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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

Nua (2017, Bangalore), Private label brand providing subscription service for sanitary pads, Founders are ex- Founder of Zeotap, ex-Inksedge and alumni of University of Oxford and ISB. Local comparable is Those5Days (2015, Bangalore). Global comparables are Lola (2014, NYC, $11.2M) and Freda (2016, London).

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Varthana (2013, Bangalore), provider of loans to affordable private schools, raises $55M in Series C funding from ChrysCapital, Elevar Equity, LGT Impact, Omidyar Network and Kaizen Private Equity. Link

Infibeam (2007, Ahmedabad), online horizontal retail marketplace, raises $6.2M from Network18, with participation from Capital18, media, and venture investment division of the Mukesh Ambani-led group. Link

Namaste Credit (2014, Bangalore), online marketplace for business loans connecting borrowers & lenders, raises $3.8M in Series A funding from Nexus Venture Partners. Link

Industrybuying (2013, Delhi), B2B marketplace for industrial tools, raises $2M funding from BlackSoil Capital Pvt. Ltd. Link

Letstrack (2015, Delhi), real-time tracking app & device provider, raises $1.7M funding from James Arthur. Link

Finzy (2016, Bangalore), P2P marketplace for personal loans, raises $1.3M in Pre Series A funding from undisclosed investors. Link

Boheco (2013, Mumbai), hemp production, research and processing solutions provider, raises $461k from Ginni International Limited and existing investor, Mukhtar Tejani of Gits Food. Link

Ola (2011, Bangalore), app-based asset-light cab operator acquire Ridlr (2010, Mumbai), Smartphone app to plan intra-city transit for $25M. Link

Yatra (2006, Delhi), online travel search engine and bookings platform, launches ‘YUVA’, a Universal Virtual Assistant. Link

MobiKwik (2009, Gurgaon), mobile wallet, recharge and bill payments app, partnering with Microsoft (1975, Redmond) for powering digital payment services on Microsoft’s chat platform – Microsoft Kaizala. Link

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

Impossible Foods, (2011, Redwood City), developer of substitute for animal meat based food, raises $114M  in convertible note financing. Link

Sunnova (2010, Houston), provider of solar services to residential purpose, raises $100M funding in equity investment from Quantum Strategic Partners Ltd. Link

SalesLoft (2011, Atlanta), sales prospecting and email engagement tool, raises $50M in Series C round of funding from Insight Venture Partners, Emergence Capital and LinkedIn.Link

Red Balloon Security (2012, NYC), host based intrusion detection system for embedded systems, raises $21.9M in Series A round of funding from Bain Capital Ventures, Greycroft, American Family Ventures and Abstract Ventures.

DriveWealth (2012, Chatham), Investment app and Brokerage API provider, raises $21M in Series B round of Funding from Raptor Group Holdings, SBI Holdings, Inc, Point72 Ventures LLC, Route 66 Ventures. Link

DeepScale (2015, Mountain View), vision system for autonomous vehicles, raises $15M in Series A round of Funding from Point72, next47, Autotech Ventures and Trucks Venture Capital. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Qiggle (2017, Bangalore), Predictive analytics solution for anomaly and failure detection in industrial application, Founder is ex-Bharat Light & Power, Symphony Teleca and alumnus of CEIBS, Shanghai. Local comparables are Zasti  (2017, Chennai) and Machinup (2017, Bangalore). Global comparables are Arundo (2015, Palo Alto, $32.6M) and  Predikto (2012, Atlanta, $8.28M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Porter (2014, Bangalore), Intra-city logistics and fleet management solutions provider, raises $7.69M funding from  Mahindra Group. Link

Power2SME (2011, Gurgaon), online buying hub for SMEs, raises $6.16M funding from InnoVen Capital. Link

Industrybuying (2013, Delhi), B2B marketplace for industrial tools, raises $1.8M funding from Blacksoil Capital, Kalaari Capital, Saif Partners and Beenext. Link

CoutLoot (2015, Mumbai), P2P marketplace of pre-owned fashion products, raises $1M in Series A round of funding from Jadevalue Fintech, Artha India Ventures, Venture Catalysts. Link

Drona Aviation (2014, Mumbai), company designing and manufacturing consumer nano drones, raises $98.45k funding from SINE IIT Bombay. Link

Pooltoo (2016, Delhi), mobile-based carpooling platform, raises an undisclosed amount from Devika Ganesh.  Link

Reliance Jio Infocomm (2012, Mumbai), telecom operator offering 4G services and mobile handsets, launches payments banks. Link

Flipkart (2007, Bangalore), online horizontal marketplace, partners with MakeMyTrip (2000, Delhi), online travel agency for booking flights, hotels, buses, holiday packages, wherein the online retailer will start to sell travel services on its platform. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Cherwell (2004, Colorado Springs), IT assets and service management with mApps integration, raises $172M funding from KKR. Link

Coveo (2005, Quebec City), knowledge base management through big data analytics and enterprise search, raises $100M funding from Evergreen Coast Capital, Elliott Management’s private equity affiliate. Link

Welltok (2009, Denver), provides solutions to enable population health managers, payers, employers, and providers to reach and engage consumers, raises $75M in a Series E2 funding from Future Fund Management Agency, Ziff Davis, NF Trinity Capital Limited, ITOCHU Corporation, New Enterprise Associates, Bessemer Venture Partners and Georgian Partners. Link

OrderMyGear (2007, Dallas), marketplace for group apparel, raises $35M seed funding from Susquehanna Growth Equity. Link

6River Systems (2015, Boston), robot for assisted picking at e-commerce fulfillment centers, raises $25M in Series B Funding from Menlo Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Eclipse Ventures and iRobot. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Sattwa Juices, (2016, Gurgaon), Subscription based cold-pressed juice provider, Founder is ex-Intertek, Ernst & Young, Tata Motors and alumnus of CFA Institute, Virginia. Local comparables are Mygreens (2015, Delhi, Seed) and Satvaras (2017, Ahmedabad). Global comparables are HeyJuice (2013, Beijing, Series B) and Plenish Cleanse (2012, London, $353k).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

BeatO (2015, Delhi), diabetes management app with remote healthcare coaching, raises $1.3M funding from Leo Capital and Blume Ventures. Link

UClean (2016, Delhi), professional laundry and dry cleaning service provider, raises $614.445k funding from angel investor Anubhav Chopra. Link

IndigoLearn (2017, Hyderabad), online courses on accounting and finance, raises $150k in seed funding from Maheshwar Peri, Jamshed Jeejeebhoy, Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Pvt. Ltd. Link

IndiaFilings (2013, Chennai), online legal services, launches online income tax filing services. Link

Ola (2011, Bangalore), app-based asset-light cab operator, partners with Acko (2017, Mumbai), tech-enabled general insurance company and ICICI Lombard (2001, Mumbai), a general insurance company, to offer in-trip insurance to riders. Link

Udyog Software (1993, Mumbai), tax automation solutions, partners with Compuage Infocom Ltd (2016, Mumbai), a volume technology products distributor, for uBooks. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

BetterCloud (2011, NYC), Google Apps Security & Management, raises $60M in Series E round of funding from Bain Capital Ventures, Accel, Greycroft Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Tribeca Venture Partners, and New Amsterdam Growth Capital. Link

Zilingo (2015, Singapore), digital marketplace for fashion, raises $54M in Series C round of funding from Sofina, Burda Principal Investments Sequoia Capital India, Amadeus Capital, Tim Draper, SIG, Venturra, Beenext, Manik Arora. Link

WorkFusion (2010, NYC), robotic process automation with workforce orchestration and machine learning in one stack, raises $50M in Series E round of funding from Hawk Equity, Declaration Partners, Georgian Partners, iNovia Capital and NGP Capital. Link

Suplari (2016, Seattle), enterprise business optimization, raises $10.3M in Series A round of funding from Shasta Ventures, Two Sigma Ventures, Workday Ventures, Madrona Venture Group and Amplify Partners. Link

Axcel, Copenhagen-based venture capital firm closes its fifth private equity fund, at $756.2M. Link

Makers Fund, San Francisco-based venture capital & private equity firm closes $200M venture capital fund. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Date My Closet (2016, Delhi), Online luxury fashion rental marketplace. Local comparable are FlyRobe (2015, Mumbai, $6.8M) and Stage3 (2015, Delhi,Seed). Global comparable are Vow To Be Chic (2013, Los Angeles, $5M) and The Black Tux (2012, Santa Monica, $71M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Veritas Finance Private Limited (2015, Chennai), NBFC focused on MSME financing, raises $8.4M funding in a debt round from Incofin Investment Management and BlueOrchard. Link

Aeon Learning (2013, Bangalore), continued learning platform for working professionals, raises $6.5M funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Chakr (2015, Delhi), creator of a device that uses soot from diesel generator to create ink and paint, raises undisclosed funding in a Pre-Series-A round from IDFC-Parampara Fund and Globevestor Funds. Link

Datamatics Global Services (1975, Mumbai), provider of IT, F&A and research and analytics services, acquires RJGLOBUS SOLUTIONS (2010, Manila), Business Process Outsourcing Service provider, for $1.6M.  Link

TechJockey (2017, Gurgaon), Software discovery and selling portal, launches a free Asset Management Tool for MSMEs and start-ups to efficiently manage all their IT needs and requirements. Link

MrNeeds (2016, Noida), Mobile-first platform to order day-to-day needs and groceries, has shut down its operations. Link

Wipro (1945, Bangalore), provider of Information Technology services, Agile Consulting and Business Process Outsourcing, has sold 63 per cent of its stake in Wipro Airport IT to Antariksh Softtech (2006, Bangalore), Wi-fi hotspot services provider, for $485.32k. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Instacart (2012, SF), marketplace for same-day grocery delivery, raises $350M in Series E round of funding from Coatue Management and Glade Brook Capital. Link

The Credit Junction (2013, NYC), working capital financing provider for SMEs, raises $150M funding from MidCap Financial. Link

Socar (2012, Seoul), shared car rental platform, raises $56M funding from IMM Private Equity. Link

PeerStreet (2013, Los Angeles), marketplace for secured real estate loans, raises $29.5M in Series B round of  funding from World Innovation Lab, Andreessen Horowitz, Thomvest, Colchis Capital, Felicis Ventures, Solon Mack and Navitas Capital. Link

Lytx (1998, San Diego), video fleet management & fleet safety solutions, raises undisclosed Series E funding from Clearlake Capital Group. Link

Merit Capital Partners Chicago-based Venture Capital & Private Equity firm closed its sixth fund, at $536M. Link 

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

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

Omakase (2017, Singapore) – Mobile app for food recommendation. Global Comparable include SnapGrab (2016, Los Altos, null), and Digital Planet Solutions (2016, Brooklyn, null).
NanoTech Silver Solutions (2015, Philippines) – Developer of nanosilver particles for drug delivery applications. Global Comparable include Selecta Biosciences (2008, Watertown, $138M) and Sisaf (2006, Belfast, $760K).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

Zilingo raises funding
Zilingo (2015, Singapore), a digital marketplace for fashion, raises $54M in Series C round of funding from Sofina, Burda Principal Investments, and Sequoia Capital.

