in South East Asia.

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

BlueSG (2017, Singapore) – Electric fleet-based car sharing service provider. Global Comparables include TOGO (2015, Beijing, $31.4M) and Bagechuxing (2015, Beijing, $3.69M).

AEvice Health (2016, Singapore) – Wearable Asthma Monitoring Device. Global Comparables include Quvium (2011, Woburn, $460K) and Health Care Originals (2014, West Henrietta, null).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

Tessa Therapeutics raises funding
Tessa Therapeutics (2011, Singapore), a biopharmaceutical company, raises $80M in Series C from Temasek Holdings, EDBI, Karst Peak Capital, Heliconia Capital Management, and Heritas.

Stampede Holdings raises funding
Stampede Holdings (2002, Kuala Lumpur), an enterprise software firm, raises $2.5M in undisclosed Series from MY EG Capital.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Taiwan Incubator invests $$1M in startups through its incubator program
Taiwan Incubator, a partnership between Taiwan Accelerator, Feng Chia University, and Chaoyang University of Technology, invests $1M in startups through its incubator program.

InCorp acquires Kittelson & Carpo Consulting
InCorp, a private equity firm, acquires Kittelson & Carpo Consulting, a Philippines based business consulting firm, for undisclosed amount.

SC Capital mops up $383M for first close of fifth Asia fund
SC Capital, a Singapore based real estate private equity firm, raises $383M for first close of its fifth Asia fund.

Clearbridge Health debuts on SGX Catalist
Clearbridge Health, a Singapore based healthcare firm, debuts on SGX Catalist.

Cosco’s takeover bid for SG’s Cogent Holdings hits 90% mark
Cosco Shipping International 90% shares of SG’s Cogent Holdings.

JustCo, Gunung Sewu form co-working space JV
JustCo, a Singapore based premium co-working space provider, and Gunung Sewu, an investment management company, form co-working space JV in Indonesia.

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

VadR (2016, Delhi), virtual reality analytics platform. Founders are ex- Accenture Strategy, Visa, and are alumni of IIT-Delhi. Global comparables are Retinad (2014, Montreal, $600K) and Thrill Box (2014, Austin, $75K).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Appario Retail (2012, Delhi), a subsidiary of Amazon and Patni group joint venture, receives $15.3M in fresh capital infusion. Link

Specsmakers (2011, Chennai), offline chain of optical stores, raises $10M in funding led by Eight Roads Ventures India. Link

Myntra (2007, Bangalore), online retail store for fashion and lifestyle products, partners with Reliance (1957, Mumbai), an Indian conglomerate company, to upturn its private label mast and harbour. Link

Ola (2011, Bangalore), app-based asset-light cab operator, launches a lite app for places with low network connectivity. Link

Myntra (2007, Bangalore), online retail store for fashion and lifestyle products, releases AI and augmented reality based features on platform to enhance user connect. Link

Inito (2014, Bangalore), app based ovulation tracker, launches portable diagnostics device. Link

Homelane (2014, Bangalore), furniture maker and interior design solutions provider, shuts down Capricoast operations post acquisition. Link

HDFC Capital raises $550M for the initial close of its second affordable housing fund. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

OceanGate (2010, Seattle), provider of manned submersible solutions for industry, research and exploration, raises $5.1M in conventional Debt round of funding from undisclosed investors. Link

Unbound (2012, NYC), sexual wellness startup for women, raises $2.7M in Seed round of funding from Founders Fund, Slow Ventures, Arena Ventures, SoGal Ventures and others. Link

Element Data (2016, Seattle), AI-based analytics platform for decision making, raises $2.6M in funding from Flying Fish and Archibald Cox, Jr. and new investor Anscor. Link

Amazon (1994, Seattle), international e-commerce website, acquires Blink (2014, Boston), provider of smart motion sensing wifi cameras, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Scaleworks, San Antonio-based venture capital firm, acquires Keen (2011, SF), platform for developers to build custom and white-label analytics, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Funding Rounds

Series D, $79.3M
Sterling Talent Solutions (1975, Bothell, $104.3M) – Screening and Onboarding solution

Series B, $30M
Thrive Global (2016, New York City, $30M) – Wellbeing and productivity platform
Investors: IVP, Marc Benioff, Phil Fernandez, Advancit Capital, Canvas Ventures, Female Founders Fund, Fred Harman, Ray Dalio, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Greycroft Partners, Blue Pool Capital, Heather Reisman, Sean Parker, Michael Huffington

Series B, $27M
MindTickle (2011, Pune, $41.3M) – Gamified Employee Training Platform
Investors: Canaan Partners, Accel Partners, New Enterprise Associates, Qualcomm Ventures

Post IPO, $20M
LiveHire (2012, Melbourne, $14.7M) – Candidate database
Investors: s the trustee of the Telstra Superannuation Scheme

Series C, $12M
Quinyx (2005, Stockholm, $26M) – Workforce Management Software
Investors: Battery Ventures

Series A, $11.8M
Joblift (2016, Hamburg, $14.1M) – Job aggregator and job matching solution
Investors: DN Capital, Picus Capital, Cherry Ventures, Btov, TruVenturo

Series A, $5.9M
techloop.io (2015, Republic, $5.9M) – Tech hiring solution
Investors: Springtide Ventures, KKCG, Rockaway Capital

Series A, $4.9M
Tattoodo (2013, Copenhagen, $9M) – Social marketplace for tattoo designs
Investors: Nordic Eye, Christian Stadil, Daniel Agger, Jan Bech Andersen, Bjarke Ingels, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

Series A, $3.6M
Workventure (2014, Bangkok, $4.0M) – Online job matching platform

Series A, $3M
Talenya (2016, Rosh Haayin, $3M) – Collaborative experts platform for job matching
Investors: Lool Ventures, undefined, Dalia Narkis, Stuart Marvin

Seed, $2.4M
Curo Compensation (2009, London, $3.9M) – Compensation management solution for enterprises
Investors: Maven Capital Partners, Scottish Enterprise, Downing

Series A, $2.3M
Venteny (2015, Makati, $2.3M) – Employee benefits and perks
Investors: SBI Investment, SV, Mamoru Taniya, Makoto Takana

Seed, $2.2M
CultureIQ (2013, New York City, $7.2M) – Culture management solution

Seed, $1M
HandyTrain (2015, Mormugao, $2M) – Mobile platform for corporate training

Seed, $650K
Synd (2009, Chicago, $650K) – Workforce analytics for enterprises
Investors: Frontier Ventures

M&A

• Intuit acquires time-tracking service TSheets for $340M TechCrunch
• DHI Group, Inc. Announces the Sale of Health eCareers PR Newswire
• VitalSource Acquires Intrepid Learning Business Wire
• Shortlist to Acquire Spire Education to Enhance Talent Service Offerings in East AfricaPRWeb
• Providence Equity-backed AbacusNext Acquires Commercial Logic Citybizlist
• Instructure Acquires Video Microlearning and Assessment Company Practice PR Newswire
• Cardone acquires ADP, Rotomaster Auto Service World
• ZipRecruiter buys job board, partners with Square AIM Group
• Australia’s REFFIND just bought into US blockchain leader Loyyal Corporation Business Insider
• Morneau Shepell : expands global EAP reach with acquisition of Chestnut Global Partners 4-Traders

IPO

• intelliHR closes IPO ahead of schedule Medianet

New Product Announcement

• Minted Introduces First-Ever In-Home Portrait Photography Service with Photo-Op PR Newswire
• Walmart Offers New Financial Wellness Services for Associates Nationwide Business Wire
• LinkedIn opens up the internal tool its engineers use to find technical issues SiliconAngle
• Onfido launches global Identity Verification on Salesforce AppExchange to bring streamlined digital onboarding to banks RealWire
• ConnectYourCare Introduces New Platform to Help Benefits Brokers Optimize Employer Health Care Accounts and Increase Revenue Potential PRWeb
• Freelancer.com Launches API for Automated Access to Outsourced WorkProgrammableWeb
• Paychex Introduces AccountantHQ, Delivering a Superior Technology and Service Experience to Accountants PR Newswire
• Velpic launches eLearning platform for National Rugby League players Proactive Investors
• New Social Solution Extends Limeade Engagement Platform GlobeNewswire
• Hireology Releases New Sourcing Tools for Employers to Track ROI and Drive Quality Applicants PR Newswire
• Phenom People Unveils Internal Mobility and Referral Application to Help Organizations Encourage Talent Movement & Increase Retention Rates GlobeNewswire
• Aasaanjobs continues expansion; launches new solar vertical newKerala.com
• HiBob Launches Benefits Platform in Partnership with Aviva, Smart Pension, Sodexo and Canada Life PR Newswire
• Stella.ai Launches World’s First Shared Talent Network PR Newswire
• Ascendify Announces Release of Talent Marketplace, Bringing a Gig Focus to Large Enterprise Companies WebWire
• TalentAdore unveils job-ads service for social media AIM Group
• M-tech Eros Plus lands in India for ₹4,299 The Indian Wire

