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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Lithion Power (2016, Delhi), operator of a lithium battery swapping network for electric bikes, Founder is Ex-Corporate strategy head TE Connectivity, VP Axiata Group and alumnus of INSEAD and IIT Kharagpur. Local Comparable is Sun Mobility (2017, Bangalore). Global comparables are Gogoro (2011, Taipei, $480M) and Verd2GO (2014, Kansas City).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Arman Financial Service (1992, Ahmedabad), provider of micro loans and vehicle loans in Gujarat, raises $7.66M in funding from  SAIF Partners. Link

PaisaDukan (2018, Mumbai), P2P lending marketplace, raises $650k from undisclosed investor. Link

Emflux Motors (2016, Bangalore), electric motorcycle developer, raises $306k in seed round of funding from R Gopal Reddy, MD of Concorde Group, Narendra Sujan, Director of Sujan Group, Fabian Brian Crain, Co-founder of Chorus One and Epicenter, and existing investors Meher Roy & Risabh Gupta along with other HNIs. Link

Vehere (2006, Kolkata), provider of communication and cyber intelligence technology, raises undisclosed amount of funding from ENAM Holdings. Link

Foxtrot (2017, Mumbai), Mobile application for corporate event & travel management, raises undisclosed pre-series A funding from Frontier Holidays. Link

MANGO (1984, Barcelona), Chain of stores selling private label fashion apparel and accessories for men, women, and kids, partners with Myntra (2007, Bangalore), Online retail store for fashion and lifestyle products, to open its first bricks-and-mortar store in Bengaluru. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Drift (2014, Cambridge), customer segmentation and engagement platform, raises $60M in Series C funding  led by Sequoia Capital with participation from CRV and General Catalyst. Link

Scality (2010, SF), provider of software for distributed file and object storage and multi-cloud data control, raises $60M in funding from Silverpeak, Harbert European Growth Capital. Link

Project-44 (2014, Chicago), cloud-based software solution for shipping and fulfilment, raises $35M in Series A funding from OpenView, 8VC, Emergence Capital, Omidyar Technology Ventures, Chicago Ventures, and Pritzker Group Venture Capital. Link

Applitools (San Mateo, 2013), provider of a Application Visual Management platform, raises $31M in Series C funding led by OpenView, with participation from Sierra Ventures, Magma Venture Partners, iAngels and La Maison. Link

AppOnboard (2016, Francisco), platform for testing mobile application features, raises $15M in Series A funding from Mirae Asset Management, Mantaray, MTG, Runa Capital, London Venture Partners, Troy Capital Partners, and Ophir Capital Group. Link

Pioneer Square Labs Seattle-based startup studio and venture capital firm launches $80M fund that will invests in early-stage technology companies. Link 

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Graphene Arch (2017, Thane), Developer of graphene, carbon nanotubes, and conductive inks. Local comparable is Log9materials (2014, Saharanpur, Seed). Global Comparables are nanotechenergy (2014, Los Angeles, $3.41M) and Xolve (2008, Middleton, $6.64M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Magma (1988, Kolkata), provider of a personal and commercial loans, raises $76M from institutional investors through qualified institutional placement. Link

Coverfox (2011, Mumbai), Insurance aggregator and selling platform, raises $22M in Series C round of funding led by International Finance Corp and Transamerica. Link

Vogo (2016, Bangalore), online self-drive scooter rental platform, raises $7M in funding from Ola, Stellaris Venture Partners and Matrix Partners. Link

LYNK Logistics (2015, Chennai), on-demand intra-city truck rental service, raises $3M in funding from Ramco Group, P.R. Venketrama Raja and Abinav Raja. Link

WHISHWORKS (2008, Hyderabad), IT Service provider, partners with Databricks (2013, San Francisco), Platform to ingest, analyze and visualize data on a spark cluster, to drive business value with Big Data Analytics. Link

Parag Milk Foods (1992, Pune), Manufacturer and supplier of dairy products, acquires Danone’s (1919, Paris), multi category manufacturer and brand of food products and beverages, curd and yogurt manufacturing facility at Rai,Sonipat in Haryana. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Wunder (2013, Boulder), commercial solar PV systems financer, raises $112M in primarily debt financing. Link

fuboTV (2014, NYC), cloud based TV service, raises $75M in Series D funding from AMC Networks, 21st Century Fox, Luminari Capital, Northzone, Sky and Scripps Networks Interactive. Link

Saviynt (2010, Los Angeles), provides access governance and intelligence solution, raises $40M in Series A funding from Carrick Capital Partners. Link

Funding Societies (2015, Singapore), Online P2P lending platform for SMEs, raises $25M in Series B funding led by SoftBank Ventures Korea, with participation from existing investors Sequoia India, Alpha JWC Ventures  and Golden Gate Ventures, Qualgro and LINE Ventures. Link

Green Bits (2014, San Jose), iPad-based POS checkout system designed for marijuana retailers,raises $17M in Series A funding round led by Tiger Global, with participation from Casa Verde Capital. Link

RapidSOS (2012, NYC), mobile app-based emergency communication and response system, raises $16M in funding led by Highland Capital Partners with participation from Microsoft Ventures, CSAA Insurance Group, and Forte Ventures. Link