Insider raises funding
Insider (2012, Singapore), an omnichannel personalization platform, raises $11M in Series B round of funding from Sequoia Capital India, Wamda Capital, and Dogan Group.

HReasily raises funding
HReasily (2013, Singapore), a cloud-based HRMS suite provider, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Mazars Group, and Zino Ventures.

ZPX raises funding
ZPX (2016, Singapore), a data analytics platform for investors, raises $1.3M in Seed funding from SeedPlus, Milliways Ventures, Gokul Rajaram, Girish Mathrubootham, Anand Lunia, and Nithin Kamath.

igloohome raises funding
igloohome (2016, Singapore), a smart access solutions provider, raises $4M in Series A round of funding from Insignia Ventures Partners, Wavemaker Partners, Phillip Private Equity, X Capital Ventures, Kuok Meng Xiong of K3 Ventures and Koh Boon Hwee.

SensorFlow raises funding
SensorFlow (2016, Singapore), an energy management startup, raises $573K in Seed funding from Cocoon Capital, SG Innovate and SparkLabs.

IYUNO Media Group raises funding 
IYUNO Media Group (2002, Singapore), a localization services provider, raises $23.5M in undisclosed Series round from SoftBank Ventures. 

CenLand raises funding
CenLand (2002, Vietnam), a real estate brokerage firm, raises $10M in Series A round of funding from VinaCapital. 

Yoma Micro Power raises funding
Yoma Micro Power (, Myanmar), a micropower plant operator, raises $28M in a round of funding from International Finance Corporation, Norfund, and Yoma Strategic Holdings.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Datamatics unit acquires RJ Globus Solutions
Datamatics unit, a global technology firm, acquires RJ Globus Solutions, a Philippines based voice business process outsourcing firm, for $1.6M.

PopDigital acquires Buzzkini.com, Salaam.tv
PopDigital, a Malaysia based creative content producer, acquires Buzzkini.com and Salaam.tv, lifestyle websites, for an undisclosed amount.

CapitaLand launches digital platform in Singapore
CapitaLand, a Singapore based real estate giant, launches digital platform.

Lattice80 launches crypto hub in Singapore
Lattice80, the world’s largest FinTech hub, launches crypto hub in Singapore.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

OneWater (2015, Ahmedabad), soil and groundwater sensing and analytics product, founder is ex-Agri & Rural Devpt Researcher, Nascent Info Technologies and alumnus of  ICT DAIICT, Ahmedabad. Local comparables are FlyBird Innovations (2013, Bangalore, $896k) and NubeSol (2015, Bangalore, Seed). Global comparables are Prospera (2013, Tel Aviv, $22M) and CropX (2013, Tel Aviv, $10.9M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Leap India (2013, Mumbai), Pallet and container sharing solutions provider, raises $10M funding from Neev Fund. Link

Load Share (2017, Bangalore), Analytics-driven logistics solutions provider for SMBs, raises $4.93M in Series A round of funding from Stellaris Venture Partners and investor Matrix Partners. Link

Yumlane (2016, Mumbai), Snacks and Quick Meal Brand, raises $4M in Series A round of funding from RB Investments, Binny Bansal, Orios Venture Partners. Link

Kaleidofin (2017, Chennai), provider of customised financial products for under-banked customers, raises $2.77M in seed funding from Omidyar Network, Blume Ventures and Shlomo Ben-Haim. Link

Pipa Bella (2012, Mumbai), social selling fashion retail platform for jewellery, raises $1M funding from Fireside Ventures, venture fund, LionRock Capital ,Teruhide Sato and Roopa Nath. Link

Kriger Campus (2018, New Delhi), Mobile-based network connecting stakeholders of the educational ecosystem, raises $46.14k in seed funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Elemential (2015, Mumbai), Blockchain solution and consultancy solution provider, raises an undisclosed amount from Matrix Partners, Investopad, Lightspeed India Partners, Digital Currency Group, Hinduja Group, Eight Innovate, Amrish Rau, Amit Ranjan and Prashant Malik. Link

IBSFINtech (2007, Bangalore), Financial software and solutions provider, partners with Thomson Reuters (1800, New York City), Enterprise solutions for financial, risk, legal, tax and accounting, for an integrated corporate treasury management solution. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Armis (2015, Palo Alto), Wireless security platform focused on BYOD security, raises $30M in Series B funding from Red Dot Capital Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Tenaya Capital. Link

Bitmovin (2013, SF), Cloud based video transcoding and processing for video streaming, raises $30M in Series B funding from Highland Europe, Atomico, Constantia New Business, Dawn Capital and YCombinator. Link

Edovo (2013, Chicago), Tablet-based learning platform for the incarcerated, raises $9.8M in Series A funding from Impact Engine, Lumina Foundation, SustainVC, IDP Foundation, Evolve.Foundation, Kapor Capital and Ekistic Ventures. Link

Flyr (2016, Santa Monica), Automated video creation and editing application, raises $6M in funding from  Renderfam Studios. Link

Ocrolus (2014, NYC), provides a solution to analyze the bank account statements, raises $4M in Series A funding from Bullpen Capital, QED Investors, Laconia Capital Group, ValueStream Ventures, RiverPark Ventures, Sam Hodges, Vince Passione, Ram Ahluwalia, Bill King, Hugh Nguyen and Tanya Barnes. Link

Firebrand Ventures Kansas City based seed stage venture capital fund,  closes it’s fund, at $17.7M. Link

Soonicorn Club

• Minicorn

  Interior Define (2012, Chicago, $26.2M) – Internet-first brand of custom made furniture
  Market: Online Retail > Home Decor & Furniture > Furniture > Private Label > Custom Made

Analyst Picks

• Super Heroic (2016, Palo Alto, $7M) – Internet first brand of footwear for children
  Market: Online Retail > Baby & Kids > Footwear > Private Label
• Oars + Alps (2016, Chicago, $1.3M) – Internet first brand of men’s grooming products
  Market: Online Retail > Beauty & Personal Care > Skin Care > Private Label
• Turmswear (2016, Bangalore) – Online private label brand of hydrophobic performance clothing
  Market: Online Retail > Fashion > Apparel > Private Label > Performance Fabrics
• Greyy (2016, Mumbai) – Internet-first brand of anti-odour performance apparel
  Market: Online Retail > Fashion > Apparel > Private Label > Performance Fabrics
• Tushy (2015, New York City, $500K) – Internet first brand of bidet attachment for toilets
  Market: Online Retail > Home Decor & Furniture > Hardware > Bathroom Fittings & Accessories > Private Label

Funding Rounds

PE, $445M
Paytm Mall (2017, Delhi, $645M) – Online horizontal e-commerce marketplace
Investors: Alibaba Group, SoftBank Group

Series E, $75M
Warby Parker (2010, New York City, $300M) – Internet-first brand of eyewear
Investors: T. Rowe Price

Series C, $55.8M
MADE.COM (2010, London, $136M) – Internet-first brand of multi-category home improvement products
Investors: Partech Ventures, Level Equity, Eight Roads Ventures

Series C, $50M
Goop (2008, New York City, $82M) – Weekly lifestyle publication and e-commerce shop
Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners, Felix Capital, New Enterprise Associates

Series F, $38.5M
Pepperfry (2011, Mumbai, $199M) – Online managed marketplace for home improvement products
Investors: State Street Global Advisors

Series C, $34M
Outdoor Voices (2013, Austin, $65.5M) – Internet-first brand of activewear
Investors: GV, Millard Drexler, General Catalyst Partners, Forerunner Ventures

Series B, $15M
Interior Define (2012, Chicago, $26.2M) – Internet-first brand of custom made furniture
Investors: Pritzker Group, Fifth Wall Ventures, Peterson Partners, Listen, Breakout Capital

Series B, $14.1M
True Botanicals (2016, Mill Valley, $17.1M) – Internet first luxury skincare brand

Series A, $14M
Burrow (2016, New York City, $18.4M) – Direct-to-consumer customizable couch brand
Investors: New Enterprise Associates, Correlation Ventures, Red & Blue Ventures, Y Combinator, Winklevoss Capital, Social Starts

Series B, $14M
Eight (2014, San Francisco, $46.5M) – Internet-first brand of mattress and smart mattress covers
Investors: Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, Yunqi Partners, Azure Capital, StartX

Series A, $11.4M
11 Honore (2017, West Hollywood, $14.9M) – Online retailer of fashion products
Investors: Redpoint Ventures, Forerunner Ventures, Upfront Ventures, Greycroft Partners, Canvas Ventures

Series A, $6.9M
CurrentBody (2009, Cheadle Hulme, $6.9M) – Online retailer of electronic appliances for beauty care
Investors: NVM Private Equity

Series D, $5.9M
BlueStone (2011, Bangalore, $60.1M) – Online private label jewellery shopping store
Investors: Kalaari Capital, rbinvestments.lv, Accel Partners

Series A, $5M
Artemest (2015, Milan, $6.2M) – Online platform offering handmade decor products through curated content
Investors: nuocapital.com, Italian Angels for Growth