New Geo Entry

• LinkedIn sets up innovation center in Shenzhen city Sina
• Wollongong-based KeyPay sets sights on UK expansion CRN
• City centre move for fast-growing tech start-up TheBusinessDesk

Business Partnership

• Monjin partners with Microsoft to provide next generation of interview assessmentsIndiatimes
• CYPHER LEARNING Announces MATRIX LMS Integration with 750+ apps via ZapierHITECH news articles

Company Announcement

• Cardiome Announces Strategic Licensing Agreement To Commercialize Aggrastat In Russia PR Newswire

Earning Release

• Workday Announces Fiscal 2018 Third Quarter Financial Results Marketwired

Earnings Commentary

• Paychex Q2 Adj. Earnings Meets View; Affirms FY18 RTTNews

Key People Movement

• Qualtrics Names Julie Larson-Green Chief Experience Officer PR Newswire
• Cornerstone OnDemand Names Jeff Lautenbach as President of Global Field OperationsBusiness Wire
• Tuition.io Continues Its Growth Trajectory – Adds New Hires Bob Wall As VP Of Engineering & Mark Irvine As CRO To Rapidly Expanding Team PR Newswire

Award

• Facebook Tops List of Best Places to Work, Survey Says The Wall Street Journal
• Ultimate Software Honored as a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award Winner Business Wire

Analyst Picks

• Lumen Bioscience (2017, Seattle, $11.2M) – Algae production technology developer
  Market: AgriTech > Agribusiness > Cultivation > Algae
• ClariFruit (2016, Ness Ziona) – Mobile app to monitor and analyze fruit quality and ripeness
  Market: AgriTech > Supply Chain Tech > Content analysis
• PharmaCielo (2014, Toronto, $9.6M) – Controlled environment cultivation of medicinal cannabis and production of cannabis oil and other products
  Market: AgriTech > Indoor Agriculture > AgriBusiness > Cultivation > Soil-based > Cannabis

Funding Rounds

Series D, $275M
Ginkgo Bioworks (2008, Boston, $429M) – Designs microbes to produce cultured ingredients
Investors: Viking Global Investors, Y Combinator, Cascade Investment Group, General Atlantic, Bill Gates

Series D, $110M
Farmer’s Business Network (2014, Davenport, $192.9M) – Network based big data analytics for farmers to increase productivity
Investors: T. Rowe Price, Temasek, Acre Venture Partners, KPCB, DBL Partners, GV

Series D, $47M
Indigo (2013, Cambridge, $366.5M) – Delivery of selective plant microbes through seed coatings for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses
Investors: ICD

Series D, $44M
Fractal Labs (2013, Morelos, $44M) – Develops robots and assorted AI based robot control software
Investors: GV, True Ventures, IDO Investments

Series B, $12.7M
Crop One Holdings (2012, Millis, $12.7M) – Infrastructure development and technology for indoor agriculture

Series B, $12.3M
Asilomar Bio (2013, San Francisco, $15.3M) – Developer of biological products for crop protection and enhancement
Investors: Syngenta Ventures, Cavallo Ventures, Mission Bay Capital, Fall Line Capital, Cultivian Sandbox

Series A, $11.2M
Lumen Bioscience (2017, Seattle, $11.2M) – Algae production technology developer
Investors: Bioeconomy Capital, Avista

Series B, $7.7M
Inocucor (2007, Montreal, $45.4M) – Sustainable Biological Products for enhancing plant growth
Investors: Sustainable Development Technology Canada

Series A, $5.7M
Farmwise (2016, San Francisco, $6.3M) – Robotic equipment for automating weed elimination and data gathering operations on vegetable farms
Investors: Playground Global, Felicis Ventures, Basis Set Ventures, Valley Oak Investments

Seed, $4.2M
MilkLane (2015, Mumbai, $4.2M) – Online platform for industrial-scale milk collection and supply
Investors: Pioneering Ventures, Schreiber Foods

Post IPO, $4.1M
Avivagen (2005, Ottawa) – Development and marketing of livestock animal feed additives

Series B, $3.5M
Weather Analytics (2005, Washington D.C., $36.3M) – Historical, current and forecast weather conditions

Seed, $2.4M
Tortuga AgTech (2016, Denver, $5M) – Integrated business for cultivation in soil-based automated greenhouses and supply of produce
Investors: Root Ventures, Susa Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Grit Labs, StartX, SVG Partners, Haystack

Series A, $2M
PharmaCielo (2014, Toronto, $9.6M) – Controlled environment cultivation of medicinal cannabis and production of cannabis oil and other products

Post IPO, $1.8M
Surna (2010, Boulder, $1.2M) – Climate control systems for indoor agriculture with a focus on cannabis

M&A

• TyraTech : Proposed Sale of Vamousse for Initial Consideration of $13 Million in Cash, New Strategic Focus on Animal Health 4-Traders
• Sample6 Pathogen DETECT Platform Acquired by IEH PR Newswire
• rfxcel Acquires Frequentz Assets PR Newswire
• Myriad Mobile Acquires iNet Solutions Group Business Wire
• Future Farm Hires RwE In Preparation For Spin Off Of New Augmented Reality Cannabis Company NewMediaWire
• AgroFresh Closes Acquisition of Controlling Interest in Tecnidex Business Wire
• InnovaSea Systems Announces Acquisition of Amirix Systems PR Newswire
• Bayer Receives CFIUS Clearance For Monsanto Deal RTTNews
• Chinese Seed Producer Yuan Longping Acquires Dow AgroSciences’ Corn Seed Business in Brazil Yicai Global
• Hydrofarm Acquires Greenstar Plant Products and Eddi’s Wholesale Garden SupplyBusiness Wire

New Product Announcement

• Fluence Bioengineering Launches New Vertical Farming Lighting Solutions LEDinside
• Zoetis Launches Vanguard® CIV H3N2/H3N8 Vaccine for Canine Influenza Virus Business Wire
• GrowLife, Inc. Launches Cube Pro California Edition Grow Starter Kits; Recreational Market Compliant Business Wire
• Swift Navigation Building An Autonomous Future Through Smart Vehicle Positioning And Navigation Technologies SuperbCrew
• Verra Wellness launches cannabis nasal spray, other products in Colorado Cannabis Daily Record
• American Robotics Unveils Fully Autonomous Drone System for Precision FarmingRoboticsTomorrow
• Highline Mushrooms wins new product award The Packer
• Farmcrowdy unveils app thenationonlineng.net
• Autogrow launches cloud application fruitnet.com
• Introducing Insights – Unlocking Data Potential ResponseSource

New Geo Entry

• US biotech firm increases Teesside presence following successful year Bdaily

Business Partnership

• UrtheCast and SIIS sign agreement for the global distribution of their respective portfoliosPR Newswire
• Delta 9 Extends Partnership with Canopy Growth; Joins CraftGrow Program 4-Traders

Company Announcement

• Future Farm Signs Contract to Buy Cannabis Zoned Building in Rhode IslandGlobeNewswire
• Future Farm Signs First Cannabis Grower From Puget Sound Energy Rebate ProgramPR Newswire
• Future Farm Closes on 120-Acre Licensed Industrial Hemp Farm Projects Over $10million in Revenue PR Newswire
• Future Farm Releases LED Canada Update PR Newswire
• ICC International Cannabis Corporation Changes its Name to ICC Labs Inc. to Reflect Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Opportunity Marketwired

Earning Release

• Evogene Reports Third Quarter 2017 Financial Results GlobeNewswire
• Avivagen Inc. Announces Results for Fiscal Year Ending October 31, 2017 4-Traders
• CannTrust Turns To Profit In Q3 RTTNews

Research Partnership

• Synlogic and Ginkgo Bioworks Announce Collaboration as First Step Toward Building an Unprecedented Discovery Engine for Novel Living Medicines in Neurological and Liver Disorders Business Wire
• Systech International and NKP Pharma Expand Presence in India to Deliver Pharmaceutical Serialization and Traceability Solutions PR Newswire
• Ceres Imaging Partners with Evergreen FS to Bring Pest and Disease Early Warning System to Corn and Soybean Farmers PR Newswire
• NRGene Delivers First-ever Food Potato Genomes PR Newswire

Key People Movement

• Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Expands Team With Appointment of New Molecular BiologistBioSpace
• Future Farm Expands Management Team and Provides Information on Voluntary Shareholder Warrant Conversion PR Newswire

Board Updates

• Avivagen appoints Aubrey Dan to the Board of Directors Talent4Boards
• Arcadia Biosciences appoints Board member Kevin Comcowich as new ChairmanTalent4Boards

Regulatory Issue

• India fines Monsanto for delays in answering anti-trust questions Reuters

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

MAAD (2016, Bangalore), platform enabling users to create advertisements for brands. Founder is also co-Founder Connectingchef.com and is an alumnus of Delhi University. Global comparables are Olapic (2010, NYC, $21M) and Beeroll (2016, NYC).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Lendingkart (2014, Ahmedabad), online platform that provides working capital for SMBs in India, raises $3.8M in Debt round of funding from State Bank of India. Link