Mapillary (2013, Malmo), street level imagery platform, raises $15M in funding led by BMW i Ventures, with participation from Samsung Catalyst Fund and NavInfo along with existing investors Atomico, Sequoia, PlayFair, and LDV Capital. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Nocto (2017, Noida), Smart home hub and mobile app for managing connected devices, Co-founder is Ex-Manager Qwich and alumnus of Manipal University, Jaipur. Local comparables are Cosine Labs (2016, Bangalore) and Amie (2017, Kochi). Global comparables are Brilliant (2015, San Mateo, $21M) and Josh.ai (2015, Denver, $11M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

True Balance (2015, Gurgaon), Mobile app for checking mobile prepaid balance, raises $23M in bridge round of funding from Line Ventures Corporation, Naver, Shinhan Bank along with TS Investment. Link

Chai Point (2010, Bangalore), Omni-channel restaurant chain serving tea and snacks, raises $20M in series C round led by Paragon Partners, with participation from existing investors including Eight Roads, Saama Capital and DSG Consumer partners. Link

Bloom Hotel (2011, Delhi), budget hospitality chain, raises $16M in Series B round of funding from Samena Capital. Link

Mamaearth (2016, Gurgaon), private label retailer of baby care products, raises $250k in funding from Shilpa Shetty Kundra. Link

FundTonic (2016, Mumbai), managed co-working space provider, raises an undisclosed amount in a strategic round of funding from Yesss Capital and other undisclosed investors. Link

Lenskart (2010, Delhi), Online + Offline eyewear brand and Arohan (2006, Kolkata), provider of micro Loans in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam, raises undisclosed amount of funding from TR Capital. Link

Tata Steel (1907, Mumbai), Steel Manufacturing leader in India, raises $1.9B through syndicated loans. Link

Ibibo Group (2007, Gurgaon), online travel group with multiple offerings in travel, has received $9.8M cash infusion from parent group ibibo Group Holdings (Singapore) Pte. ltd.  Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Tala (2012, Los Angeles), provider of micro loans for consumers based on smartphone data, raises $65M in funding from IVP, Data Collective, Lowercase Capital, Ribbit Capital, and Female Founders Fund. Link

Harbor(2017,San Francisco), tokenized securities startup, raises $28M in funding led by Founders Fund, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz and Pantera Capital and existing investors Craft Ventures, Vy Capital and Valor Equity Partners, as well as Future Perfect Ventures, 1confirmation, Abstract Holdings and Signia Venture Partners. Link

Konux (2014, Munich), sensor solutions for real-time machine control and predictive maintenance, raises $20M in Series B round of funding led by New Enterprise Associates with participation from the MIG funds. Link

Mac & Mia (2014, Chicago), online personal stylists & shopper services for children, raises $5M in Series A round of funding from Chicago Ventures, KGC Capital, Corazon Capital, Emerisque Ventures and Emerisque Brands. Link

Volpi Capital, London-based private equity, closes its debut fund, at $228.9M. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

IconicBot (2017, Mumbai), AI-enabled fan management tool for celebrities & influencers, Founder is Cofounder of Opus InfoMedia, ex-Ionic.io, IBM, Suvarnas and alumnus of SJCE. Global comparables are TraceMe (2017, Seattle, $9M) and Bellinity (2012, Beach, $100k).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Nykaa (2012, Mumbai), Online retail platform for beauty and wellness products, raises $11.3M in funding led by Warburg Pincus, Sunil Munjal,  Marico’s Mariwala family office and Dalip Pathak. Link

Doxper (2015, Mumbai), Smart tools for prescriptions and physician order entry, raises $1.1M in a pre-series A round of funding led by Vidal Healthcare. Link

Fyle (2016, Bangalore), AI based expense management software, raises $1.1M in funding from Pravega Ventures and Beenext. Link

Visit (2015, Delhi), Multispecialty telemedicine platform for doctor consultation, raises undisclosed amount of funding from  Biz Stone, Kunal Bahl, Rohit Bansal, Alagu Periyannan and Karthee Madasamy.  Link

Drivezy (2015, Bangalore), Online self-drive car rental service, raises $8M in second round of its initial coin offering. Link

Ebix (1976, Atlanta), Software & e-commerce solutions to the insurance & healthcare industry, acquires smartlearning (2014, Gurgaon), provider of innovative products & solutions to enable learners and teachers for,  $8M. Link

Mahindra Electric (1994, Bangalore), Electric cars and commercial vans, ties up with Meru (2007, Mumbai), provider of cab service, for e-vehicle project. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Zimplisitc (2008, Singapore), Manufacturer of Automatic Roti Maker, raises $30M in Series C round of funding led by Credence Partners and EDBI. Link

Shapeways (2008, NYC), Online marketplace to custom manufacture and sell 3D printed products, raises  $30M in Series E funding, led by Lux Capital, with participation from Union Square Ventures, INKEF Capital and Andreessen Horowitz. Link

Global-e (2007, Petah Tikva), technology enabler of cross-border ecommerce, raises $20M in funding led by Red Dot Capital Partners. Link

Wonolo (2013, SF), Marketplace for daily and hourly jobs, raises  $13M in Series B round of funding led by Sequoia Capital with participation from PivotNorth Capital, Crunchfund and new investor Base10. Link

TheWaveVR (2016, Austin), Develops metaverse for music experience, raises $6M in Series A round of  funding led by RRE Ventures with participation from Upfront Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, GC VR Gaming Tracker Fund and The VR Fund. Link

Rare Bits (2017, SF), peer-to-peer marketplace for crypto goods, raises $6m in Series A round of funding led by Spark Capital, with participation from First Round Capital, Craft Ventures, SV Angel, Emmett Shear, Neil Mehta, Aditya Agarwal, Ruchi Sangvhi, Justin Kan and Avichal Garg. Link

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

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

HybridBlock – (2016, Singapore) – Crypto trading solutions provider. Global Comparable include itBit (2012, Tower, $28.2M) and CoinPlug (2013, Seoul, $8.3M).
Horizon Unmanned Systems – (2015, Singapore) – Designs a hydrogen fuel cell-powered drone and builds a drone charging station. Global Comparable include WiBoti (2015, Seattle, $3.25M) and AirShip Technologies Group (2001, Lake Oswego, null).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

Vingroup raises funding
Vingroup (1993, Hanoi), a real estate development and management company, raises $1.3B in an undisclosed round of funding from GIC.