Series A, $5M
TAFT (2014, Provo, $5M) – Internet-first brand of fashion accessories

M&A

• Amazon Has Considered Acquiring Some Toys ‘R’ Us Stores – Bloomberg Reuters
• Amazon confirms that it has acquired GameSparks TechCrunch
• Italian regulator approves Richemont bid on YNAP financetime.org
• Tarad looks to TCC for survival Bangkok Post
• Alibaba is in Early Negotiations to Acquire Daraz.pk ProPakistani
• PriceSmart Announces Acquisition of Aeropost, Inc. PR Newswire
• Shutterfly Inc. Closes Transformational Acquisition of Lifetouch Business Wire
• Ardian looks to cap strong three-year growth for DIY private sales website Bricoprivé.com with sale to Florac AltAssets
• Bustle Digital Group Acquires ‘The Zoe Report,’ Plans Future Expansion MediaPost
• Fragrance buys Jervois block for S$46.3m; Eu Realty sells two shophouses The Business Times

IPO

• Fragrance Shop mulls £200m IPO Fashion Network
• Jd.com Takes Cornerstone Stake In Ipo Of First China Outlet Mall Reit Mingtiandi
• Inside Xiaomi: The perks and perils of startups that join its ecosystem Tech in Asia

New Fund Launch

• Chunghwa Telecom and PChome Form Strategic Partnership to Establish “CHT-PCH NO.1” VC Platform ACN Newswire
  

Funds Raising Funds

• JD.com’s finance arm is fundraising at a $20 billion valuation CNBC
• Vipshop Investing in a Private Equity Fund PR Newswire
• Warby Parker co-founder raises $250M for second Boston-based VC fund The Business Journals

Regulatory Change

• Google, Apple face EU law on business practices thestar.com.my

New Product Announcement

• Get ready for another Redmi Phone launching on 14th March Gogi Tech
• Xiaomi Redmi 5 full-screen budget smartphone to launch in India soon Retail News
• Xiaomi rolls out stable MIUI 9 ROM for all compatible devices TechRadar
• Amazon GameOn Brings Cross-Platform Competitions to Developers and Players with New Cloud-Based Service Business Wire
• Xiaomi Unveils Mi MIX 2S, an Elegant Work of Art with a Dual Camera Business Wire
• Amazon introduces the lightest reading app in India, the Kindle Lite TechGenYZ
• Xiaomi Mi TV 4S 55-inch Model With PatchWall UI Launched Stock News Press
• Pivot3 launches Pivot3 Cloud Edition extends Policy-Based Management and Automation to the Cloud Technology-Signals

New Market Entry

• The World’s 5th Largest Smartphone Maker Enters Gaming Notebook Market Forbes
• Amazon Fashion Launches Online Baby Clothing Store; To Have 30K Styles For Babies Younger Than Two Inc42
• Flipkart To Enter Travel Vertical, To Compete With MakeMyTrip, Yatra OfficeChai
• Hopes are high for Amazon’s entry into health care—as long as they don’t ‘pull a Facebook’ CNBC
• Amazon ‘likely’ to succeed at healthcare—and have disruptive impact Chain Store Age
• Amazon’s entry into health care may have just narrowed with the Cigna-Express Scripts deal OrbitingSphere
• Google, Amazon & Apple’s moves into healthcare could create opportunities Reinsurance News

New Geo Entry

• Walmart opens first small high-tech supermarket in China Reuters
• Jack Wills makes Asian online debut via Zalora InsideRetail
• US based e-commerce company DesiClik set to enter India Indiatimes
• Xiaomi opens first store in Poland ecns.cn

Business Partnership

• Casino Group: Amazon and Monoprix join forces to innovate on behalf of Prime Now customers GlobeNewswire
• Microsoft, Apollo partner to improve cardio care Indiatimes
• Farfetch signs partnership with Harvey Nichols as £4bn IPO plans move forward City A.M

Company Announcement

• FedEx to roll out 500 more stores inside Walmart Reuters
• Amazon’s Alexa goes quiet on Echo devices amid AWS disturbances AppleInsider
• Microsoft announces its first cloud regions in the Middle East Tech Empire

Commentary on Company

• Amazon mulling checking-account like product with big banks: WSJ Reuters
• Amazon to bring Whole Foods delivery to San Francisco Fast Company

Key People Movement

• Amazon Prime boss leaves company TechCrunch

Award

• Amazon Passes Alphabet as Second-Largest U.S. Company The Wall Street Journal

Soonicorn Club

• Minicorn

  Ascent Robotics (2016, Shibuya, $10.4M) – AI-based solutions for creating self-driving vehicles
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Infrastructure > Autonomous Systems Enablers > Vehicles

• Minicorn

  Voicera (2016, San Francisco, $20M) – Provides AI-enabled meeting assistant
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Applications > Enterprise > Productivity > Meeting Transcription

• Minicorn

  Starsky Robotics (2015, San Francisco, $20.4M) – Robotics company developing autonomous trucks
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Infrastructure > Autonomous Systems Enablers > Vehicles

• Minicorn

  BestMile (2014, Lausanne, $16.5M) – Fleet management of autonomous vehicles with cloud-based intelligence
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Applications > Industry > Transport > Analytics

Analyst Picks

• ThinkForce (2017, Shanghai, $68M) – Developer of semiconductor integrated circuits to deploy AI algorithms
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Infrastructure > Enabling Technologies > Hardware
• SambaNova Systems (2017, Palo Alto, $56.6M) – Developer of hardware for building machine learning and big data analytics platforms
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Infrastructure > Machine Intelligence Systems
• Headlight AI (2017, London) – AI enabled platform provider for drones and service robots
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Infrastructure > Autonomous Systems Enablers > Drones
• Otter.ai (2017, San Francisco) – AI-based Meeting Voice Transcription Application
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Applications > Enterprise > Productivity > Meeting Transcription
• Element Data (2016, Seattle, $7.8M) – AI-based analytics platform that can help in decision making
  Market: Artificial Intelligence > Applications > Enterprise > BI & Analytics > Business Intelligence

Funding Rounds

Series A, $100M
Horizon Robotics (2015, Beijing, $200M) – Developing AI powered embedded system for autonomous systems
Investors: Intel Capital, Harvest Investments, chaoschina.com, winsway.com, Linear website and hosting

Series A, $56.6M
SambaNova Systems (2017, Palo Alto, $56.6M) – Developer of hardware for building machine learning and big data analytics platforms
Investors: Walden International, GV, Redline Capital Management, Atlantic Bridge Capital

Series D, $53M
Sift Science (2011, San Francisco, $107M) – Machine learning optimized fraud detection
Investors: Stripes Group, Insight Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Union Square Ventures

Series E, $50M
WorkFusion (2010, New York City, $121.3M) – Robotic process automation with workforce orchestration and machine learning in one stack
Investors: Hawk Equity, Georgian Partners, Inovia Capital, NGP Capital

Series C, $47.3M
Infervision (2016, Beijing, $74.1M) – Diagnosis through medical imaging using deep learning techniques
Investors: Sequoia China, Qiming Venture Partners, Xiang He Capital, Advantech Capital, Yuan Sheng Capital

Series A, $45M
Atomwise (2012, San Francisco, $51.4M) – AI for drug discovery
Investors: Monsanto, Data Collective, B Capital Group, Baidu Ventures, Tencent, Dolby Family Ventures, Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, DFJ

Series B, $40M
Mythic (2012, Austin, $55.3M) – Microchip technology for localized artificial intelligence
Investors: SoftBank Group, Lockheed Martin, DFJ, Lux Capital, Data Collective, AME Cloud Ventures, Andy Bechtolsheim

Series D, $40M
Moogsoft (2011, San Francisco, $92.9M) – Machine-learning based event & alert management and collaboration, Devops Monitoring
Investors: Goldman Sachs, HCL Technologies, Northgate Capital, Redpoint Ventures, Singtel Innov8, ST Telemedia, Wing Venture Capital

Series B, $35M
Clari (2012, Mountain View, $61M) – Mobile First Lead Management tool
Investors: Tenaya Capital, Thomvest Ventures, Blue Cloud Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, Northgate Capital

Series D, $30M
Digital Reasoning (2000, Franklin, $103.2M) – Provides Machine learning based Text Analysis
Investors: Barclays, Square Capital, Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, Lemhi Ventures, Partnership for New York City, BNP Paribas

Series B, $30M
Medial EarlySign (2009, Kfar Saba, $50M) – Develops a machine learning based decision support tool which enables personal and outcome-based interpretation of medical data.
Investors: aMoon, Horizons Ventures

Series A, $16.5M
Starsky Robotics (2015, San Francisco, $20.4M) – Robotics company developing autonomous trucks
Investors: Shasta Ventures, Y Combinator, Trucks Venture Capital, Fifty Years

Series A, $16M
Chainalysis (2014, Manhattan, $17.6M) – Blockchain based payment fraud prevention & compliance solutions
Investors: Benchmark Capital

Series A, $14.7M
Percipient (2017, San Francisco, $17.7M) – Provides data analytics solutions
Investors: Venrock

Series A, $14.5M
Voicera (2016, San Francisco, $20M) – Provides AI-enabled meeting assistant
Investors: e.ventures, Battery Ventures, Cisco Investments, GGV Capital, Greycroft Partners, GV, Microsoft Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, Workday, Caffeinated Capital

M&A

• S&P Global snares Kensho for $550 million Tech News Nerds
• Meltwater acquires privacy-by-design social data platform DataSift to strengthen its AI-driven analytics offering PressReleasePoint
• Pitstop acquires MotorWhiz in a cash-stock deal Indiatimes
• Conga to Acquire Counselytics to Bolster AI Strategy and Intelligent Document Automation Capabilities Business Wire
• Samsung acquires Egyptian artificial intelligence startup Kngine to improve its virtual assistant Bixby MENABytes
• RSA® Announces Intent to Acquire Fortscale, Expanding RSA NetWitness® Evolved SIEM Platform with UEBA Capabilities PR Newswire
• U.K. Healthcare Entrepreneur Buys Radiology A.I. Startup Behold.AI Xconomy
• VirtualWorks Group Merges Two Subsidiaries to Become ayfie Group PR Newswire
• Digital Air Strike buys AI chat tech startup The Business Journals
• Semantix Rolls Up the Nordics, Buys Amesto Translation Slator
  