Foyr (2014, Hyderabad), provider of online B2C interior designing services for houses, raises $3.8M in Series A round of funding led By JLL and other individual and non-institutional investors. Link

Boodmo (2014, Gurgaon), online marketplace for automobile spare parts, raises additional $765k in funding from its existing investors. Link

Param (2017, Hyderabad), AI-enabled candidate shortlisting solution for recruiters, raises $267k in Seed round of funding led by the US-based Institutional Fund Core Financials LLC and Ashish Vidyarthi. Link

VeriTrans (2012, Jakarta), provider of payment gateway for ecommerce merchants, partners with ViziTech Solutions (2013, Pune), managed services provider, to explore areas of collaboration. Link

Paytm (2010, Noida), provider of mobile wallet and payments bank, set to launch incubator for startups. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

NodeSource (2014, SF), provider of enterprise Node.js solutions for performance and productivity, raises $17.5M in Series B round of funding from Silicon Valley Bank, Industry Ventures, Crosslink Capital and RRE Ventures. Link

OutboundWorks (2017, SF), provider of a sales development platform, raises $2.25M in Seed round of funding led by True Ventures and NextGen Ventures. Link

FindBob (2014, Toronto), platform for succession planning tools for financial advisors, raises $1.25M in Seed round of funding led by Grinnell Mutual, MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund, Ames Seed Capital, with participation from the Global Insurance Accelerator and Canadian and U.S.-based angels.. Link

Soonicorn Club

• Soonicorn

  Health I.Q. (2012, Mountain View, $81M) – Offers health quizzes to improve health consciousness and provides life insurance quotes using science and data
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > Life & Health > Life

• Minicorn

  Matic Insurance (2014, Lviv, $7M) – Home insurance quote provider
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > Property & Casualty > Home

• Minicorn

  FRISS (2006, Utrecht, $17.6M) – Analytics software for fraud, risk and compliance in the P&C insurance sector
  Market: Insurance Tech > Enablers > Back-end Solutions > Fraud & Risk Management

Analyst Picks

• Zego (2016, London, $9.5M) – On-demand auto insurance for delivery drivers
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > On-Demand Insurance

Funding Rounds

Series C, $120M
Lemonade (2015, New York City, $180M) – Online home and renters insurance provider
Investors: GV, General Catalyst Partners, Sequoia Capital, Aleph Venture Capital, Sound Ventures, Thrive Capital, Tusk Ventures, XL Innovate, Allianz, SoftBank Group

Series C, $40M
H2O.ai (2011, Mountain View, $75M) – Provides an open source machine learning platform
Investors: NVIDIA, Wells Fargo, New York Life Insurance, Crane Venture Partners, Nexus Venture Partners, Transamerica Ventures, Aegon

Series C, $30M
Bima (2010, Stockholm, $112.2M) – Provider of mobile-delivered insurance in emerging markets
Investors: Allianz

Series B, $23.4M
Mojio (2012, Vancouver, $40.7M) – Cloud-connected device and platform for cars
Investors: Kensington Capital Partners, Trend Forward Capital, Innogy Venture Capital, BDC Capital, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, Relay Ventures, Amazon

Series A, $17.6M
FRISS (2006, Utrecht, $17.6M) – Analytics software for fraud, risk and compliance in the P&C insurance sector
Investors: Aquiline Capital Partners, BlackFin Capital Partners

Series B, $5.9M
Cytora (2013, Cambridge, $8.8M) – Real time data analytics for geographic security threats
Investors: QBE Group, Starr Companies, Cambridge Innovation Capital, Cambridge Enterprise, Parkwalk, Ilkka Paananen, Paul Forster

Series A, $5M
Bayzat (2012, Dubai, $12.5M) – A UAE based aggregator of financial and insurance products.
Investors: Silicon Badia, BECO Capital

Seed, $4.5M
Fuzzy (2016, San Francisco, $4.5M) – Insurance cover for Pets
Investors: Eniac Ventures, Crosscut, Precursor Ventures, SV Angel, FJ Labs

Series A, $3.5M
DreamQuark (2014, Paris, $3.5M) – Uses machine intelligence to develop prevention and diagnostic systems
Investors: CapHorn Invest, Plug and Play Tech Center

Seed, $175K
Medicare Pathfinder (2016, Atlanta, $175K) – Marketplace of medicare products
Investors: Piedmont Investment Group

Series A
Lubi Chexian (2015, Shenzhen, $1.4M) – Usage based insurance for Automobiles
Investors: Walden International

Series A
Inzmo (2015, Tallinn) – Insurance via mobile app
Investors: Helvetia

Series B
Premfina (2015, London, $36M) – Saas for Insurance finance
Investors: Fineqia

Series C
Skymet Weather (2003, Noida, $5.2M) – Crop insurance and weather forecasting data services
Investors: InsuResilience Investment, BlueOrchard Finance

M&A

• GoCompare to buy MyVoucherCodes.co.uk for 35 million pounds Reuters
• Genworth and Oceanwide Extend Merger Agreement PR Newswire
• Verisk Analytics : to Acquire PowerAdvocate 4-Traders
• Actua Announces Successful Completion of Sale of VelocityEHS and Bolt SolutionsGlobeNewswire
• Cover-More acquires majority stake in data analytics firm FitSense Deal Street Asia
• Octo Telematics Completes Acquisition of Willis Towers Watson UBI Assets Business Wire
• TechCanary acquires Atlanta development firm BizTimes
• HMT advises as Acturis acquires insurance software business The Business Magazine

IPO

• Temasek-backed Policybazaar.com starts process for IPO VCCircle

New Product Announcement

• CCC Launches CCC™ X Connected Data Exchange PR Newswire
• Black-owned insurtech startup Fo-Sho to unveil new short-term insurance productVentureburn
• Arity’s New Real-Time Accident Prediction Offerings to Help Reduce Vehicle Collisions and Fatalities on the Road GlobeNewswire
• CLARA analytics Unveils Industry-First Network Analysis Solution to Incorporate Case-Mix Adjusted Scoring Into Network Stacks Business Wire
• SURE Launches First U.S. App-Based Rental Car Insurance PR Newswire
• Clearsurance Launches New Educational Content Platform for Consumers and Announces Strategic New Hires Business Wire
• Latest Capabilities Released for IVANS Exchange 2018 PRWeb
• Malaysian Insurtech Company, Fatberry Launches FinTechnews

New Geo Entry

• eBaoTech Announces Global Launch of eBaoCloud InsureMO PR Newswire

Business Partnership

• Waymo & Trov Partner For Self-Driving Rider Insurance Android Headlines
• Rent Stabilization Association of NYC and Rhino Announce Partnership to Bring Security Deposit Alternative to Members 4-Traders
• KeyBank Forms Strategic Partnership With Snapsheet To Provide Powerful Insurance Claims Payment Solutions PR Newswire
• Verisk Analytics : PICC Re Collaborates with AIR Worldwide to Manage Its Growing Portfolio 4-Traders
• Chinese online insurer ZhongAn forms offshore arm with Sinolink to up bets on fintech, insurtech globally South China Morning Post
• SSP accelerates Pure Insurance implementations with RWITL partnership Bobsguide
• Affinion Insurance Solutions Partners with Tomorrow Ideas PR Newswire

Company Announcement

• Property website ZPG ends pursuit of rival GoCompare Reuters
• Sapiens Announces that Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Completes First Year Under StoneRivers PowerSuite Enterprise PressReleasePoint
• FINEOS Announces Three New Customers in the Cloud Business Wire
• Western Reserve Group Deploys Guidewire Systems for Claims Management and Digital Engagement PressReleasePoint
• Collective Health Doubles Enterprise Clients and Prepares for Rapid 2018 ExpansionBusiness Wire
• Sirius Group Selects Insurity SIMS Claims and Oceanwide Bridge with Cloud Deployment Business Wire

Earning Release

• Guidewire Software Announces First Quarter Fiscal 2018 Financial Results Business Wire

Earnings Commentary

• Oscar Health expects to generate $1 billion in revenue and sign up 250,000 members in 2018 TechCrunch

Key People Movement

• Connecture Announces Brian Lindstrom as New Chief Financial Officer GlobeNewswire
• Collective Health : Expands Leadership and Advisory Board with Healthcare and HR Industry Leaders 4-Traders

Board Updates

• Health Insurance Innovations adds John Fichthorn to its Board as Independent DirectorTalent4Boards
• Goji adds to advisory board Wealth Adviser

Award

• Benefitfocus Wins Gold in the 2017 Brandon Hall Group Excellence Awards in Technology PR Newswire
• FAST Earns XCelent Award for Advanced Technology Business Wire

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Datacogin (2016, Bangalore), low-cost AI based clinical decision support solutions. Founders are ex- Boeing, Motorola, IISC, and are alumni of IIT-Varanasi and Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College. Local comparables are Sigtuple (2015, Bangalore, $6.5M) and Artelus (2017, Bangalore). Global comparables are DeepMind (2011, London, $50M) and RGI (2011, Cornwallville, $1M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