Zimplistic raises funding
Zimplistic (2008, Singapore), a robotic flatbread maker for home kitchens, raises $30M in Series C round of funding from Credence Partners, and EDBI.

Funding Societies raises funding
Funding Societies (2015, Singapore), an online P2P lending platform for SMEs, raises $25M in Series B round of funding from Softbank Ventures Korea.

Silot raises funding
Silot (2017, Singapore), a software company catering to banks, raises $2.87M in pre-series A round of funding from Arbor Ventures and Eight Roads Ventures.

Intrepid raises funding
Intrepid (2012, Ho Chi Minh City), an eCommerce consultancy and B2B service provider, raises $2M in an undisclosed round of funding from undisclosed investors.

Park N Parcel raises funding
Park N Parcel (2016, Singapore), a parcel collection service provider, raises $850K in Seed funding from undisclosed investors.

Dexecure raises funding
Dexecure (2015, Singapore), a content delivery network services company, raises $762K in Seed funding from Cocoon Capital and Walden International. 

Cetaku raises funding
Cetaku (2015, Indonesia), a student printing platform, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from IDN Media. 

Food2U raises funding
Food2U (2015, Yangon), a restaurant aggregator platform with food ordering and delivery, raises an undisclosed amount in an undisclosed round of funding from Premium Distribution.

Edu2Review raises funding
Edu2Review (2015, Vietnam), an online education and booking platform, raises an undisclosed amount in an undisclosed round of funding from Nest Tech venture capital fund. 

Triip raises funding
Triip (2012, Ho Chi Minh City), a travel marketplace connecting tourists with hand-picked local experts, raises an undisclosed amount in an undisclosed round of funding from Gaiax, and Nguyen Duy. 

HelloGold raises funding
HelloGold (2015, Kuala Lumpur), a mobile application to buy, store, mortgage gold, raises an undisclosed amount in Series A round of funding from 500 Startups.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Ekuiti Nasional Bhd acquires Flexi Versa
Ekuiti Nasional Bhd, a private equity company, acquires Flexi Versa, a Malaysia based electronic turnkey and components manufacturer, for an undisclosed amount.

Pinkoi expands into new Asian markets
Pinkoi, a Taiwan based eCommerce platform, expands into new Asian markets.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Adonmo (2017, Hyderabad), provider of in-transit cab advertising platform for advertisers to reach their target audience, Co-Founder is ex-manager Microsoft, WebileApps, John Hancock Financial Services and alumnus of Indian School of Business. Global Comparables are BrightMove Media (2012, London, $1.1M) and OPEN Messenger (2015, Liverpool).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Capital Float (2013, Bangalore), Online lending platform for small businesses, raises $22M in Series C funding from Amazon. Link

Pitstop (2015, Bangalore), closed marketplace for car service providers, raises $1.5M in Pre-Series A funding from existing investors led by Singapore-based Goldbell Group & Blume Ventures. Link

ShoeKonnect (2014, Agra), Mobile listings and communication platform for B2B shoe industry, raises $451k from Naukri.com. Link

Career Anna (2013, Mumbai), Online platform for information on careers, examinations & colleges, raises $451k from a group of angel investors represented by Subinder Khurana. Link

Mihuru (2016, Mumbai), provides micro loans for air travel, raises $150k in first round of external funding from undisclosed investors. Link

Emojifi Keyboard (2016, Hyderabad), Alternate keyboard app that emojifies text to emoji, raises an undisclosed sum in a pre-Series A funding round from early-stage venture fund Whiteboard Capital. Link

Alphanso Tech (2009, Rajkot), Web and mobile application development services, Launches iOS and Android App for Popular Event Management Platform. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Formlabs (2011, Somerville), High-resolution desktop 3D printing, raises $30M in Series C funding, led by Tyche Partners, with participation from Shenzhen Capital Group and UpNorth Investment Limited, as well as existing investors DFJ, Pitango and Foundry Group. Link

SECO spa (1979, Arezzo), developer of new embedded solutions, raises $12.3M in funding from FII Tech Growth. Link

SecuredTouch (2014, Tel Aviv), Behavioral Security for Apps, raises $8M in Series A funding led by Arvato Financial Solutions, RDC. Link

Swvl (2017, Cairo), App for smart city commute, raises $8M in series A funding led by  BECO Capital, Silicon Badia, DiGAME Investment, Raed VC, Arzan Venture Capital, OTF, Esther Dyson. Link

Guestfriend (2017, NYC), Personalized chatbot for restaurants, raises $5M in Seed funding led by Primary Venture Partners, Techstars Ventures and betaworks. Link

MadDog Ventures, Birmingham-based venture capital firm, Closes $26.7M Venture Capital Fund. Link