Funds Raising Funds

• Victory capital announces additional investment in cerebellum capital Seeking Alpha
  

FDA Approval

• Eyenuk, Inc. Receives Health Canada Approval for EyeArt?, an AI-enabled Cloud-based Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Software Pharmacy Choice

New Product Announcement

• Clarifai rolls out an on-premise visual search tool for businesses TechCrunch
• Bear Flag Robotics wants to sell an autonomous tractor for farms getupdates.info
• Affectiva Launches Multi-Modal Automotive In-Cabin AI to Improve Road Safety and Accelerate Autonomy Business Wire
• Kneron Announces Low Power AI Processors NPU IP Series with the Lowest Power Consumption: Less Than 5mW PR Newswire
• Staqu builds an Android smart glass platform to help police identify criminals Indiatimes
• Kahuna comes out of the gate with customer engagement platform TechCrunch
• Tennant Company to Introduce Autonomous Floor Cleaning Machines Business Wire
• H2O.ai Unleashes H2O4GPU and Driverless AI for the Latest NVIDIA CUDA 9 and Tesla V100 Platforms Business Wire
• Textio aims to improve recruiting with new AI offer writing optimizer SiliconAngle
• Nuance OmniPage Server 2 Delivers Company’s Most Comprehensive and Powerful Document Conversion Solution to Date GlobeNewswire
• Preferred Networks to Launch “MN-1b” Private Sector Supercomputer Adopting NVIDIA Tesla V100 32GB GPUs Business Wire
• 6sense Launches New Platform with ABM Campaign Execution PR Newswire
• Attivio Releases Open Source UI Toolkit for Rapid Development of AI-Powered Search Applications PR Newswire
• NetBase Introduces Next Generation Artificial Intelligence for Image Analysis To Provide the Most Accurate Social Media Analysis of Visual Brand Mentions Business Wire

New Geo Entry

• Cleo, the chatbot that wants to replace your banking apps, has stealthily entered the USTech News Nerds
• UiPath Opens First U.S. Development Center in Bellevue, Wash. Business Wire
• Feedzai Announces Expansion in Asia With Newly Appointed Head of APAC and Office in Hong Kong Business Wire
• Lemonade Enters Pennsylvania, Washington D.C. in National Expansion Insurance Journal
• NGDATA Sets Up Global AI Research Lab in Singapore Business Wire

Business Partnership

• Waymo steps toward a more diverse robo-taxi fleet with Jaguar deal Reuters
• Blue Vision Labs, which builds ‘collaborative’ AR, emerges from stealth with $14.5M led by GV technewsfan.com
• PayU Collaborates With Kreditech to Launch Instant Cardless EMI With PayU Monedo in India Crowdfund Insider
• BMO partners with Finn.AI, Massively to launch chatbots BetaKit
• Haptik to use advanced AWS AI portfolio to offer chatbot solutions to customers Core Sector Communique
• GrokStyle Selected to Provide Visual Search for IKEA Place PRWeb
• RBL Bank, CreditVidya partner for instant Employment Verification Business Standard

Company Announcement

• Nordstrom Announces Investments In Digital Technology PR Newswire
  

New Feature Release

• Samsung Will Add AI-Powered Audioburst Into Smart TVs Android Headlines
  

Board Updates

• Nuance Appoints NCR President and COO Benjamin to Serve as CEO Wirth Consulting

Analyst Picks

• HighSide (2015, New York City, $19K) – Security focused chat & file sharing tool for handling sensitive or regulated data
  Market: Enterprise Security > BYOD Security > Secure Communication
• Yoti (2014, London, $9.7M) – Identity verification solutions
  Market: Enterprise Security > Anti Fraud > Identity Theft > ID Document Verification

Funding Rounds

Series E, $60M
BetterCloud (2011, New York City, $107M) – Google Apps Security & Management
Investors: Bain Capital, Accel Partners, Greycroft Partners, Flybridge Capital Partners, Tribeca Venture Partners, New Amsterdam Growth Capital

Series D, $53M
Sift Science (2011, San Francisco, $107M) – Machine learning optimized fraud detection
Investors: Stripes Group, Insight Venture Partners, Spark Capital, Union Square Ventures

Series A, $40M
Netsparker (2009, London, $40M) – Web Application Security Scanner
Investors: Turn/River Capital

Post IPO, $39.1M
CYAN Security Group (2014, Munich) – Cyber security of enterprise network, and telecom operator security

Series B, $30M
BioCatch (2011, Tel Aviv, $48.1M) – Detection using biometric behavior
Investors: Maverick Ventures, OurCrowd, Janvest Capital Partners, CreditEase, Kreos Capital, NexStar Partners, American Express

Series B, $30M
Armis Security (2015, Palo Alto, $47M) – Wireless security platform focused on BYOD security
Investors: Red Dot Capital Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, Sequoia Capital, Tenaya Capital

Series C, $25M
Kenna Security (2010, Chicago, $50.3M) – Cloud based risk and vulnerability intelligence platform
Investors: Bessemer Venture Partners, U.S Venture Partners, Costanoa Venture, PeakSpan Capital, Hyde Park Angels, OurCrowd

Series B, $24M
Virsec Systems (2006, Santa Clara, $29.1M) – Run time application self protection based web application security
Investors: BlueIO, Artiman Ventures, Amity Ventures, Raj Singh, Boston Seed Capital

Series B, $22.5M
OPAQ Networks (2017, Herndon, $43.5M) – Cloud-based unified network security solution

Series A, $21.9M
Red Balloon Security (2012, New York City, $23.5M) – Host based intrusion detection system for embedded systems
Investors: Bain Capital Ventures, Greycroft Partners, American Family Ventures, Abstract Ventures

Series A, $16M
Chainalysis (2014, Manhattan, $17.6M) – Blockchain based payment fraud prevention & compliance solutions
Investors: Benchmark Capital

Series A, $11M
Solebit LABS (2014, Netanya, $13M) – Threat detection and prevention solution using next-generation firewall
Investors: clearskysec.com, MassMutual Ventures, Glilot Capital Partners

Series A, $9.5M
Lingxe (2014, Beijing, $9.5M) – Integrated threat detection tool for websites
Investors: binhaicf.com

Series A, $8.2M
Threat X (2014, Denver, $8.2M) – Web application firewall for network security
Investors: Grotech Ventures, Access Venture Partners

Series A, $6.2M
Detectify (2012, Stockholm, $7.9M) – Cloud based vulnerability assessment & audit of websites
Investors: Insight Venture Partners, Paua Ventures, Inventure

M&A

• Aruba Snaps Up Cape Networks, Announces AI-Powered Analytics And Assurance Solutions Forbes
• Palo Alto Networks Announces Intent to Acquire Evident.io PR Newswire
• McAfee acquires VPN company TunnelBear TechCrunch
• CyberArk Acquires Vaultive to Advance Privileged Account Security for the Cloud Business Wire
• OPAQ Networks Acquires FourV Systems to Enhance Security Operations Management Automation Business Wire
• VMware acquires startup E8 Security to bolster its device management capabilitiesSiliconAngle
• Shearwater surges after buying award-winning data loss protection firm Proactive Investors
• Qualys acquires 1Mobility PR Newswire
• Synopsys Acquires Silicon and Beyond Private Limited to Expand High-Speed SerDes IP Portfolio PR Newswire
• Route1 to acquire Group Mobile Int’l from XpresSpa Group in deal with potential value of US$2mln Proactive Investors

IPO

• Tenable hires Morgan Stanley to prepare for IPO, say sources: Reuters PE Hub
• Cyan AG Prices IPO At EUR 23.00 Per Share RTTNews

New Product Announcement

• Riyad Bank launches Saudi Arabias first contactless payment bracelets with Gemalto solution PressReleasePoint
• Cloudflare is giving developers programmable access to the network edge with new service TechCrunch
• Mimecast Launches New API Developer Portal Focused on Business and Cyber Resilience GlobeNewswire
• GFI Software Launches GFI Unlimited — A Revolutionary Business Software Subscription English N PR Newswire
• Appdome BoostEMM Eases Mobile App Integration Business Wire
• New SonicWall MSSP Program Expands Partner Opportunities to Meet Explosive Demand for Managed Security Services Business Wire
• Alcide Announces General Availability of Its Cloud-Native Security Platform to Secure Modernized Data Centers & Cloud Ops PR Newswire
• Synopsys Introduces Breakthrough Fusion Technology to Transform the RTL-to-GDSII Flow PR Newswire
• Carbon Black Unveils Cb Integration Network, Delivering Stronger Cybersecurity via Open APIs Business Wire
• Korean security firm announces cryptocurrency hardware wallets Internet of Business
• SecurityMetrics’ GDPR Defense Helps Businesses with the EU General Data Protection Regulation PR Newswire
• XM Cyber Unveils First Automated APT Simulation Platform to Continuously Expose All Attack Vectors and Prioritize Actionable Remediation PR Newswire
• Unisys Rolls Out New Endpoint Protection Solution To Thwart Malware Attacks CRN
• Fortinet integrates AI for speedy and proactive threat detection CyberMedia India Online
• Kaspersky introduces Password Manager to protect more than passwords Asian News International

New Geo Entry

• Hot security startup Duo Security opens office in Downtown Detroit TechCrunch
• Feedzai Announces Expansion in Asia With Newly Appointed Head of APAC and Office in Hong Kong Business Wire
• Sumo Logic Expands Global Footprint to Bring Continuous Intelligence for Modern Applications to New Markets GlobeNewswire
• ID Agent Opens Headquarters In Prince George’s County Citybizlist
• CM.com to offer Itsme services to enterprise market Telecompaper

Business Partnership

• BlackBerry and Microsoft team up to make work phones more secure Engadget
• Foxconn and Sirin Labs to make first blockchain smartphone Indiatimes
• IBM partners with Cloudflare to launch new security and DDoS protection featuresTechCrunch