GarageOnRoad (2017, Noida), mobile-based aggregator for automobile service providers, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed round of funding from Jerry Gupta. Link

Olive Bar and Kitchen (2000, Delhi), fine dining restaurant chain, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from Rabo Equity Advisors. Link

SHEROES (2013, Delhi), web and mobile app based community and job portal for women, acquires Babygogo (2015, Bangalore), mobile based app for parents to connect with doctors for child care, for an undisclosed amount. Link

MonkeyBox (2015, Bangalore), online platform to book lunch-box delivery to school kids, acquires 75 In A Box (2015, Bangalore), internet first restaurant serving calorie counted healthy meals, for an undisclosed amount. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Tovala (2015, Chicago), smart appliance manufacturer and food subscription service provider, raises $9.2M in Series A round of funding led by Origin Ventures, with participation from Pritzker Group, Y Combinator, Joe Mansueto and Larry Levy. Link

Radar Relay (2017, Fort Collins), decentralized token exchange solution provider, raises $3m in Seed round of funding led by Blockchain Capital, with participation from SV Angel, Digital Currency Group, Reciprocal Ventures, Collaborative Fund, Kindred Ventures, Kokopelli Capital, Notation Capital, Sparkland Capital, V1.VC, and a group of private angels. Link

nOCD (2014, Chicago), mobile mental health app, raises $1M in funding from 7wire Ventures. Link

Elliott Management, Qatar-based venture capital firm, acquires Gigamon (2004, Milpitas), provider of traffic visibility fabric solutions, for $1.6B. Link

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Veripay (2016, Bangalore), blockchain-based transaction and payment platform for enterprises. Founders are ex-Kotak Mahindra Bank, Fullerton India Credit Company and alumni of Xavier Institute of Management and NIT – Rourkela. Local comparables are Chainflux (2017, Bangalore) and QzIP (2017, Noida). Global comparables are Bext360 (2016, Denver, $1.2M) and TTDocks (2016, Singapore).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Aptus Value Housing (2009, Chennai), provider of loans for affordable housing, raises $31M in debt round of funding from a mutual fund. Link

Kolte-Patil (2013, Pune), real estate firm, raises $30M in funding from KKR. Link

H-Bots Robotics (2015, Hyderabad), developer of humanoid robots, launches world’s first smart policing robot. Link

InnerChef (2015, Gurgaon), internet-first restaurant, plans to launch more kitchens and brands and leverage artificial intelligence. Link

H-Bots Robotics (2015, Hyderabad), developer of humanoid robots, launches world’s first smart policing robot. Link

Facebook (2004, Menlo Park), social networking site, plans to establish digital training centres and online startup hubs to assist entrepreneurs in starting up and scaling their businesses. Link

HDFC Bank (1994, Mumbai), diversified banking and financial services firm, partners with Rajasthan Govt. to promote startup culture in the state under its SmartUp programme. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

One Concern (2015, Palo Alto), provider of disaster management solutions, raises $20M in Series A round of funding led by New Enterprise Associates. Link

WhiteFox Defense Technologies, Inc. (2012, San Luis Obispo), developer of  counter-drone systems for mobile and fixed assets, raises $200k in Seed round of funding led by Serra Ventures. Link

FinTech Collective, New York-based venture capital firm, raises $93.83M for its second venture capital fund. Link

A weekly newsletter summarizing recent activity in the Chinese startup ecosystem.

DEALS OF THE WEEK

Jack Ma-Backed Yunfeng Capital Joins $814M New Round In Suning’s Financial Service Unit
Suning Finance (2015, Nanjing), a financial services unit of Chinese electronics retailer Suning Commerce Group Co., Ltd., raised $814M in an undisclosed round led by Yunfeng Capital.

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Fosun Pharma Joins $190M New Round In Chinese Biotechnology Company Henlius
Henlius Biotech Inc. (2009, Xuhui), a joint venture in China established by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Henlius Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd, focusing on the development, production and commercialization of mAb biosimilar drugs, bio-betters and novel mAbs using cutting-edge technology, raised $190M in a strategic financing round led by Shanghai Fosun Pharmaceutical (Group) Co.,Ltd, Shenzhen GTJA Investment Group, Joyful Ascent, and Green Tomato.

CDH Investments, Apax Partners Co-Lead $60M Series D Round In Chinese Plastic Surgery App SoYoung
Soyoung (2013, Beijing), a plastic surgery mobile app, raised $60M in Series D round from CDH Investments, Apax Partners, Trustbridge Partners, and Matrix Partners China.

Chinese Co-Working Space UrWork Raises $45M Round At $1.3B Valuation
UrWork (2015, Beijing), a co-working office space operator, raised $45M in Series C round led by Qianhai Wutong Mergers and Acquisition Funds. CKing Home-Key Investment Group and Context Lab also participated in the round.

Alibaba, Yunfeng Makes Strategic Investment In Chinese Dairy Product Reseller Theland Milk
Theland Milk (2012, Shanghai), a dairy product seller, raised an undisclosed amount in a strategic financing round led by Alibaba Group, and Yunfeng Capital.

Tencent, Sequoia China Invest In Chinese EV Firm WM Motor After Duo Backed Rival NIO
WM Motor (2015, Shanghai), an electric vehicle developer, raised an undisclosed amount in a round led by Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Sequoia Capital China. China Structural Reform Fund also participated in the round.

HG Capital, Ping An Co-Lead New Funding Round In Chinese Pharmaceutical Platform Rogrand
Rogrand E-commerce Co., Ltd  (2010, Beijing), a pharmaceutical industry chain service platform, raised an undisclosed amount in Series C round led by HG Capital, Ping An Ventures, Trustbridge Partners, and Fosun RZ Capital.

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

China’s LexinFintech Completes $108M Listing As Sixth Chinese Fintech IPO In US
LexinFintech Holdings Ltd., a Chinese online lender, completed a listing on NASDAQ to raise $108M, becoming the sixth Chinese Fintech company to complete an IPO in the US in 2017.

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Coindelta (2017, Pune), bitcoin trading platform. Founders are ex- co-Founder Imba Capital, Viceroy Studios, Goryd, Snapdeal, and are alumni of IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi. Local comparables are Koinex (2017, Mumbai) and ethexIndia (2016, Hyderabad). Global comparables are HitBTC (2014, SF, $11M) and Kraken (2011, SF, $5M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Vivimed Labs (1988, Hyderabad), manufacturer of APIs, formulations and specialty chemicals, raises additional $7.5M in Post IPO from OrbiMed Asia. Link

IDfy (2011, Mumbai), online platform for identity and background verification, raises $3M in funding from NEA, with participation from NB Ventures and others. Link

CleverTap (2013, Mumbai), SaaS based user behaviour analysis & targeting tool, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from Recruit Holdings, along with Sequoia Capital India and Accel Partners. Link

Dukanline (2014, Hyderabad), eCommerce platform to sell out-of-stock products, acquires Mystore (2016, Hyderabad), for $6.1M. Link

Snapdeal (2007, Delhi), online horizontal marketplace, invests $4.1M into its logistics arm Vulcan Express (2013, Gurgaon), end to end eCommerce logistics solution provider. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

TrendKite (2012, Austin), SaaS based PR analytics tool, raises additional $11M in funding led by Harmony Partners, along with Chartbeat, mParticle and Postmates. Link

iCapital Network (2013, NYC), platform for accredited investors to invest Private Equity funds, acquires US private equity access fund platform from Deutsche Bank. Link

Mercedes-Benz (2010, Berlin), luxury automobile manufacturer, partners with what3words(2013, London), provider of solution to locate any point on globe using three words, to incorporate what3words into their next generation infotainment system. Link

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

EZether (2017, Bangalore), platform to trade cryptocurrency. Founders are ex- Braingain, Farmalytics Labs,  and are alumni of UC Berkeley. Local comparables are Unocoin (2013, Bangalore, $1.75M) and Coinsecure (2014, Delhi, $1.2M). Global comparable is HitBTC(2014, SF, $11M) and Localbitcoins (2012, Helsinki).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Indiabulls Housing Finance (2005, Gurgaon), provider of home loan and loan against property, raises $154M in funding from Yes Bank. Link

MedPlus (2006, Hyderabad), pharmacy retail chain, raises $117.6M in Debt round of funding from Goldman Sachs. Link

Spice Digital (2000, Noida), mobile value added services and technology solutions provider, invests $3.8M in AnyTimeLoan (2016, Hyderabad), P2P lending platform for personal, education and business loans. Link

emotix (2014, Mumbai), personal social robot for interaction, launches next generation emotionally intelligent companion robot for children in the U.S. Market. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

DNAnexus (2009, Mountain View), cloud-based genome informatics & data management platform, raises $58M in funding led by new investor Foresite Capital with strategic investment from Microsoft, GV, TPG Biotech, WuXi NextCODE, Claremont Creek Ventures, and MidCap Financial. Link

Muscle Food (2013, Nottingham), provider of a range lean meats, high-protein food and sports supplements, raises $13.2M in funding from BGF. Link