Analyst Picks

• PatientPop (2014, Santa Monica, $23.8M) – Marketing platform for healthcare providers
  Market: Healthcare Analytics > Operational Analytics > Marketing > Consumer Engagement

Funding Rounds

Series D, $80M
Tempus (2015, Chicago, $210M) – Oncology platform for sequencing, analytics and informatics
Investors: New Enterprise Associates, Revolution

Post IPO, $79M
Inovalon (1998, Bowie) – Cloud-based data analytics platform that helps improve clinical, quality and payment integrity outcomes

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 B, $36.4M
Aetion (2012, New York City, $50M) – Provides payer/provider, biopharma and medical device customers with a platform to allow them to gain insights into the clinical and financial status of a population
Investors: New Enterprise Associates, Amgen, Flare Capital Partners, Lakestar, OXEON HOLDINGS

Series A, $9.8M
Brainomix (2010, Oxford, $13.6M) – Medical imaging software to automatically interpret brain CT scans
Investors: Parkwalk, Chimera Partners, Oxford University Innovation, Boehringer Ingelheim Venture Fund

Seed, $3M
Canvas Medical (2015, San Francisco, $3M) – Provides a predictive charting interface and predictive EMR
Investors: Upfront Ventures, iSeed Ventures, Village Global

Series A, $3M
Obvio Health (2015, Singapore) – An integrated suite of applications that provides brands with the tools necessary to track and measure medical marketing program successes
Investors: Tikehau Capital

Post IPO, $2.1M
Mynd Analytics (1999, Aliso Viejo, $33.9M) – Provider of reference data and analytic tools for clinicians and researchers in psychiatry.

Conventional Debt, $2M
Cardinal Analytx Solutions (2013, Palo Alto, $6.1M) – ML-based for member risk prediction and targeted interventions

Series B, $1.5M
ArborMetrix (2011, Ann Arbor, $14.7M) – Clinical analytics platform to measure and improve outcomes, quality and cost

Conventional Debt, $1.3M
Bay Labs (2014, San Francisco, $5.5M) – Deep learning based medical imaging diagnostics for Heart diseases

Seed, $845K
Roundtable Analytics (2013, North, $845K) – On-demand simulation modeling solution for emergency departments

Post IPO, $622K
Feedback (1958, Cambridge) – Software solutions and workflows for medical image analysis

Seed, $325K
WiserCare (2010, Los Angeles, $7.4M) – Decision support software for patients and physicians

Seed, $166K
Grr-ithm (2015, Van Nuys, $166K) – AI based medical records management platform

M&A

• Roche. (4/6/18). “Press Release: Roche Completes Acquisition of Flatiron Health”. BaselLife-Sciences-Germany
• Netsmart to Acquire Change Healthcare Home Care and Hospice Solutions Business Wire
• U.K. Healthcare Entrepreneur Buys Radiology A.I. Startup Behold.AI Xconomy
• Open Source Health Inc. Announces Letter of Intent Dated March 26, 2018 to Acquire Private Company Holding Cannabis Interests The Newswire
• Health IT company recapped by Boston firm Nashville Post

FDA Approval

• Densitas Receives FDA Clearance for PACS-Centric Breast Density Software Imaging Technology News
• Eyenuk, Inc. Receives Health Canada Approval for EyeArt?, an AI-enabled Cloud-based Automated Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Software Pharmacy Choice

New Product Announcement

• ResApp Develops Sound-based Algorithm to Diagnose Sleep Apnea via Smartphone HIT Consultant
• Canvas Medical reveals tech platform geared toward primary care practices MedCity News
• Omnicell to Showcase Industry-Leading Medication Management Automation Platform and Solutions at the European Association of Hospital Pharmacists Congress PR Newswire
• MYnd Analytics and Arcadian Telepsychiatry Services Announce Launch of School-Based Telepsychiatry Program Designed to Provide Youths with School-Based Access to Mental Health Services GlobeNewswire
• Inovalon Launches Clinical Data Extraction as a Service and Natural Language Processing as a Service on the Inovalon ONE Platform CMOCRO
• Innovaccer Launches InGraph to Transform Healthcare Analytics HIT Consultant
• Health Data Vision, Inc. Introduces the First Mobile App Providing Real Time Visibility and Engagement for Medical Record Retrieval & Review GlobeNewswire
• Decision Resources Group (DRG) announces launch of new brand – DRG Learning PR Newswire
• Roundtable Analytics Delivers Benchmarking Data Services to SAEM Member Institutions PR Newswire
• Ibex Medical Analytics Deploys the First Ever AI-based Digital Pathology Cancer Diagnosis System in Live Clinical Setting, With Immediate Impact on Patient Care PR Newswire

Business Partnership

• Inovalon Announces New Post Acute Care Services Agreement with Tenet HealthcareCMOCRO
• Zelis® Healthcare and WLT Software® Announce Partnership for Integrated ePayment Solutions Business Wire
• NetScientific portfolio company expands into orthopaedics with new partnership Proactive Investors

Company Announcement

• Sonde Health Announces U.S. and Australian Patent Issuances Broadly Covering Methods of Detecting Vocal Biomarkers in Physical or Psychological Conditions Business Wire
• Google’s DeepMind to open AI lab in Paris Telecompaper
• WellDoc Announces Providence Health & Services’ Implementation of BlueStar Digital Therapeutic in a Pilot Program Citybizlist
• MedyMatch Technology Announces Name Change to MaxQ-AI PR Newswire
• HealthEC Adds The Villages Health to Population Health Management Solution Citybizlist