Company Announcement

• Cloudflare’s new ‘privacy-focused’ DNS service speeds up your web browsing TechCrunch
• BlackBerry extends CEO John Chen contract to 2023 Reuters

Earnings Release

• BlackBerry beats profit estimates on higher margins Reuters

New Feature Release

• Google brings DDoS protection and other new security features to its cloud TechCrunch
• TypingDNA launches Chrome extension that verifies your identity based on typingTechCrunch

Research Partnership

• JLR Taps BlackBerry To Provide Next-Gen Infotainment Software Carscoop
  

Lawsuit

• BlackBerry just sued Snapchat over Snap Maps and more Mashable

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

VideoTap (2016, Noida), Cloud-based interactive smart video platform, Founder is Ex-COO ITV Network, CEO Network18 & Pugmarks and alumnus of Harvard Business School. Global comparables are Viewbix (2011, Beit Shemesh, $6.1M) and Rapt Media (2011, Boulder, $4.23M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Travel Triangle (2010, Noida), Marketplace for traveler-agent communication for customized trip planning, raises $12M in Series C funding from Fundamentum, SAIF Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, RB investments. Link

LoanZen (2015, Bangalore), Unsecured working capital loans platform, raises an undisclosed round of funding from Kae Capital. Link

Cycle Pure (1948, Mysore), Incense sticks brand, raises undisclosed amount of funding from Motilal Oswal Private Equity Investment Advisors Pvt. Ltd. Link

Mahindra Electric (1994, Bangalore), Manufacturer of Electric cars and commercial vans, partners with ZoomCar (2013, Bangalore), Online self-drive car rental service provider, to offer 100 electric vehicle ‘e20 plus’ on the Zoomcar platform in Delhi. Link

PayPal (1998, San Jose), Internet payment services provider, partners With Inc42 (2013, Delhi), Niche content production and digital publishing, to enable freelancers to leverage the global opportunity. Link

ICICI Venture, Mumbai-based venture capital & private equity, raises third real estate fund, at $77M. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Knotel (2015, NYC), Managed co-working space for startups, raises $70M in Series B funding from Newmark Knight Frank, The Sapir Organization, The Wolfson Group, The Moinian Group, and Wainbridge Capital. Link

The Access Group (1991, London), ERP solution provider for the manufacturing industry, raises $43.741M funding from HgCapital Trust PLC. Link

StackRox (2014, Mountain View), Provider of Cybersecurity solution for trusted computing, raises $25M in Series B funding from Redpoint Ventures, Sequoia Capital and Amplify Partners. Link

Expel (2016, Mclean), Cybersecurity solution to maintain security systems, raises $20M in Series B funding from Scale Venture Partners, Battery Ventures, Greycroft, Lightbank, New Enterprise Associates, Paladin Capital Group and Profile Capital Management. Link

Instapage (2011, SF), Landing Page Management Platform, raises $15M in Series B funding from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital. Link

Huron Capital Partners, Detroit-based private equity firm, closes its 6th Investment Fund at  $142M. Link

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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

Alibaba To Acquire Chinese Food Delivery Firm Ele.me At $9.5B Valuation
Alibaba Group, a Chinese tech giant, to acquire Ele.me, a China-based food delivery company, for $9.5B.

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Chinese EV Start-Up Youxia Motors Raises $795M In Series B Funding Round
Youxia Motors (2014, Shanghai), an integrated smart electric vehicle manufacturer engaged in EV research & development, design, production, sales and related services, raises $795M in Series B round led by Qianhai Wutong Mergers and Acquisition Funds, China Environmental Protection Industry Co., Ltd, China Fortune Ocean, and Huzhou Wuxing South Taihu Lake Construction Investment Co., Ltd.

China’s CICC Capital Leads $286M Round In Concord Medical Services Subsidiary
Beijing Meizhong Jiahe Hospital Management Co., Ltd. (1996, Beijing), a subsidiary of Concord Medical, raises $286M in undisclosed Series round led by CICC Capital.

China’s co-working major Ucommune said to seek $200M in financing
Ucommune (2015, Beijing), a co-working space and community provider, raises $200M in undisclosed Series round from undisclosed investors.

Alibaba’s Alisports Gets $191M At $1.3B Valuation, Buys Fitness App Ledongli
Alisports Group (2016, Shanghai), an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., raises $191M in Series A round led by Yunfeng Capital.

Tencent leads $80M Series C round in Miaoshou Doctor
Miaoshou Doctor (2015, Beijing), a healthcare e-commerce startup, raises $80M in Series C round led by Tencent Holdings.

Chinese Co-Working Start-Up MIXPACE Completes $63M Funding Round
MIXPACE (Shanghai), a co-working space operator, raises $63.6M in Series B round led by Zhongnan Group.

Japanese Gaint Nomura Leads $25M Series B Round In Hong Kong Stock Trading App 8 Securities
8 Securities (2011, Hong Kong), a stock trading app, raises $25M in Series B round led by Nomura Asset Management.

IDG Capital Joins $10M Round In Chinese Crypto Trading Service Platform BitKan
BitKan (2014, Shenzhen), a cryptocurrency information platform, featuring OTC trading service, as well as price viewing, news reading, mining monitoring, price alert and E-Wallet services, etc., raises $10M in Series B round led by Zhongyunhui Capital, IDG Capital, and Bitmain.

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

Meituan Confirms $3.7B Mobike Acquisition To Strengthen Its Mobility Offerings
Meituan Dianping, a Chinese group-buying and location-based services firm, acquires Mobike, a Shanghai based bike sharing firm, for $3.7B.

Chinese hotel operator GreenTree Hospitality raises $143M in US IPO
GreenTree Hospitality Group, a Chinese economy and mid-scale hotel franchisor, raises $143M in US IPO.

Alibaba’s Alisports secures $191M Series A funding at $1.27B valuation
Alisports, an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., acquires Ledongli, a Beijing based online fitness app and wearables company, for undisclosed amount.

China’s co-working giant Ucommune acquires Wedo in third M&A deal this year
Ucommune, a co-working space operator, acquires Wedo, a Shenzhen based co-working space operator, for undisclosed amount.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Tyunami (2016, Mumbai), Mobile app to enhance music recordings and network with other musicians, Founder is Ex-Mudra Communications, Sony Music, Magna sound and alumnus of IIM. Local comparable is Sensibol  (2011, Mumbai, Seed). Global comparables are Smule(2008, SF, $144M) and musical.ly (2013, SF, $100M). 

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

LetsMD (2015, New Delhi), Online Healthcare Services Portal, raises $1M in funding from SRI Capital. Link

Mojro Technologies (2016, Bangalore), Inter and intra city logistics company, raises $650k in pre-Series A round of funding from 1Crowd and Naga Limited. Link

NRS Chariot Tech (2017, Delhi), LPWAN-based water management solutions, raises $307k in pre-Series-A round of funding from GEMs Partners. Link

Fullonwedding (2015, Bangalore), Online platform to book vendors for weddings, raises undisclosed amount in pre-Series A funding from undisclosed investor. Link

ClearTax (2010, Bangalore), Free Income Tax preparation and e-filing portal, acquires Tootl(2015, Bangalore), Mobile app for discovering and booking activities, to offer personalised content. Link

Cyient (1991, Hyderabad), Engineering, networks and operations solutions provider, signs joint venture with Bluebird Aero Systems (2002, Kadima), to make UAVs. Link

InMobi (2007, Bangalore), Global Mobile Ad Network, partners with Airtel TV (1995 ,Delhi), a global telecommunications company. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Liberis (2007, London), Alternative financing options provider to businesses in UK, raises $81.4M in debt funding from British Business Investments, Paragon Bank and BCI Ltd. Link

Go-Jek (2010, Jakarta), Online aggregator of motorcycle riders, raises $35M in funding from Allianz X. Link

OPAQ Networks (2017, Herndon), Cloud-based unified network security solutions provider, raises $22.5M in Series B round of funding from Greenspring Associates, Columbia Capital and Harmony Partners. Link

TravelPerk (2015, Barcelona), B2B solutions provider for business travel, raises $21M in Series B round of funding from Target Global, Felix Capital, Spark Capital, Sunstone and Amplo. Link

Verkada (2016, San Mateo), Developer of enterprise video surveillance systems and platforms, raises $15M in Series A round of funding from Next47, First Round Capital, Hans Robertson and Hector Garcia-Molina. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Sun Mobility (2017, Bangalore), Battery swapping infrastructure for electric vehicles, Co-Founder & Vice Chairman is ex-Founder Mahindra Reva Electric Vehicles. Local comparables are Lithion Power (2016, Delhi) and Natcharge (2016, Noida). Global comparables are Gogoro (2011, Taipei, $480M) and Verd2GO (2014, Kansas City).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Honey Money Top Retails (1997, Delhi), Supermarket and catering services provider, acquires iOrderFresh (2014, Gurgaon), mobile app for ordering farm to table fruits and vegetables, for undisclosed amount. Link

ZiffyHomes (2015, Delhi), Online platform to book shared accommodation, acquires Nivaasa (2016, Gurgaon), online managed residential property rentals, for undisclosed amount. Link

ClearTax (2010, Bangalore), free income tax preparation and e-filing portal, acquires Greeblu, for undisclosed amount. Link

Ideal Insurance (2005, Kolkata), Direct insurance broker, raises $1M in Seed round of funding from Venture Catalysts. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Checkr (2014, SF), Automated background screenings and driving records platform, raises $100M in Series C round of funding led by T. Rowe Price, with participation from Accel and Y Combinator. Link

Xeeva (2013, Madison Heights), Cloud-based procurement software solutions, raises $40M in funding led by PeakEquity Partners I, L.P. Link

Zaius (2012, Leesburg), Audience segmentation and contextual targeting platform, raises $30M in Series B round of funding led by Insight Venture Partners, with participation from Matrix Partners, Underscore VC and Leaders Fund. Link

Punchh (2010, Sunnyvale), Mobile CRM and loyalty software, raises $20M in Series B round of funding led by Sapphire Ventures, with participation from Cervin Ventures. Link

Kadena (2016, NYC), Private distributed ledger technology solutions for enterprises, raises $12M in Series B round of funding from Devonshire Investors, Fidelity Investments, SV Angel, Multicoin Capital, Susquehanna International Group and Alan Meckler’s Asimov Ventures. Link

Tentrr (2015, NYC), Marketplace for privately-owned campsites, raises $8M in Series A round of funding ed by West Venture Partners with participation from Obvious Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Halogen Ventures, Rivet Ventures and WorldQuant Ventures. Link

East Meet East (2013, NYC), Online web/mobile dating portal for Asians in the US, raises $4M in Series A round of funding from 500 Startups, Asahi Medialab Ventures, DG Lab Fund, Mobile Internet Capital, Septeni Holdings and others. Link 

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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Alibaba Leads $600M Round In Chinese Artificial Intelligence Start-up SenseTime
SenseTime (2014, Hong Kong), an artificial intelligence company specializing in facial and image recognition technology and its application, raises $600M in Series C round led by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

China’s CICC Capital to invest up to $285M in Concord Medical subsidiary
Concord Medical Services Holdings (1996, Beijing), a radiotherapy and diagnostic imaging centers, raises $285M in undisclosed Series round led by CICC Capital.