SuperMeat (2015, Tel Aviv), biotech company developing technology to produce lab cultured meat, raises $3M in Seed round of funding led by New Crop Capital and Stray Dog Capital. Link

Apple (1976, Cupertino), consumer electronics manufacturer, acquires Buddybuild (2015, Vancouver), mobile iteration platform, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Yeahmobi (2011, Xian), programmatic advertising and retargeting platform, partners with Forensiq (2010, NYC), online advertising fraud detection platform, to bolster ad fraud detection and purify web traffic. Link

Analyst Picks

• Kubric (2017, Bangalore) – AI enabled assistant for video creation
  Market: MarketingTech > Content Marketing > Content Creation > Tools > Video

Funding Rounds

Series B, $50M
Throtle (2015, New York City, $50M) – Customer data platform for businesses
Investors: TransUnion, Auren Hoffman

Series C, $21M
Leadspace (2007, Hod Hasharon, $56M) – B2B Lead Scoring Platform
Investors: Arrowroot Capital, Jerusalem Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, Vertex Ventures

Series C, $19M
NGData (2012, Mechelen, $44.4M) – Interactive Big Data consumer intelligence company
Investors: HPE Growth Capital, Idinvest Partners, Pamica, SmartFin Capital, Capricorn Venture Partners, Nausicaa Ventures

Series B, $11.5M
Seven Rooms (2009, New York City, $16.4M) – Restaurant reservation and CRM software
Investors: Comcast Ventures

Series B, $9M
Affinio (2013, New York City, $14M) – Social Insights Platform for Marketing
Investors: Whitecap Venture Partners, Social Starts, Round 13 Capital, Build Ventures

Series B, $5M
Artesian (2007, Winnersh, $16.1M) – Customer Intelligence platform for Sales Optimization.
Investors: Columbia Lake Partners

Series C, $4.6M
Kaizen Platform (2013, San Francisco, $22.4M) – Website UI testing marketplace and optimization platform
Investors: SBI Investment, Dentsu Innovation Partners, Mizuho Capital, YJ Capital

Series A, $4M
Nylas (2013, San Francisco, $12M) – Open source email platform
Investors: 8VC, CrunchFund, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Rubicon Venture Capital

Series A, $3.3M
CaliberMind (2014, Boulder, $4.4M) – NLP and ML based account based marketing platform

Series A, $3.2M
SpringBig (2012, Boca Raton, $6.3M) – Tablet based loyalty program management for SMB’s
Investors: Green Acre Capital, undefined

Series D, $3.0M
Lattice (2006, San Mateo, $78.0M) – Lead Scoring and Conversion App for Marketing and Sales

Series A, $2.5M
ConDati (2017, Menlo Park, $3.5M) – AI & ML enabled marketing analytics solution for businesses
Investors: The Entrepreneurs’ Fund

Series C, $2M
Wyng (2010, New York City, $33.5M) – Digital and Social Content Marketing platform

Seed, $1.5M
Zesty (2010, San Diego, $2.8M) – Content management platform for businesses and freelancers
Investors: ClearVision Equity Partners

Seed, $1.2M
PhoneWagon (2017, New York City, $1.2M) – Call tracking and analytics for businesses and marketing agencies test
Investors: Birchmere Ventures, Active Capital

M&A

• Dentsu Aegis Network Acquires DWA to Further Boost B-to-B Capability at MerkleBusiness Wire
• Zeta Global acquires commenting service Disqus TechCrunch
• Scaleworks announces pre-holiday surprise with Keen IO acquisition Technology News Article
• Cision Agrees to Acquire PRIME Research PR Newswire
• Sprout Social Acquires Social Analytics Leader Simply Measured Business Wire
• Research Now and SSI Merger Successfully Completed PR Newswire
• Quark Acquires Docurated: Enterprise Sales Asset Management Meets Content Automation GlobeNewswire
• ModusLink Announces Acquisition of IWCO Direct for $476 Million in Cash PR Newswire
• IMImobile acquires Healthcare Communications UK Limited directorsclub.news
• ConversionPoint Technologies Acquires Leading e-Commerce Technology Provider, Sellpoints GlobeNewswire

New Product Announcement

• AWS launches Alexa for Business Telecompaper
• Optimization startup Taplytics expands beyond mobile apps with its new Experience Cloud TechCrunch
• Vidyard Brings Enhanced Video Platform with Social Video Capabilities MarTech Advisor
• Reputation.com : Introduces Unified Customer Experience Solution 4-Traders
• Findit Launches Findit Prime Package that Provides Members with the Benefit of Online Marketing Tools at a Cost Effective Price Point NewMediaWire
• SimilarWeb’s New Ad Intelligence Enables Users to Monitor and Grow Advertising ROIMarTech Advisor
• Zignal Labs Launches Strategic Government Relations Solution GlobeNewswire
• Digimind Launches Social Wall, the Most Powerful Data Visualization Tool to Share Consumer Voice Across the Business PRWeb
• Fastbase Will Predict the Future with its New Web Analytics Software PR Newswire
• M Science Launches Alibaba Advertising Spending Data Product Ad Tech Daily
• Baifendian releases China’s 1st industrial AI decision-making system Chinadaily
• Swrve Introduces Intent Engine With Support for Real-Time Audience Profiling Marketwired
• Branch Announces the Mobile Industry’s First People-based Attribution Engine PR Newswire
• Dynamic Yield Launches Email Personalization Suite To Drive Engagement MediaPost
• Leanplum simplifies personalized app marketing with Campaign Composer Business of Apps
• Heap Introduces New Platform to Derive Customer Insights Technology-Signals
• Lingotek Introduces the Translation Industry’s First Technology Solution for Automating Linguistic Quality Evaluation GlobeNewswire
• LiftIgniter Announces Personalized AI Machine Learned Email GlobeNewswire

New Market Entry

• Netcore Solutions enters Indian marketing & customer analytics segment Deccan Herald

New Geo Entry

• Sentiance to enter Chinese market with PNP Telecompaper

Business Partnership

• SDL Selects Appian for Digital Transformation GlobeNewswire
• Sigstr Joins Marketo® Innovate Partner Ecosystem to Enhance Content for Account-Based Marketing Campaigns Business Wire
• SinglePoint and Smart Cannabis Corp. Sign Joint Venture to Integrate, Distribute ‘SMART APP’ for Cannabis Businesses GlobeNewswire
• RedPoint Global Expands Partnership With Acxiom PR Newswire
• Bidalgo and AppsFlyer Team Up to Bring Attribution Solution for Search Ads Technology-Signals
• PossibleNOW Announces Partnership with Scribe Software for Enhanced Data Integration Services PRWeb
• SmartAction Joins NICE inContact DEVone Program to Provide AI-Powered Intelligent Self-Service to Contact Centers on CXexchange Marketplace Business Wire

Earning Release

• Yext sees 39% revenue growth in latest quarter TechCrunch

Key People Movement

• App Annie Adds to Executive Team Amid Rapid Company Growth PR Newswire
• Merkle Appoints Michael Komasinski as EMEA President Business Wire

Analyst Picks

• Spectral Insights (2016, Bangalore) – Hyperspectral medical imaging solutions
  Market: Medical Devices (by Specialty) > Diagnostic Platforms
• V-Patch Medical Systems (2014, Melbourne) – Cardiac mHealth System for arrhythmias
  Market: Medical Devices (by Specialty) > Cardiovascular > Diagnostics > Cardiac Diagnostics > Electrodiagnostic Testing (ECG) > Home Based > Wearable

Funding Rounds

Series E, $150M
InSightec (1999, Tirat Karmel, $306.9M) – MR-guided ultrasound treatment for multiple diseases
Investors: Koch Industries

Series B, $114M
Semma Therapeutics (2014, Boston, $158M) – Bio-Artificial Pancreas for Type 1 Diabetes treatment
Investors: Eight Roads Ventures, Cowen, MPM Capital, FPrime Capital Partners, ARCH Venture Partners, Medtronic, Novartis, JDRF, Shuanghu capital investment, Sinopharm Capital, WuXi Healthcare Ventures

Series E, $58.5M
Respicardia (2006, Minnetonka, $147.3M) – Manufacturing implantable stimulation device to improve cardiovascular health by restoring natural breathing at night
Investors: ZOLL AEDs

Series C, $45M
Vayyar (2011, Yehud, $79M) – Develops mobile, low-cost 3D imaging sensors
Investors: Walden Riverwood Ventures, Claltech, Battery Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Israel Cleantech Ventures, Amiti Ventures

Series D, $44M
Fractyl (2011, Waltham, $115.3M) – Endoscopic procedure for type – 2 diabetes
Investors: GV, True Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Domain Associates, Mithril, Emergent Capital Partners, Deerfield, iDo Fund

PE, $40M
EasyStand (1987, Morton, $40M) – Standing frames for kids and adults

Conventional Debt, $40M
Accuray (1990, Sunnyvale, $1.4M) – Robotic radiosurgery planning and delivery systems
Investors: MidCap Financial