Earnings Release

• Friday Night Inc. Announces Second Quarter Financial Results PR Newswire
• Volpara Health Technologies delivers 200% growth with analysts tipping more to comeBiotech Capital

Commentary on Sector

• Humana, UnitedHealthcare, Quest Diagnostics and others launch blockchain initiative focused on provider data MedCity News

Research Partnership

• Coriell Life Sciences Teams with Quantigen Genomics to Transform the Detection of Vaginal Infections PR Newswire

Key People Movement

• Ortho Kinematics Strengthens Leadership Team BioSpace
• Omnicell Appoints Scott Seidelmann as Chief Commercial Officer PR Newswire
• Healthcare Technology Veteran Russ Johannesson Joins Glooko as CEO Business Wire
• Feedback appoints new chief financial officer to refine growth strategy Proactive Investors
• Change Healthcare Appoints Fredrik J. Eliasson as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer PR Newswire

Board Updates

• Truveris Appoints Sally Welborn, former head of Walmart Global Benefits to Board of Directors Business Wire

Analyst Picks

• WanderJaunt (2016, San Francisco, $2M) – End-to-end tech-enabled vacation rental management services
  Market: Online Travel > Enterprise > Accomodation > Vacation Rentals > Services > End-to-end management
• Shep Travel (2016, Austin, $1.4M) – Web extension for managing corporate travel
  Market: Online Travel > Enterprise > Corporate Travel Management
• SoBus (2016, Paris, $739K) – Online platform for booking bus tickets
  Market: Online Travel > Transport > Bus > Booking
• Hotailors (2016, Warsaw, $150K) – B2B hotel booking platform for travel agents
  Market: Online Travel > Enterprise > For Agents & Operators > GDS > Hotels
• Redeam (2015, Boulder, $7.7M) – Software solutions for digitizing and validating tickets sold by 3rd party re-sellers
  Market: Online Travel > Enterprise > For Agents & Operators > White-label solutions

Funding Rounds

Series C, $95M
8Trip (2011, Suzhou, $145.1M) – Global distribution system enabling real-time transaction between travel service providers and agencies
Investors: Ant Financial, CCB International Holdings, Shenzhen Tempus Global Business Service Holding Ltd.

Series B, $38M
Blade (2014, New York City, $44M) – Helicopter and flight charter.
Investors: Colony NorthStar, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Airbus

Series B, $21M
TravelPerk (2015, Barcelona, $30M) – B2B solutions for business travel
Investors: Target Global, Felix Capital, amplovc.com, Spark Capital, Sunstone

Series B, $16.8M
Journera (2016, Orem, $16.8M) – Technology solution provider for the travel industry

Series B, $14.7M
Oway (2011, Yangon, $24.7M) – Online tours and travels
Investors: Daiwa PI Partners, IFC, NSI Ventures, Emerging Markets, Beltroadcap

Series C, $12M
Travel Triangle (2010, Noida, $31.9M) – Marketplace for traveler-agent communication for customized trip planning
Investors: Fundamentum, SAIF Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, RB Investments

Series A, $8.5M
Tourlane (2015, Berlin, $8.5M) – Marketplace for customized tours
Investors: Spark Capital, V Holtzbrinck Ventures Adviser, DN Capital

Series A, $8M
Tentrr (2015, New York City, $8M) – Marketplace for privately-owned campsites
Investors: Obvious Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Halogen Ventures, Rivet Ventures, WorldQuant Ventures, west-sf.com

Series B, $6.5M
RootsRated (2012, Chattanooga, $9.0M) – Online platform for curated outdoor experiences

Series A, $5M
Gastfreund (2015, Allgau, $5M) – Travel guide and discovery platform
Investors: Techstars, Betaworks, Bo Peabody

Series A, $3.7M
TRVL (2010, Amsterdam, $6.4M) – P2P travel booking platform

Seed, $2.5M
Luxstay (2016, Hanoi, $2.5M) – Online marketplace for short term vacation rentals
Investors: Genesia Ventures, Founders Capital
Seed, $1.7M

correYvuela (2015, Barcelona, $1.7M) – Platform to book flights through Whatsapp
Investors: SEGITTUR, ENISA, IMPACT Accelerator

Seed, $1.2M
Manet (2015, Rome, $2.1M) – Guest management software for hotels
Investors: LVenture Group, Angel Partner Group

Seed, $1.2M
Tripmakery (2015, Vienna, $1.2M) – Online marketplace for booking group accomodations
Investors: Pioneers, Speedinvest, push.ventures

M&A

• China’s Meituan to buy large stake in Mobike Reuters
• Nor1, Inc. Acquires Stay Delightful To Further Enhance Its Ability To Engage And Interact With Hotel Guests In Real-time Throughout The Reservation Lifecycle Hotel News Resource
• Booking Holdings Announces it has Signed an Agreement to Acquire FareHarbor PR Newswire
• MakeMyTrip and GoIbibo to start targeting different consumer segments Moneycontrol
• HelloWorld buys Flight Systems as its fifth acquisition since 2017 ChinaTravelNews
• Thales Launches its All-Cash Offer to Acquire Gemalto Find Biometrics
• Amadeus increases stake in Hiberus Travel IO Solutions travolution.com
• Nightsbridge to sell to the trade via Travelport GDS travolution.com
• GuesttoGuest Acquires Canadian Website echangedemaison.com PR Newswire
• Shiji to take stake of Baoku Online, heading for business travel market ChinaTravelNews