Chinese Entrepreneurial Resource Sharing Platform WTOIP.Com Gets $108M From Bank Consortium
WTOIP.com (2013, Guangzhou), an entrepreneurial resource sharing and trading platform with focus on intellectual property, raises $108M in Strategic financing round led by China Construction Bank (Guangdong Branch), Bank of China (Guangzhou Branch), China CITIC Bank (Guangzhou Branch), Industrial Bank Co., Ltd (Guangzhou Branch), China Zheshang Bank (Guangzhou Branch).

Chinese Healthcare Portal DXY Completes $100M Series D Funding, Reaching A Unicorn Valuation
DXY (2000, Beijing), an online healthcare community portal, gathering Chinese physicians and life science professionals, raises $100M in Series D round led by undisclosed investors.

Chinese Travel B2B Platform Octopus Gets $95M From Tempus Group, Ant Financial, CCB
Octopus (2012, Suzhou), a travel B2B platform, raises $95M in Series C round led by Tempus Group, Ant Financial, and CCB International.

CMB Leads $65M Series C Round In Chinese Biotech Firm Biocytogen
Biocytogen Co., Ltd., (2009, China), a gene-targeted animal model and service supplier, raises $65M in Series C round led by CMB International Capital Corporation Ltd. Existing investors including SDIC Venture Capital Management, 3E Bioventures, Cowin Capital, Oriza Holdings, also participated in the round.

Shanghai big data, AI-based risk management startup IceKredit raises $25M
IceKredit Inc (2015, Shanghai), a credit assessment and risk control intelligence firm, raises $25M in pre-Series B round led by YOOZOO Network.

IDG Capital Leads $15.8M Series A Round In Chinese Movie Themed Hotel Operator Youxi
Youxi Film Hotel (China), a Chinese movie-themed hotel operator, raises $15.8M in Series A round led by IDG Capital, and Buhuo Ventures.

Chinese Online Financial Service Platform Ideacome Completes Series C Round
Ideacome Internet Financial (Hangzhou), an online insurance product and service provider, raises an undisclosed amount in Series C round led by undisclosed investors.

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

China’s Central Huijin to sell the stake worth $797M in CICC
Central Huijin Investment, a Chinese investment company, sells 9.5% stake in the company,  for $797M.

WeWork China To Acquire Chinese Co-Working Firm Naked Hub For $400M
WeWork, a global co-working giant, acquires Naked Hub, a Chinese shared office space startup, for $400M.

Chinese Orthopaedic Implant Maker AK Medical Buys Britain’s JRI Orthopaedics For $24M
AK Medical Holdings Limited, a Chinese orthopedic implant company, acquires JRI Orthopaedics Limited, a U.K. firm that designs, manufactures and supplies orthopaedic, for $24M.

Alibaba-backed Chinese car trading platform SouChe acquires rival Cheyipai
SouChe, a Chinese automotive platform backed by several investors including Ant Financial and Alibaba, acquires Cheyipai, a second-hand car trading platform, for an undisclosed amount.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Vicara (2017, Vellore), wearable device that detects hand gestures, Co-founder is an alumnus of VIT. Global comparables are Nod (2013, Mountain View, $16M) and Thalmic Labs (2012, Kitchener, $136M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Aye Finance (2013, Delhi), lender to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), raises $4.6M in debt funding from Swiss social impact investor BlueOrchard Finance. Link

Mintifi (2017, Mumbai), loan provider to small businesses, raises $2M in seed round of funding from impact investment firm Lok Capital. Link

Curefit (2016, Bangalore), Integrated health and fitness platform, raises $640k in funding from Binny Bansal and Ananth Narayanan. Link

Sleepy Owl (2016, Delhi), Internet-first coffee company, raises $500k in seed funding from DSG Consumer Partners. Link

AgNext (2015, Mohali), farm data collection and analytics platform, raises undisclosed amount from Impact venture fund Omnivore Link

Tavaga (2015, Mumbai), Mobile and web based investment management platform, launches an algo trading app for retail segment. Link

Financial Software Systems (1991, Chennai), provider of electronic payment & financial transaction processing solutions, launches Paynalytix-As-a-Service to maximize business performance. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

D.light Design (2007, SF), Manufactures and distributes solar products in villages, raises $50M in Debt Financing from European Investment Bank, responsAbility Investments, Social Investment Managers & Advisors (SIMA) and SunFunder. Link

Onapsis (2009, Boston), Security Solutions for ERP systems, raises $31M in Series C round of funding from LLR Partners, 406 Ventures, Evolution Equity Partners and Arsenal Venture Partners. Link

OwnBackup (2015, Tel Aviv), Cloud-to-cloud backup and recovery solution, raises $15.5M in funding led by Vertex Ventures, Venture Partners, Innovation Endeavors, Oryzn Capital and Salesforce Ventures. Link

Sensu (2017, Portland), Data Science Platform as a Service, raises $10M in Series A round of funding from  Battery Ventures and Foundry Group. Link

Intact Vascular (2011, Wayne), Implant for artery repair after angioplasty, raises $10M in funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Honest Buildings (2012, NYC), Cloud-based project management and procurement platform, raises additional $3.5M in Series B round of funding from QuadReal and Altus Group Limited, bringing its total Series B round to $25M. Link

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

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

Dish Dash (2016, Singapore) – Online platform to order food from partnered restaurants. Global Comparable include Fooda (2011, Chicago, $24.6M) and Eat Club (2010, Palo Alto, $46.5M).
Enact (2017, Jakarta) – Robotic solutions for asset management and tracking. Global Comparable include SupplyPro (1997, San Diego, $33M) and Omnitrol (2005, Santa Clara, $1.44M).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

Nurture.AI raises funding
Nurture.AI (2017, Singapore), an online community for AI researchers, raises $19K in undisclosed Series of funding from Protégé Ventures.

Graventure raises funding
Graventure (2018, Metro Manila), a car rental platform, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Manny Pacquiao.

Kristal.AI raises funding
Kristal.AI (2016, Singapore), an AI-powered asset management platform, raises $1.85M in Seed funding from IDG Ventures India, Shailesh Rao, and Amit Gupta.

Telepod raises funding
Telepod (2016, Singapore), an E-scooter renting platform, raises an undisclosed amount in undisclosed Series of funding from MomentUM, Bravio Capital, and Quest Ventures.

Consentium raises funding
Consentium (2017, Singapore), a mobile chat app enabling multi-digital currency transfer, raises $20M in ICO.

NDR Medical Technology raises funding
NDR Medical Technology (Singapore), MedTech startup providing a smart robotic guiding system, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from SGInnovate.

Alcheme raises funding 
Alcheme (2017, Singapore), a skincare startup, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from DSG Consumer Partners, and Kenneth Bishop. 

MatchMove Pay raises funding
MatchMove Pay (2009, Singapore), a cloud-based mobile payment card provider for secure e-commerce/payment processing, raises an undisclosed amount in undisclosed Series of funding from Kresna Graha Investama. 

Go-Jek raises funding
Go-Jek (2010, Jakarta), a bike taxi aggregator, raises $35M in Series D from Allianz, Google, and Tencent.

Oway raises funding
Oway (2011, Yangon), an online travel company, raises $14.7M in undisclosed Series of funding from Daiwa PI Partners Co Ltd and International Finance Corporation.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Boxful acquires ALL IN Premium Storage
Boxful, a mini-storage startup, acquires ALL IN Premium Storage, a Taiwan based storage startup, for an undisclosed amount.

Luye Medical Group acquires Novena Heart Centre
Luye Medical Group, a healthcare services arm of Luye Life Sciences Group, acquires Novena Heart Centre, a Singapore based national heart failure center, for an undisclosed amount.

ComfortDelGro acquires AZ Bus Pte Ltd for $10.25M
ComfortDelGro, a taxi operator, acquires AZ Bus Pte Ltd, a Singapore based economical and safe transportation provider, for $10.25M.