Series B, $37M
Bigfoot Biomedical (2014, Milpitas, $72.5M) – Closed loop automated insulin delivery system
Investors: Janus Henderson Investors, Senvest Capital, Visionnaire Ventures, JDRF, T1DExchange, undefined

Series C, $28.7M
Lumicell Diagnostics (2008, Wellesley, $61.5M) – Intraoperative imaging system to detect cancer margins
Investors: LaunchCapital, BlueIO

Series B, $25M
Taris Biomedical (2008, Lexington, $108.8M) – Drug delivery device for bladder diseases
Investors: Yonghua Capital, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Flagship Pioneering, Polaris Partners, RA Capital Management, Roman Abramovich

Conventional Debt, $20M
Vital Connect (2011, Campbell, $71M) – Biosensor patch for body vitals monitoring
Investors: Oxford Finance

Series B, $18M
Virtual Incision (2006, Lincoln, $31.2M) – Multi-quadrant surgery using miniature robots
Investors: Sinopharm Capital, Bluestem Capital, Prairiegold Venture Partners

Post IPO, $18M
Titan Medical (2008, Toronto, $55.6M) – A surgeon-controlled robotic surgical system for MIS

Post IPO, $15.6M
Wright Medical (1993, Memphis) – Orthopaedic medical device company focussed on extremity & biologic solutions

Venture Debt, $15M
Aerin Medical (2011, Sunnyvale, $27.5M) – Radiofrequency medical wand to reshape nasal tissue to improve airflow
Investors: Horizon Technology Finance

M&A

• Roche and Ignyta Reach Definitive Merger Agreement Business Wire
• On a deal spree, Mallinckrodt bags Sucampo and two late-stage rare disease drugs for $1.2B EndPoints News
• Edwards Acquires Harpoon Medical PR Newswire
• Entellus Medical Announces Definitive Agreement To Be Acquired By Stryker Corporation For A Purchase Price Of $24.00 Per Share In Cash Med Device Online
• Exactech and TPG Capital Announce Amended Merger Agreement Providing for Increase in Merger Consideration to $49.25 per share Business Wire
• BD Statement On MOFCOM Clearance Of Bard Acquisition PR Newswire
• Pappas Capital Portfolio Company Rotation Medical Acquired by Smith & Nephew PR Newswire
• Centinel Spine Completes Acquisition of prodisc Assets PR Newswire
• Endonovo Therapeutics Acquires Assets of Electroceuticals Developer, Rio Grande Neurosciences, and Settles Lawsuit GlobeNewswire
• Oxford Performance Materials Sells Aerospace & Defense Business to Strategic Investor Hexcel Corporation GlobeNewswire

IPO

• Quanterix Corporation Announces Closing of Initial Public Offering Business Wire
• Eyenovia eyes $35M IPO to trial smart ocular delivery tech FierceBiotech
• Belluscura Pulls Plans For USD 13 Million UK-Based IPO Medical Buyer

FDA Approval

• SteadyMed Announces FDA Agreed Pathway to Trevyent NDA Resubmission BioSpace
• Boston Scientific Stock Up As FDA OKs Vercise Deep Brain Stimulation System RTTNews
• Intersect ENT : Announces FDA Approval of SINUVA™ Sinus Implant, a New In-Office Treatment Option for Recurrent Nasal Polyps 4-Traders
• FDA Approves Investigational Device Exemption for SetPoint Bioelectronic Therapy Clinical Study in Rheumatoid Arthritis Pharmacy Choice
• Arch Therapeutics Withdraws 510(k) with Plans to Resubmit After Further Discussions with FDA 4-Traders
• Sernova Receives US FDA IND Allowance to Initiate a US Clinical Trial of its Cell Pouch for the Treatment of Type 1 Diabetes pipelinereview.com
• Gynesonics Announces Submission of FDA 510k for Incision-Free Treatment of Symptomatic Uterine Fibroids Business Wire
• XableCath Receives FDA Clearance for Broadly Effective Catheter Aimed at Peripheral Arterial Disease Market Business Wire
• Chemence Medical Receives FDA Clearance for Exofin Fusion® Skin Closure SystemBusiness Wire
• Glaukos Announces Submission of Premarket Approval Application for the iStent Inject Trabecular Micro-Bypass Eyewire Today

New Product Announcement

• Surgical Device Maker Xenco Medical Unveils TraumaGPS, the First Trauma Surgery Delivery App for Spinal Implant Systems Business Wire
• Companion Medical Announces U.S. Commercial Launch of Smart Insulin Pen SystemPR Newswire
• ImpediMed Launches FDA-Approved SOZO BioSpace
• Launch Of First FDA-Cleared HD Duodenoscope With Disposable Distal Cap Announced by PENTAX Medical Medical Device News Magazine
• Anatomage Inc. Launches Cloud Platform For Easy Medical Image Sharing PR Newswire
• OrthoPediatrics Corp. Launches New Wrist Fusion Plate System GlobeNewswire
• Smith & Nephew Announce European Launch of Handheld Imaging Technology Heralding a New Era of Evidence-Based Decision Making in Wound Care Business Wire
• PTS Diagnostics Announces New Portable Data Capture System for Screening Professionals BioSpace

New Geo Entry

• EDAP’s Focal One® Robotic HIFU Treatments Performed at Acibadem Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey GlobeNewswire
• Fresenius Medical Care achieves a milestone in expanding its Asian operations 4-Traders

Business Partnership

• Accenture and Roche Collaborate to Enhance Digital Healthcare for Cancer PatientsBusiness Wire
• SoftBank and Vayyar announce IoT collaboration Seeking Alpha
• Audax Private Equity : Announces the Recapitalization of Belmont Instrument Corporation 4-Traders

Company Announcement

• Ionis Pharmaceuticals Licenses IONIS-HTT Rx to Partner Following Successful Phase 1/2a Study in Patients with Huntington’s Disease pipelinereview.com

Research Partnership

• Apple launched a study to look for irregular heart rhythms on the Apple Watch TechCrunch
• Janssen Enters Worldwide Collaboration and License Agreement with Chinese Company Legend Biotech to Develop Investigational CAR-T Anti-Cancer Therapy PR Newswire
• TARIS and Bristol-Myers Squibb Announce Clinical Trial Collaboration Business Wire
• ClearPath Development Company Launches Third Collaboration Under Strategic Partnership With Astellas Pharma To Develop Staphylococcus Aureus Vaccine With Boston Children’s Hospital Pharmacy Choice

Board Updates

• Zimmer Biomet : Announces Appointment of Bryan C. Hanson as President and Chief Executive Officer 4-Traders
• Spineology Announces Appointment of Mr. Richard Nigon as New Board of Directors Member Business Wire

Analyst Picks

• Pilotworks (2015, Brooklyn, $13M) – Provider of co-working kitchens, office spaces and mentoring to food upstarts
  Market: RealEstate Tech > Commercial > Co-working > Managed

Funding Rounds

Series F, $450M
Compass (2012, New York City, $775M) – Technology driven Online brokerage firm
Investors: SoftBank Group

Series D, $50M
NestAway (2014, Bangalore, $93.3M) – Marketplace for furnished shared rentals
Investors: Tiger Global Management, IDG Ventures India

Series C, $45.6M
UrWork (2015, Beijing, $472.3M) – Co-working space and community
Investors: Qianhai Indus buyout fund, Medium King Henderson, Scene Lab

Series C, $40M
Common (2015, Brooklyn, $78.3M) – Community living space in the United States
Investors: Norwest Venture Partners

Series C, $26.7M
HouseSimple (2007, Sudbury, $53.2M) – Online estate agency for residential properties in UK.
Investors: FrestonVentures, Toscafund Asset Management, Charles Dunstone

Series B, $20M
Mindspace (2013, Tel Aviv, $35M) – Managed co-working space provider.

Series A, $13M
Pilotworks (2015, Brooklyn, $13M) – Provider of co-working kitchens, office spaces and mentoring to food upstarts
Investors: Techstars, Acre Venture Partners, Slow Ventures, Arena Ventures, Riverpark Funds, Ekistic Ventures

Series C, $8.3M
Realbest (2013, Berlin, $8.3M) – Network of real estate agents

Series A, $3M
Rebls (2011, Seattle, $3.2M) – Off market home listings

Conventional Debt, $1.2M
Clarocity (2013, Carlsbad) – Data & Analytical solution for the valuation of residential housing in the United States
Investors: StableView Asset Management

Conventional Debt, $1M
Clarocity (2013, Carlsbad) – Data & Analytical solution for the valuation of residential housing in the United States
Investors: StableView Asset Management

Series A, $800K
Patch of Land (2013, Los Angeles, $25.6M) – P2P real estate crowdfunding platform.