New Product Announcement

• Yatra.com adds AI-based universal virtual assistant YUVA for travel bookingTechObserver.in
• Global Eagle launches low-cost in-flight entertainment product Seeking Alpha
• SAP Concur Launches New Budgeting Tool Business Travel News
• ReviewPro launches guest messaging hub Hotel Management
• The KODO Launches KEYPR as Exclusive Guest Experience TechnologyBestProductsReview
• NEO-Based Hotel Booking Platform Concierge.io is on its Way to Alpha Coinspeaker
• Ctrip launches travel & lifestyle content platform Hydrogen Balloon ChinaTravelNews
• Thales unveils Core, Prestige IFE suites ATWOnline
• China’s Yutong provides e-buses on electric bus line in France Chinadaily
• Guesty releases new app for short-term let property managers travolution.com
• New Spanish Tech Company ByHours offers microstays in UAE Travel And Tour World
• Isango! launches travel agent booking platform Travel Weekly
• PL+S 2018: Amadeus debuts spatialization processor lsionline.com
• TST Launches New Online Tour Module PR Newswire

New Market Entry

• Ctrip joins car-hailing cavalcade Xinhua Finance Agency

New Geo Entry

• ViaVan launches revolutionary shared ride service in London PR Newswire
• Cybersecurity hub to open in Dubai CPI Financial
• Ctrip plans to open 1st overseas call center in Scotland SHINE
• EaseMyTrip to open branches in UK, US Indiatimes
• European Bus Startup Flixbus Heads to U.S., Starting With Los Angeles meetings-conventions.com

Business Partnership

• Japan Airlines renews long-term partnership with Sabre Aviation News
• Amadeus and Flight Centre declare strategic partnership to spur progress with NDCTravel And Tour World
• Blue Apron partners with Airbnb to bring a global culinary experiences to home cooksFDF World

Company Announcement

• Flipkart Set To Be An OTA Giant After Conquering Ecommerce, To Take On MakeMyTrip, Yatra Inc42
• Orbitz Discloses Possible Data Breach Affecting 880,000 Payment Cards The Wall Street Journal
• Booking.com Announces Milestone of Five Million Reported Listings in Homes, Apartments and Other Unique Places to Stay PR Newswire

New Feature Release

• Skyscanner adds train travel booking, starting in UK Tech News Nerds
• MakeMyTrip launches ‘Pay Later’ for select customers Indiatimes

Key People Movement

• Yatra.com appoints Mudit Shekhawat as CMO Indiatimes
  

Regulatory Issue

• Airbnb to start sharing Chinese host information with government Gadgets Now

Soonicorn Club

• Minicorn

  Midigator (2013, Lindon, $30M) – Merchant account monitoring and analytics tool
  Market: Payments > Security > Chargeback Management

• Minicorn

  Zoop (2013, Rio De Janeiro, $18.3M) – White-label payment platform solutions
  Market: Payments > Payment Gateway > White Labels

Funding Rounds

Venture Debt, $308.9M
Paymentsense (2010, London) – ISO of First Data Europe
Investors: CVC Capital Partners, EQT Ventures

Series B, $40M
Bitpay (2011, Atlanta, $72.5M) – Bitcoin payment Gateway
Investors: Aquiline Capital Partners, Menlo Ventures, Point Nine Capital, Delta-v Capital, Alvin Liu, Nimble Ventures, G Squared

Series B, $30M
Midigator (2013, Lindon, $30M) – Merchant account monitoring and analytics tool
Investors: LLR Partners

Series A, $18.3M
Zoop (2013, Rio De Janeiro, $18.3M) – White-label payment platform solutions
Investors: Movile

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

Series A, $5M
Qwil (2015, San Francisco, $5.1M) – Real time payment for independent contractors.
Investors: Ranch Ventures, NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, 500 Startups, Cantos Ventures, Silicon Valley Bank, Mosaik

Seed, $3.2M
TokenID (2014, Haifa, $3.2M) – Tokenized security for authentication, payment and financial transactions
Investors: ORCO Investments, Alex Jurovitsky, Jacob Shochat

Series A, $2M
Swych (2015, Plano, $4.9M) – Online retailer of gift cards and wallet to store them

Seed, $500K
Culqi (2013, Limache, $500K) – API based payment gateway.
Investors: Angel Ventures

Series A
MatchMove Pay (2009, Singapore) – Mobile wallet solution provider
Investors: PT Kresna Graha Investama

Series B
PingPong (2015, Hangzhou, $2.3M) – Cross-border payment gateway platform
Investors: CICC

M&A

• Coinbase in Talks to Acquire Earn.com, Its Biggest Acquisition Ever CryptoCoinsNews
• Verifone to be Acquired by Francisco Partners for $3.4 Billion Business Wire
• Paysafe to Acquire iPayment Business Wire
• American Express quietly acquired UK fintech startup Cake for $13.3M TechCrunch
• Coinbase acquires decentralized app browser/wallet Cipher Browser Consultants Insider
• Advent acquires Clearent and FieldEdge, merges both PE Hub
• Vogogo Announces an Option to Purchase Electrical and HVAC Equipment to Further Expand Its Cryptocurrency Mining Operations GlobeNewswire
• Optimal Payments Plc to acquire Skrill Group from CVC Funds for USD 1.2 billion Global FDI
• Keepin’ the Acquisitions Coming: Coinbase Buys Earn.com CentralCryptoNews
• Italy’s Comdata strikes a new acquisition in France, buys CCA International BeBeez