Serba Dinamik acquires CSE Global
Serba Dinamik, an energy services group, acquires CSE Global, a Singapore based system integration and automation solutions provider, for an undisclosed amount.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Haber (2015, Pune), provider of IoT-enabled industrial automation platform, Co-founder and CTO is ex-Zynga, SupportSoft and alumnus of CUSAT. Local comparables are Flutura (2012, Bangalore, $10M) and Altizon (2013, Pune, $4.1M). Global comparables are Uptake (2014, Palo Alto, $252M) and Seeq (2013, Seattle, $38.6M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Affordplan (2016, Delhi), provider of saving plans for medical treatment, raises $10M in Series B round of funding led by Lok Capital and Omidyar Network, with participation from existing investors Kalaari Capital and Prime Venture Partners. Link

CogoPort (2016, Mumbai), online platform provider for booking international freight services, raises $7.6M in funding from Accel Partners. Link

Pando (2016, Bangalore), provider of cloud-hosted transport management solution, raises $2M in Seed round of funding from Kashyap Deorah, Girish Mathrubootham, Nishant Rao and P Balaji. Link

ShopX (2015, Bengaluru), creator of mobile and web applications for offline retailers to go online, raises $2M in funding from Nandan Nilekani. Link

ICanStay (2015, Gurgaon), Online platform to book premium stays/ hotels at fixed prices, raises $199k in funding from Manoj Prasad. Link

PregBuddy (2016, Bangalore), Health information portal and pregnancy monitoring app for pregnant women, raises undisclosed amount of funding from, Indian Angel Network, Rajan Anandan, Madhusudhan Kannan and Jayant Kadambi. Link

Vroom Drive (2016, Bangalore), Web & mobile app based self-drive car rental service provider, launches self-drive car app for iOS users. Link

Myntra (2007, Bangalore), Online retail store for fashion and lifestyle products, acquires WitWorks (2014, Bangalore), Collaborative innovation company manufacturing retail products, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Amazon pay (1994, Seattle), online payments processing service, partners with Airpay(2012, Mumbai), Payment gateway solutions, to enable merchants to accept Amazon Pay payments. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Qapital (2012, NYC), Mobile app for micro savings, raises $30M in funding from Swedbank Robur and Northzone. Link

Redaptive San Francisco-based,  provider of commercial efficiency-as-a-Service, raises $20M in funding from CBRE, ENGIE New Ventures, GXP Investments and Linse Capital. Link

Mixcloud (2008, London), On-demand online radio streaming, raises $11.5M in funding from WndrCo. Link

Ceterus (2008, Charleston), provides reporting and accounting services for SMBs, raises $10M in Series B round of funding from Harbert Growth Partners, TechOperators, GroTech Ventures, Idea Fund Partners and Alerion Ventures. Link

Measurabl (2013, San Diego), SaaS platform for sustainability data collection, management, and reporting, raises $7M in Series A round of funding from Camber Creek, Divco West, Salesforce, Sway Ventures, Borealis Ventures and Impact Engine. Link

Analyst Picks

• Kit & Coffee (2017, New York City) – Online platform to order DIY coffee kits
  Market: FoodTech > Beverages > Non-alcoholic > Coffee > Ground Coffee or Beans > Internet First Brand
• Omakase (2017, Singapore) – Mobile app for food recommendation
  Market: FoodTech > Food Discovery & Ordering > Dine-Out > Review & Recommendation > Rich Listing
• Apptite (2016, Sao Paulo) – Online platform for food ordering from home chefs
  Market: FoodTech > Food Discovery & Ordering > Online Ordering > Chef-Prepared Meals > On-demand Delivery
• GoCater (2016, Berlin) – Online platform to order food for office catering
  Market: FoodTech > Food Discovery & Ordering > Catering > Restaurant Aggregator
• Dish Dash (2016, Singapore) – Online platform to order food from partnered restaurants
  Market: FoodTech > Food Discovery & Ordering > Online Ordering > Restaurant Aggregator > Delivery > Platform Delivered > Office focused

Funding Rounds

Series E, $114.0M
Impossible Foods (2011, Redwood City, $480.0M) – Developer of substitute for animal meat based food
Investors: Temasek, Sailing Capital, Open Philanthropy, GV, UBS, Viking Global Investors, Horizons Ventures

Series C, $39.5M
Gousto (2012, London, $78.2M) – Recipe kit subscription and grocery delivery
Investors: Hargreave Hale, Angel CoFund, MMC Ventures, Business Growth Fund

Series C, $22.8M
Hungryroot (2015, New York City, $36.3M) – Vegetable based meals-boxes

Series B, $19.5M
FoodLogiQ (2006, Durham, $31.8M) – Tracebility software as a service
Investors: Renewal Funds, Pontifax Agtech, Nicola Wealth, Greenhouse Capital Partners, Testo, Tyson Foods

Series B, $12.3M
Privateaser (2014, Paris, $16.4M) – Restaurants, bars and hotels reservation platform for group
Investors: Serena Capital, ISAI Gestion, FJ Labs, Kerala Ventures

Series A, $6.1M
OrderYoyo (2013, Copenhagen, $9M) – Software for food ordering
Investors: Growth Fund, Preben Damgaard, Jesper Johansen, Seed Capital

Series A, $5.6M
City Pantry (2013, London, $7.6M) – Marketplace for London’s Street vendors, pop-ups, chefs, restaurants and delis for business or events/gatherings
Investors: Octopus Investments, Newable

Angel, $5M
Vinfolio (2003, San Francisco, $13.9M) – Wine e-commerce , cellar management software and collector services
Investors: Don Pierre, Allan Warburg

Series C, $3.6M
SteadyServ Technologies (2012, Indianapolis, $24.9M) – Inventory management solution for draft beer

Series A, $3.1M
Tannico (2012, Milano, $9.8M) – Wine flash sales
Investors: nuocapital.com

Series A, $3M
xtraCHEF (2015, New York City, $3M) – Vendor Management app for restaurants
Investors: Laconia Capital Group, Ben Franklin Technology Partners, Connectivity Ventures Fund

Conventional Debt, $2.2M
Bellwether Coffee (2013, Berkeley, $7.7M) – Developer and private label manufacturer of iOS integrated coffee roaster

Series C, $1.8M
SteadyServ Technologies (2012, Indianapolis, $24.9M) – Inventory management solution for draft beer

Venture Debt, $1.3M
Fingerlix (2016, Mumbai, $11.2M) – On-demand semi-cooked food delivery app
Investors: Alteria Capital

Seed, $1M
SmartQ (2015, Bangalore, $1.8M) – Food take-out ordering app for employees of Tech Parks
Investors: YourNest

M&A

• Alibaba To Acquire Full Ownership Of China Online Delivery Platform Ele.Me Reuters
• HelloFresh Acquires Green Chef Business Wire
• AccorHotels buys online reservation firm ResDiary BusinessCloud
• YC alum Dahmakan, a Kuala Lumpur-based food delivery startup, acquires Polpa to expand into Thailand TechCrunch
• Ola in talks to buy Freshmenu after Foodpanda acquisition Livemint
• Corporate Essentials Acquires Martin + Fitch Citybizlist
• Italian Wine Brands Announces Svinando Wine Club’s Acquisition FinSMEs
• Postmates And DoorDash Considering Teaming Together PYMNTS

New Product Announcement

• Getting New Customers in the Door: “Punchh Acquire” Launches in Beta to Restaurant Marketing Platform Business Wire
• Apptizer Mobile and Kiosk Order-Ahead Now Available for First Data Clover Business Wire
• The Wait is Over… Daiya Brings Its Award-Winning Plant-Based Comfort Foods to the United Kingdom PR Newswire
• Easy-to-Use Spoon Guru Technology Launches in the US Providing the Most Accurate Shopping Experience for Consumers’ Food Needs Business Wire
• AwesomeChef launches DIY health meal kits Business Line
• Deliveroo launches ‘Pop-ups’ concept for emerging street-food brands Lunch Business
• BlueCart Launches New Hospitality Industry Online Marketplace Press Release Jet
• HotSchedules Announces Clarifi™ Advanced Forecasting Engine, Partnering Restaurant Managers with Machine Learning to Increase Predictability and Reduce CostsGlobeNewswire
• New CorkGuru Digital App Helps Restaurants Harness the Business Value of Their Wine Programs Business Wire
• Myxx Announces New Shoppable Recipe Video Series Starring Best-Selling Cookbook Author PRWeb
• Roberson Winery Opens Doors To Locals The Drinks Business
• Cafection, EVOCA USA Will Present Enhanced Coffee Machines Offer At NAMA 2018Vending Market Watch

New Market Entry

• Tea startup, The Good Life Company, expands into luxury coffee segment Indiatimes

New Geo Entry

• Swiggy to enter Coimbatore, Kochi this month Indiatimes
• Swiggy expands footprints, launches operations in Kochi New Indian Express
• foodpanda Officially Launches Its Operations in Rawalpindi ProPakistani
• Grubhub Expands Delivery Service to Mahoning Valley Business Journal Daily
• Uber Eats launches in Des Moines clayandmilk.com

Business Partnership

• Swiggy introduces UPI-based payment for delivery fleet Indiatimes
• Swiggy, PhonePe join hands for simplified payment Indiatimes
• Blue Apron partners with Airbnb to bring a global culinary experiences to home cooksFDF World
• Meredith Corporation Partners With eMeals To Bring Curated Meal Plans To Millions Of Home Cooks PR Newswire
• Yelp and Grubhub Complete Online Ordering Integration Business Wire
• Delivery Hero Selects NewVoiceMedia As Contact Center Partner to Transform Global Customer Experience Business Wire

Company Announcement

• Blue Apron plans to sell meal kits in stores in 2018 Reuters
• Impossible Foods Announces $114 Mln Convertible Note As Startup Prepares For Rapid Expansion In The Us And Overseas Reuters
• Foodpanda sets up technology centre in Bengaluru Indiatimes
• Foodpanda launches dedicated technology centre in Bengaluru Livemint

Earnings Release

• Zomato CEO claims $100 million in annualised revenue run rate; 40% growth in last 2 months Indiatimes

Key People Movement

• Foodpanda appoints Anshul Khandelwal as head of marketing Indiatimes

Analyst Picks

• CryptoKitties (2017, Vancouver, $12M) – ERC-721 token based gaming platform
  Market: Blockchain > Consumer > Gaming Platform
• Lucyd (2017, Singapore) – AR-based smartglasses backed on a decentralised ecosystem
  Market: Blockchain > Consumer
• Stream (2017, San Francisco) – Decentralized token for livestream payments
  Market: Blockchain > Consumer > Digital Content
• FreeZone (2017, London) – Decentralized financial ecosystem for crypto businesses
  Market: Blockchain > Technology > Service Providers
• QYK Technologies (2017, Singapore) – Decentralized marketplace of bars
  Market: Blockchain > Consumer > Food Discovery & Ordering

Funding Rounds

PE, $106M
Orbs (2017, Tel Aviv, $106M) – Blockchain-as-a-Service provider

Series A, $20M
Eximchain (2016, Boston, $20M) – P2P trade finance platform powered by smart contracts
Investors: fbg.capital, INBlockchain, kenetic.capital, Alphabit, 1kx.network, connect.capital, Hashed