Series A
Urbanbase (2013, Seoul, $2.8M) – 3-D virtual staging of buildings.
Investors: KDB Capital, Shinhan Capital

Series A
PriceHubble (2015, Zurich, $341K) – Provider of a SaaS solution for analyzing and predicting the value of real estate
investments
Investors: Swiss Life, Swisscom, Helvetia

Series A
Juwai (2010, Hong Kong) – Intenational real estate property portal for Chinese
Investors: Ironfish

M&A

• PropEquity CEO buys back 80% from New York firm Indiatimes
• Inside Real Estate Acquires BrokerSumo PR Newswire
• MRI Software Acquires MDA Property Systems, a Leader in Real Estate Software for the African Market PR Newswire
• Cleantech Solutions International Enters into Share and Purchase Agreement with AnyWorkspace to Expand into Coworking Space Business PR Newswire
• Zoopla to acquire Calcasa, creating largest residential property valuation database in Europe Property Portal Watch
• WeWork to Acquire Meetup.com for $200M Press Release Jet
• Brazil’s Viva Real has merged with Globo-owned Zap Property Portal Watch
• Santa Barbara Homeowner Saves Over $645,000 in Commission Fees Selling $21M Home Using Home Bay’s PR Newswire
• Workspace Provider Common Desk Acquires Method Coffee in Dallas Daily Coffee News
• FBS acquires Solid Earth’s Spring software platform to achieve powerful industry visionPR Newswire

IPO

• PropEquity eyes $100 mn IPO in 2 years NewsBarons

New Fund Launch

• Collision8 co-founder Michelle Yong’s VC fund Aurum Investments aims to invest in proptech startups in Asia E27

New Product Announcement

• N26 launches a premium debit card for ‘the digital customer,’ partners with WeWorkTechCrunch
• Smartworks launches its new Brand in India Spearheaded by “hassle free” video campaign featuring Brijendra Kala NewsBarons
• Wealth Migrate Launches New Digital Currency WEALTHE Coin Crowdfund Insider
• BoomTown’s integrated platform brings growth-minded real estate teams into the digital age Inman
• Immowelt rolls out new app for real estate agents AIM Group
• SeLoger launches new tools for estate agents AIM Group
• Dealius Launches Online Deal Pipeline Management Platform to Transform Commercial Real Estate PR Newswire
• Eagle Technology Introduces Real-time Energy Monitoring and Management SystemPressReleasePoint

New Geo Entry

• FinTech Marketplace Wealth Migrate Continues Expansion with New UK OfficeGlobeNewswire
• WeWork to open co-working space in Funan in Singapore E27
• Redfin Mortgage Expands to Washington, D.C. Business Wire
• Chinese co-working unicorn UrWork to open 2nd Singapore branch in Suntec Citysgsme.sg
• Cadre Announces Expansion with Opening of Toronto Office Business Wire
• Realty platform Square Yards plans expansion Indiatimes
• WorkAmp Spaces Makes its Entry into Mumbai Business Wire India
• WeWork Singapore’s first branch has a ‘shophouse’ theme Property Portal Watch
• NestAway Plans to Expand in Delhi NCR PR Newswire
• Israel-based Mindspace Will Open Coworking Office Locations in the U.S. calcalistech.com
• Launch Pad Announces Second New Coworking Location Silicon Bayou Media
• Realestate.com.au opens new office in deliberate push for market share Real Estate Business

Business Partnership

• Housing Development Financial Corporation and Quikr Announce Transaction. To Launch Online-to-Offline Solutions Wiining Bizness
• Clarocity and CIS Group Announce Strategic Collaboration to Expand Valuation Field Services PR Newswire
• Real Estate Data Startup Perchwell Welcomes Stribling & Associates To Its Platform PR Newswire
• Roostify to Integrate With Black Knight’s LoanSphere Empower Loan Origination SystemBusiness Wire
• The Sports Innovation Lab Partners With WeWork to Build Sports-Tech Focused Labs PR Newswire

Company Announcement

• HomeStreet Bank Signs Five-Year Renewal for LoanSphere MSP Servicing System; Implements LoanSphere Invoicing Solution GlobeNewswire
• Apartment List to Power Apartment Community Listings on Realtor.com® PR Newswire
• Growthpoint Properties Selects MRI Software’s Commercial Real Estate and Investment Solutions PR Newswire

Research Partnership

• roOomy and Matterport Announce Collaboration to Develop Virtual Staging within Matterport 3D Spaces Business Wire

Board Updates

• RESAAS Services : Announces Director Changes 4-Traders

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Sanohub Technologies (2016, Bangalore), IoT based platform for personalized healthcare. Founders are ex- MindTree, Akon Inc, GE, Transasia Biomedicals, and are alumni of Indian Statistical Institute. Local comparable is My Cooey (2015, Bangalore). Global comparables are Verily (2013, SF, $800M) and Sentrian (2012, Aliso Viejo, $12M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Ess Kay Fincorp (1994, Jaipur), financial service provider for vehicles and SMEs, raises $32M in funding from Norwest Venture Partners, Baring Private Equity India and Evolvence India. Link

Chaaipani (2015, Ahmedabad), media platform with stories related to entrepreneurship, art and innovation, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from Marquee Entrepreneur-Investors. Link

Flipkart (2007, Bangalore), online horizontal marketplace, invests $257.3M in its logistics arm Ekart (2009, Bangalore), end to end e-commerce delivery platform. Link

Mahindra Electric (1994, Bangalore), developer of electric cars and commercial vans, launches virtual-reality drive experience for its electric vehicle e2oPlus. Link

PureSoftware (2005, Delhi), software products and services provider, partners with Automation Anywhere (2006, San Jose), provider of robotic process automation platform for enterprises, to accelerate robotic process automation. Link

Paytm Mall (2017, Delhi), online horizontal e-commerce marketplace, partners with Samsung (1969, Seoul), to host the consumer electronics brand store on its platform. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Bolt Threads (2009, Emeryville), manufacturer of fibers for textile industry using artificial silk proteins, raises $123M in Series D round of funding led by Baillie Gifford, with participation from Formation 8, Founders Fund, Fidelity Management, Research Company, Temasek and Allen & Company LLC. Link

Rubikloud (2013, Toronto), provider of big data intelligence for retailers, raises $37M in Series B round of funding led by Intel Capital with participation from Inovia Capital and OTEAF along with previous investors Horizons Ventures and Access Industries. Link

Lovepop (2014, Boston), online platform for sending personalized greeting cards, raises $12.5M in Series A round of funding led by Highland Capital Partners, with participation from return investors Wayfair CEO and co-founder Niraj Shah, Crashlytics founder Wayne Chang, DraftKings CEO and co-founder Jason Robins, and Bob White of Bain Capital. Link

NGCodec (2012, Sunnyvale), developer of video codec silicon intellectual property, raises $8M in Series A round of funding from Belmore Capital, Xilinx and the National Science Foundation. Link

Microsoft (1974, Redwood City), multinational computer software firm, acquires Avere Systems (2008, Pittsburg), NAS optimisation solution provider, for an undisclosed amount. Link

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

CosineLabs (2016, Bangalore), gesture and voice controller hub for smart homes. Founders are ex- Goldman Sachs and Wow Labz. Local comparable is Amie (2017, Kochi). Global comparables are Brilliant (2015, San Mateo, $21M) and 51Ohh (2014, Xian, $1.6M). 

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Paisabazaar (2009, Gurgaon), online loan comparison platform, raises $30.8M in funding from EtechAces. Link

EarlySalary (2015, Pune), NBFC linked lending platform for consumer loans, raises $15.4M in series B round of funding from Eight Road Ventures, with participation from DHFL, IDG and Ashok Aggarwal. Link

True Elements (2015, Pune), manufacturer of health snacks and supplements, raises $788k in pre-Series A round of funding led by the RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group. Link

Buttercups (2011, Bangalore), online private label lingerie brand, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from Rajan Anandan and others. Link

FinREQ (Mumbai), online lending platform, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from Bennett, Coleman & Co Limited. Link

NIIT (2004, Noida), IT solutions provider, acquires Eagle International (1988, Rochester), technical education service provider, for $8.1M. Link

Yatra (2006, Delhi), online travel search engine and bookings platform, launches self-booking platform for SMEs. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

WP Engine (2010, Austin), managed WordPress platform, raises $250M in PE round of funding from Silver Lake Partners. Link

Wealthfront (2008, Palo Alto), automated investment service provider, raises $75M in Series E round of funding led by Tiger Global, with participation from Benchmark Capital, Greylock Partners, Index Ventures, Social Capital, Spark Capital and others. Link

Beautycounter (2013, Santa Monica), line of beauty products provider, raises $65M in funding led by Mousse Partners and earlier investor TPG Growth. Link

MoneyLion (2013, NYC), online personal finance management service provider, raises $42M in Series B round of funding led by Edison Partners, with participation from FinTech Collective, Grupo SURA, Greenspring Associates and Danhua Capital. Link

AImotive (2014, Budapest), AI-based self-driving technology solution provider, raises $38M in Series C round of funding from B Capital Group and Prime Ventures, with participation from Cisco Investments, Samsung Catalyst Fund, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Inventure, Draper Associates, and Day One Capital. Link

NextCapital (1997, Chicago), platform for digital financial advice, raises $30M in Series C round of funding led by Oak HC/FT, with participation from Manulife Financial, Transamerica Ventures, Vermont Seed Capital Fund and Route 66 Ventures. Link