IPO

• Dutch payments company Adyen eyes June IPO Reuters

New Fund Launch

• Coinbase unveils fund for early-stage cryptocurrency startups TechCrunch

Funds Raising Funds

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

New Product Announcement

• SimbaPay launches Pan-Africa remittances chatbot in collaboration with InterswitchTechMoran
• Wirecard’s boon Mobile Payment Solution Now Available on Fitbit Pay PR Newswire
• Santander Launches Ripple-based International Money Transfer Payment Service in 4 Countries Coinspeaker
• Stripe launches a new billing tool to tap demand from online businesses TechCrunch
• FSS launches Paynalytix-As-a-Service to maximize business performanceBusinessFortNight
• Ingenico Group introduces the Move/2500 B, its third generation biometric POS Financial IT
• Novatti Group launches service for Chinese to pay Australian bills, shares surge Tech Capital
• Stripe debuts Radar anti-fraud AI tools for big businesses, says it has halted $4B in fraud to date Technology Thrill
• Braintree launches Extend to integrate loyalty, fraud prevention and other services into payments TechCrunch
• Fuel management solution and mobile app launches in Africa IT News Africa
• Galileo Launches Global Cryptocurrency API Solution PR Newswire
• American Express and Marriott Unveil New and Refreshed Starwood Preferred Guest Co-Branded Credit Cards PressReleasePoint
• Amex Pay Mobile Payments Solution Launched in India New Delhi Television

New Market Entry

• Paytm all set to foray into wealth management Indiatimes

New Geo Entry

• Payment Data Systems Announces New Office Location in Franklin, TN Citybizlist
• PayGate further extends reach in Southern Africa ITWeb
• Visa to launch its direct payments product in Ireland in June The Irish Times
• American Express plans Centurion Lounge at Denver International Airport Financial News
• PayPal mulls expanding India footprint, aims to be top player in next 5 yrs Business Standard
• Alipay platform now in PH Inquirer

Business Partnership

• Safaricom partners with Paypal and Transferto to allow transfer of funds to and from MPESA africabusinesscommunities.com
• Stash to Unveil New Banking Services, Powered by Green Dot Corporation PR Newswire
• Mastercard and Phillips 66 Drive Easier Payments with Masterpass Financial Post
• Sionic Mobile and Payscout Announce Strategic Alliance from TRANSACT Business Wire

Company Announcement

• Mastercard to hire 175 in Dublin to drive payments innovation Verdict
  

New Feature Release

• Paytm Revamps iOS App With New Home, Profile, and Passbook Design; Android to Follow Suit New Delhi Television
  

Key People Movement

• Mastercard Names Choon Phong Goh to Board of Directors Business Wire
• Stuart C. Harvey, Jr. Appointed Chairman of Paysafe Business Wire

Regulatory Issue

• Facebook suspends Canadian firm AggregateIQ over data scandal financetime.org
• China Central Bank Fines Ant Financial’s Alipay For Misleading Ads, Poor Data Protection China Money Network

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Awidit Systems (2015, Gurgaon), IoT platform for shopper behavior analysis in retail stores, Co-founder is Signal Analysis Engineer at LitePoint, ex-InterDigital Communications and alumnus of Boston University. Local comparables is Kontext (2015, Pune). Global Comparables are RetailNext (2007, San Jose, $190M) and Brickstream (2000, Norcross, $36.4M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Emotix (2014, Mumbai), personal social robot for interaction, raises $2M in funding from IDG Ventures India and YourNest. Link

Tripshelf (2015, Delhi), online marketplace for holiday packages, raises $240k in Pre-Series A round of funding from marquee investors that includes micro venture capital firm GEMS Advisory, Alok Mittal, Sachin Bhatia, Anita Gupta , Singapore Angel Network and Alka Puri. Link

Padath (2013, Kochin), experts in business solutions, artist management and brand management, launches  SocialMob, which is an artificial intelligence powered music and content delivery platform. Link

CoLive (2016, Bangalore), managed co-living spaces/accommodation provider, launches enhanced security facial recognition software FRAME. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

SEMrush (2008, Trevose), competitive analysis tools for online marketing, raises $40M in funding led by Greycroft, Siguler Guff, and e.ventures. Link
Uberflip (2008, Toronto), digital content publishing platform, raises $32M in Series A funding led by Updata Partners. Link

SpotOn Transact (2010, San Rafael), loyalty program through app, raises $20M in funding led by Matt and Zach Hyman. Link

Kidbox (2015, NYC), curated box of kid’s clothing, raises $15.3M in Series B round of funding led by Canvas Ventures, Firstime Ventures, HDS Capital Fred Langhammer, former CEO of The Estée Lauder Companies Inc and The Gindi Family. Link

BuildingConnected (2012, SF), platform for preconstruction bidding, raises $15M in funding, led by Brookfield Ventures, Brookfield Asset Management’s new venture fund. Link

Improvado (2015, San Francisco), reporting tool for Ads, raises $3M in Seed funding round from Nexus Venture Partners, 500 Startups, Auren Hoffman, Omar Tawakol, Rajeev Goel, Kim Perell, Jeff Epstein,Rick Erwin, Ethan Beard, Charlie Songhurst, Russ Fradin, Bill Demas, David Popowitz, David Yaffe, Ariel Lebowits, Joe Zawadzki. Link 

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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

China’s Qiming Venture raises $1.39B for three new VC funds
Qiming Venture Partners, a China-based venture capital firm, raises $1.3B for three new VC funds.