Series A, $16M
Chainalysis (2014, Manhattan, $17.6M) – Blockchain based payment fraud prevention & compliance solutions
Investors: Benchmark Capital

Series A, $12M
CryptoKitties (2017, Vancouver, $12M) – ERC-721 token based gaming platform
Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Union Square Ventures, Fred Ehrsam, Naval Ravikant, Mark Pincus, Bill Tai, William Mougayar, Avichal Garg, CAA Ventures, Digital Currency Group, Version One Ventures, Rising Tide Fund, Yes, Hex

Series A, $10.4M
Everledger (2015, London, $10.5M) – Preventing diamond fraud and theft
Investors: GMP Securities, Fidelity, Vickers Venture Partners, Graphene Ventures, Future Perfect Ventures, Rakuten, Fenbushi Capital

Series A, $9.2M
Coinlist (2017, Alexandria, $9.2M) – Token purchase platform for accredited American investors
Investors: Polychain, Digital Currency Group, fbg.capital, Blockchain Capital, CoinFund, Libertus Capital, electric.capital, Accomplice, Protocol

Series A, $5M
OB1 (2015, Fairfax, $9.2M) – Blockchain based P2P marketplace
Investors: Bitmain, OMERS Ventures, Digital Currency Group, IPFS, Union Square Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz

Series A, $3.2M
Reality Shares (2012, San Diego, $3.2M) – Investment marketplace on Blockchain

Angel, $2.9M
ShareRing (2017, Melbourne, $2.9M) – Decentralized sharing economy

Seed, $2.5M
Lightning Labs (2016, San Francisco, $2.5M) – Bitcoin Mainnet
Investors: Jack Dorsey, Jacqueline Reses, Charlie Lee, Kevin Hartz, Ben Davenport, Vlad Tenev, The Hive, David Sacks, Digital Currency Group

Seed, $80K
The LendingCoin (2017, Boise, $830K) – Real Estate financing on Blockchain

Seed
BitOfProperty (2017, Tallinn) – Real estate crowd investing platform
Investors: LIFULL

Seed
Elemential (2015, Mumbai) – Blockchain solution and consultancy solution provider.
Investors: Matrix Partners India, Investopad, Digital Currency Group, Hinduja Group, Eight Innovate, Amrish Rau, Amit Ranjan, Prashant Malik, Lightspeed Venture Partners

Series A
Keybase (2013, New York City, $10.8M) – Identity mapping service with public keys
Investors: Stellar

M&A

• HIVE Blockchain to Acquire Kolos Norway AS; Build Major Data Centre PR Newswire
• Long Blockchain Agrees To Acquire Hashcove, A UK-Based Company Reuters
• Coinbase in Talks to Acquire Earn.com, Its Biggest Acquisition Ever CryptoCoinsNews
• Shop acquires retail apps Comrse, Kanga, & FoxCommerce Fibre2Fashion

New Fund Launch

• Australian Blockchain Startup DigitalX Launches Crypto Investment Fund BlockTribune
  

Funds Raising Funds

• Ripple invests $25 million worth of its own cryptocurrency into a blockchain-focused fundCNBC

New Product Announcement

• First Ever Public Crypto Brokerage Desk Announced By TMX & Paycase Coinjournal
• Circle launches a Coinbase competitor in the U.S. TechCrunch
• Modex to launch an app store for Blockchain IT News Africa
• tZERO Unveils Security Token Trading Software Business Wire
• Papyrus Launches World’s First Digital Advertising Blockchain Ecosystem Jersey City Breaking News
• BLOCKv Launches Development Platform To Build Smart, Experiential Assets For The Next Generation Digital Goods Economy PR Newswire
• Blockstream Unveils Nanotip LApp for Bitcoin Tipping The Merkle
• Nebulas Launched Mainnet 1.0 at Its New NAS Center in San Francisco on March 29 PR Newswire
• Blockchain-based P2P payments company Cashaa aims to be a mobile-only digital bank in India Moneycontrol
• RSK Chooses Decentral’s Jaxx Blockchain Platform, Paving Way For Smart Contracts On Bitcoin GlobeNewswire
• Binance to Launch its Own Blockchain, Upgrades BNB Token Finance Magnates
• Bancor launches a cryptocurrency wallet that converts instantly between tokensVentureBeat
• Contis to provide payment cards for Wirex cryptocurrency-to-fiat spending Finextra
• Santander launches blockchain-backed payments service Financial News
• Apple Could Possibly Implement Ripple’s Interledger Protocol for Apple Pay PaymentsCoinspeaker

New Geo Entry

• BitPesa Launches in Ghana, Growing Footprint Across West Africa TechMoran
• Binance Looks to Malta for Fresh Start, Plans to Open Local Office Finance Magnates
• Play2Live Enters the Gulf Region – First blockchain-based eSports platform for gamers and viewers rolling out an Arabic version Jersey City Breaking News
• Bitfury CEO Announces Major Norway Expansion Global FDI
• Mobile Gaming Platform ALAX Expands Into Asia ACN Newswire

Business Partnership

• PKO Bank Polski To Integrate Coinfirm’s Blockchain Platform BlockTribune
• DigitalX teams with MailGuard to develop blockchain based cybersecurity networkProactive Investors
• Enjin and Unity Technologies Advance True Item Ownership through Asset Store Partnership PR Newswire
• Rivetz Partners with Enrich Media Group to Provide Advanced Security Capabilities PR Newswire
• Tech Mahindra partners with blockchain firm ChromaWay Indiatimes
• Santander is set to launch an international money transfer app with Ripple Business Insider
• UK Fintech Settles Security on Ethereum Blockchain in a World-First with MicrosoftCryptoCoinsNews

Company Announcement

• Coca-Cola, U.S. State Dept to use blockchain to combat forced labor Reuters

New Feature Release

• Abra Introduces World’s First All-in-One Cryptocurrency Wallet and Exchange with 20 Cryptocurrencies and 50 Fiat Currencies in a Single App PR Newswire
  

Key People Movement

• QUOINE Strengthens Leadership Team with Four Key Hires PR Newswire

Analyst Picks

• Lucyd (2017, Singapore) – AR-based smartglasses backed on a decentralised ecosystem
  Market: Augmented Reality > Display Medium > Screen-based > Smart Glasses
• Blue Vision Labs (2016, London, $17M) – Developing AR technology for simultaneous use
  Market: Augmented Reality > Development Tools > Content Creation Tools > Development Kit Providers
• CleverBooks (2016, Dublin) – AR based educational products aimed at primary kids and corporate
  Market: Augmented Reality > Applications > Education & Training > Products
• Cognitive3D (2015, Vancouver) – Provider of VR analytics platform
  Market: Augmented Reality > Applications > Advertising/Marketing
• Vertebrae (2015, Santa Monica) – Virtual reality interactive ads creation platform
  Market: Augmented Reality > Applications > Advertising/Marketing

Funding Rounds

Series A, $14.5M
Blue Vision Labs (2016, London, $17M) – Developing AR technology for simultaneous use
Investors: GV, Accel Partners, Horizons Ventures, SV Angel

Series A, $10.5M
Ubiquity6 (2017, San Francisco, $10.5M) – Stealth mode: augmented reality company
Investors: Index Ventures, Gradient Ventures, First Round Capital, KPCB, LDV Partners, A+E Networks, WndrCo

Series A, $4.9M
Neurable (2015, Pasadena, $6.9M) – Brain Computer Interface software solutions

Series B, $4.5M
Avegant (2012, Belmont, $53.5M) – Develops hardware and software-based light field technology solutions
Investors: Applied Materials

M&A

• L’Oreal buys Canada’s ModiFace in digital makeover Reuters
• Spooklight Studio partners with Magic Leap Startupticker

New Product Announcement

• Magic Leap releases its first set of AR developer tools Engadget

Business Partnership

• Gfycat looks to be a hub of content for AR experience development xTechNews
• YouCam Partners with Amway for an Innovative AR Shopping Experience to Transform the Customer Beauty Journey Business Wire
• Toshiba partners with Atheer to provide enterprise-grade Augmented Reality (AR) software platform for Toshiba’s new dynaEdge™ AR Smart Glasses PR Newswire
• YouCam Makeup & Eylure Bring Influencer Lash Styles to Augmented Reality Business Wire
• zSpace Allows Students to Visualize and Collaborate on 3D Designs With Autodesk Tinkercad PRWeb
• Mantis Vision reported to be developing 3D camera solutions for Samsung Galaxy S10Biometric Update
• Perfect Corp. Teams up on New Animated Movie SHERLOCK GNOMES with an Exclusive Augmented Reality Beauty Experience In YouCam Apps Business Wire

Company Announcement

• Vuzix M300 Smart Glasses Selected by Oracle as Part of Service Cloud Showcase at ModernCX PR Newswire
  

Earnings Release

• Vuzix Reports Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2017 Financial Results PR Newswire

Sector Report Release

• Global Augmented Reality and Mixed Reality Market to Reach $198.17 Billion and $3.68 Billion, Respectively, by 2025 PR Newswire

New Feature Release

• Online Retailer Asos Collaborates With Fashion Startup Zeekit calcalistech.com
• Scope AR Brings Real-Time Remote Assistance to More Than 100 Million Android Devices with ARCore PR Newswire
• Arvizio debuts collaboration suite for AEC HoloLens users SPAR 3D Editor

Key People Movement

• WayRay Establishes a New Affiliate in China and Appoints a General Manager PR Newswire
  

Layoffs

• AR company Avegant cuts staff despite headset growth forecasts Fierce Cable

Lawsuit

• Vuzix Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Short Seller PR Newswire
• Magic Leap settles lawsuit with security chief over Microsoft trade secret allegations The Business Journals

Award

• ARHT Media’s Holographic Telepresence Selected as the Featured Technology at the 2018 Canadian Event Industry Awards Gala GlobeNewswire
• Colorado Company Liteye Systems Announced as Finalist for AUVSI XCELLENCE Awards PR Newswire