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

PocketBits (2016, Nashik), Indian cryptocurrency exchange. Founder is  ex-founder SlashCorp system. Local comparables are ZebPay (2014, Ahmedabad, $1.15M) and  Unocoin (2013, Bangalore,$1.75M). Global comparables are Coinbase (2012, SF, $217M) and  Coinsquare (2015, Toronto, $8.27M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

UpGrad (2015, Mumbai), online higher education programs for working professionals, to raise $40M in funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Wotu (2015, Bangalore), B2B marketplace for F&B commodities, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed round of funding from Claris Capital and Mumbai Angels Network. Link

EbixCash (2006, Mumbai), remittance services provider, acquires Remittance Business Of Transcorp International (1994, Delhi), remittance and other financial services provider, for $7.4M. Link

Paytm Payments Bank (2016, Noida), RBI licensed Payments Bank offering savings and current accounts partners with IndusInd Bank (1994, Mumbai), personal & corporate banking services, for fixed deposit facility. Link

Catamaran Ventures, a venture capital firm and Amazon (1994, Seattle), international e-commerce website, partners with Prione (2014, Bangalore), E-commerce business consulting services for SMBs, to train people in SMBs. Link

PayUmoney (2011, Gurgaon), payment gateway solutions to merchants and SMBs, plans to close its wallet service. Link

Zoomcar (2013, Bangalore), online self-drive car rental service provider, promotes finance controller Tarun Jain to CFO. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

BioNTech (2008, Mainz), developer and manufacturer of individualized immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases, raises $270M in Series A round of funding led by the Redmile Group and joined by Janus Henderson Investors, Invus, Fidelity Management & Research Company and several European family offices. Link

Gossamer Bio (2017, San Diego), developer of therapeutic products, raises $100M in Series A round of funding led by Arch Venture Partners and Omega Funds. Link

Wealthfront (2008, Palo Alto), automated investment management service provider, raises $75M in Series E round of funding led by Tiger Global Management with participation from Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, Greylock Partners, Index Ventures, Ribbit Capital, Social Capital and Spark Capital Growth. Link

Leading Pharma (2014, Fairfield), generic pharmaceutical company, raises $40M in growth capital financing led by Signet Healthcare Partners in addition to Crestline Investors with other investors comprised of Cane Investment Partners and existing members. Link

Quartet (2014, NYC), population health management platform for integrated behavioral and medical health, raises $40m in Series C round of funding led by F-Prime Capital Partners and Polaris Partners with participation from Oak HC/FT, GV and Deerfield Management. Link

Barracuda (2002, Campbell), network firewall solution for enterprise web & email, acquires PhishLine (1996, Milwaukee), cloud based phishing vulnerability assessment & security awareness training, for undisclosed amount. Link

Priority Software (1986, Tel Aviv), business management and ERP software, acquires Acclivity (2005, Rockaway), small business software and services, for undisclosed amount. Link

A weekly newsletter summarizing recent activity and interesting startups in South East Asia.

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

Karta (2016, Jakarta) – Out-of-home in-transit advertising platform. Global Comparables include Vugo (2015, Minneapolis, $250K) and Riky (2015, Pune, $150K).

AgromeIQ (2017, Bandar Seri Begawan) – IoT based integrated platform for precision agriculture. Global Comparables include Farmobile (2013, Leawood, $23.6M) and Prospera (2013, Tel Aviv, $22M).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

Salarium Payments raises funding
Salarium Payments (2013, Philippines), a cloud based payroll management provider, raises $7M in ICO.

Indoleads raises funding
Indoleads (2015, Kuala Lumpur), a marketing and advertising company, raises an undisclosed amount in Angel round of funding.

UShift raises funding
UShift (2016, Singapore), an on-demand staffing platform, raises $5M in pre-Series A round from undisclosed investors.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Axiata launches $15M startup fund
Axiata, a Kuala Lumpur based telecom service provider, launches $15M startup fund.

ID Capital ties up with ADB to launch agritech startup accelerator
ID Capital ties up with ADB to launch agritech startup accelerator for Mekong region.

Fatfish Internet group acquires CryptoFoundry
Fatfish Internet Group, an ASX-listed venture builder with roots in Singapore, acquires CryptoFoundry, a banking, payment and remittance, ICOs and trading settlements provider, for $260K.

A weekly newsletter summarizing recent activity and interesting startups in South East Asia.

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

LIQUID (2017, Singapore) – Multi-market currency exchange platform. Global Comparables include Kraken (2011, San Francisco, $5M) and Bitflyer (2014, Tokyo, $33.8M).

Aelf (2017, Singapore) – Decentralized cloud computing network. Global Comparables include Golem (2015, Poland, $8.6M) and Storj (2014, Atlanta, $5.51M).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

Dah Makan raises funding
Dah Makan (2014, Kuala Lumpur), a food delivery startup, raises $2.6M in pre-Series A round from YCombinator, Texas Atlantic Capital, Atami Capital, and a former founder of PE Fund APAX Partners.

FundPlaces raises funding
FundPlaces (2015, Singapore), an online platform to access real estate investment opportunities, raises $1.5M in Seed funding from Global Yellow Pages

Novena Lifecare raises funding
Novena Lifecare (2010, Singapore), a healthcare and medical aesthetics company, raises an undisclosed amount of funding from Huarong Group.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

The News Lens acquires INSIDE
The News Lens, a Chinese-language news site, acquires INSIDE, a Taiwan-based startup and technology news portal, for an undisclosed amount.

Plug and Play Indonesia first batch startups raise $1M follow-on funding
Plug and Play Indonesia first batch startups raise $1M follow-on funding.

Mecapan launches equity crowdfunding campaign on Ata Plus
Mecapan, a startup offering digital solutions for salons and beauty treatment providers in Indonesia, launches equity crowdfunding campaign on Ata Plus.

Brilio launches credit card comparison platform
Brilio, an Indonesia based millennial-focussed news portal, launches credit card comparison platform.

DokterSiaga launches hospital directory chatbot
DokterSiaga, a Jakarta based Medtech startup connecting doctors and patients, launches hospital directory chatbot.

Vickers Venture Partners plans $500M fund targeting biotech, AI
Vickers Venture Partners, a Singapore based venture capital firm focused on angel investments, plans $500M fund targeting biotech, and AI.

mu Space plans to raise over $9.2M
mu Space Corp, a Thailand based first space technology startup, plans to raise over $9.2M for business development and expansion.

A daily newsletter summarizing interesting Indian startups and recent activity both in India & globally.

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Algo360 (2016, Mumbai), credit scoring and analytics platform. Founder is ex- Vito, PwC, TCS and alumni of IIM Bangalore. Local comparables are CreditVidya (2012, Mumbai, $7.16M) and Shubhloans (2016, Bangalore, $1.6M). Global comparables are Zestfinance (2009, Los Angeles, $54M) and Demyst (2010, NYC, $16M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Frontizo Business Service, joint venture between Amazon and the Ashok Patni Group, raises $15M in funding from Zodiac Wealth Advisors, Amazon Asia Pacific Holdings and Zaffre. Link

Satin Creditcare (1990, Delhi), NBFC offering micro loans to businesses, raises $12.3M in funding from Hedge Fund Kora Management. Link

Simulanis (2013, Delhi), AR based simulation and games for engineering education, raises $500k in a pre-Series A round of funding from Education Catalyst Fund. Link

Hippo Video (2016, Chennai), online video platform for customer support, raises an undisclosed amount in pre-Series A round of funding from Kae Capital. Link

Kiran Energy (2010, Mumbai), developer and operator of solar farms, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from existing institutional investors. Link

Daaki (2013, Bangalore), sports nutrition brand, raises an undisclosed amount in angel funding from Rohan Agila and Capvent Advisors. Link

KivaShots (2016, Delhi), ayurvedic healthcare beverages maker, raises an undisclosed amount in funding from Max Life Insurance CEO Rajesh Sud, Max Healthcare MD Rajit Mehta, Ward Ferry Management CIO Vineet Mitera, MindTickle cofounder Mohit Garg, Zomato cofounder Pankaj Chaddha and Startup Buddy cofounder Amit Singal. Link

Nazara (2000, Mumbai), mobile games developer, acquires majority stake in NextWave Multimedia (2005, Chennai), mobile game development company. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Smava (2006, Berlin), comparison platform of consumer credit products, raises $65M in funding from Vitruvian. Link

Collibra (2008, Brussels), data governance solutions provider, raises $58M in Series D round of funding led by ICONIQ Capital and Battery Ventures. Link

Canva (2012, Surry Hills), online design platform, raises $40M in funding led by Sequoia China, with participation from Blackbird Ventures and Felicis Ventures. Link

Salesforce (1997, SF), cloud based CRM, social collaboration for the enterprise, acquires Attic Labs (2015, SF), decentralized database for structured data provider, for an undisclosed amount. Link

SolarWinds (1999, Austin), provider of network management software, acquires Loggly (2009, SF), cloud-based log management service provider, for an undisclosed amount. Link