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Alibaba Taps Rural Growth With $717M Investment in Huitongda Network
Huitongda Network Co, (2010, Nanjing), an e-commerce platform serving rural consumers, raises $717M in undisclosed Series round led by Alibaba Group Holdings.

Hellobike Raises $700M Round From Ant Financial And Fosun
Hellobike (2016, Shanghai), a bike sharing firm, raises $700M in Series E round led by Ant Financial and Fosun Group.

Tencent, JD.Com, Suning, Sunac Said To Invest $478M In LeEco TV Maker
New Leshi Smart Home (2004, Beijing), a Chinese technology conglomerate, raises $478M in undisclosed Series round led by Sunac China Holdings Limited, Tencent Holdings Limited, Suning Holdings Group and JD.com.

Fintech Start-up 100Credit Gets $159M From State-owned China Reform Fund
100Credit (2013, China), a Fintech start-up that uses big data to provide credit services, raises $159M in Series C round led by China Reform Fund Management Co, Ltd.

Chinese Big Data Firm MiningLamp Gets $159M C Round From Tencent, China Renaissance
MiningLamp (2014, Beijing), a big data firm, raises $159M in Series C round led by Tencent Holdings investment fund, and China Renaissance.

Tencent, Baidu Invest $98M In Chinese News Platform Pear Video
Pear Video (2016, Shanghai), a video news platform, raises $98M in Series A round led by Tencent Holdings.

Alibaba, Face++ Lead $56M Round In Chinese AI Video Technology Firm Video++
Video++, also known as Jilian Technology (2012, Shanghai), a video technology firm, raises $56M in Series B round led by Alibaba Group Holdings, and Face++.

PE Firm InfraRed Invests US$50M In HK Self-storage Provider RedBox
RedBox Storage Limited (2014, Sha Tin), a self-storage provider, raises $50M in undisclosed Series round led by InfraRed NF.

Spain’s BBVA Invests $50M In Sinovation Ventures $500M AI Fund
Sinovation Ventures (2009, China), a venture capital firm, raises $50M in undisclosed Series round led by  Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A.

TCL Capital, Walden Join $48M Series A Round In Chinese Chip Maker Yeestor
Yeestor (2017, Shenzhen), a memory chip developer, raises $48M in Series A round led by Stonebrook Capital, Walden International, THG Ventures, TCL Capital, Transsion, Glory Ventures, and Shenzhen Longsys Electronics Co., Ltd.

China’s Sensors Data secures $44M funding led by Warburg Pincus affiliate
Sensors Data (2015, Beijing), a big data company, raises $44M in Series C round led by Warburg Pincus.

HG Capital Leads $30M Series C Round In Chinese Mobile Internet Service Firm Teddy Mobile
Teddy Mobile (2014, Beijing), a mobile internet service company, providing system applications for smartphones, raises $30M in Series C round led by HG Capital, Kinzon Capital, Matrix Partners China, 10Fund, Shangshi Fund, and GenimousTechnology Co., Ltd.

NetEase Online Education Platform Youdao Completes Series A Round, Reaching A Unicorn Valuation
NetEase (2011, Beijing), an online education platform, raises an undisclosed amount in Series A round led by Mooc-CN Education, with participation by Legend Capital.

Chinese Creative Work Platform Tezign Completes Series B Round Led By Hearst Ventures

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Ziroh Labs (2016, Bangalore), provider of cloud data privacy for file share, sync and collaboration, Co-founder is Ex-VP  PurpleTalk, [x]cube LABS, IBM, Apollo Health Street, iGATE Patni and alumnus of Indian School of Business. Local comparable is SecurelyShare (2013, Bangalore). Global comparable are GigaTrust (2003, Herndon, $122M) and ownCloud (2011, Lexington, $14M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Paytm Mall (2017, Delhi), online horizontal e-commerce marketplace, raises $110M led by SoftBank and Alibaba, in third of the four tranches as part of its $445M funding round. Link

POPxo (2013, Delhi), content platform for lifestyle/fashion, beauty & health topics, raises $5.5M in funding led by Neoplux and Oppo. Link

PayMeIndia (2016, Noida), online payday loans for corporate employees in India, raises $2M in funding from Singapore-based angel investors. Link

Hasura (2013, Chennai), BaaS/PaaS for app developers, raises $1.6M in seed funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners. Link

Hyperdata (2017, Hyderabad), provider of sales intelligence platform, raises $75k in funding led by CCube Angels Network, Atim Kabra and Abhay Deshpande. Link

JetSetGo (2013, Bangalore), online marketplace for private jet charter, acquires Indo Pacific Aviation for an undisclosed amount. Link

Financial Software Systems (1991, Chennai), provider of electronic payment & financial transaction processing solutions, launches instant payments to accelerate growth of digital transactions. Link

Mvix (2005, Surat), digital signage software provider, Partners With MJ Freeway (2010, Denver), SaaS based software for cannabis industry, for pos-integrated dispensary menus. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Innovium (2014, San Jose), provider of networking solutions for data centers, raises $77M in Series D round of  funding from Greylock Partners, Walden Everbright, Walden Riverwood Ventures, Paxion Capital, Capricorn Investment Group, Redline Capital, S-Cubed Capital and Qualcomm Ventures. Link

CampusLogic (2011, Gilbert), financial aid platform for students, raises $55M in funding led by JMI Equity. Link

Clark (2015, Berlin), mobile insurance platform to manage insurance, raises $29M in Series B round of  funding led by Portag3 Ventures and White Star Capital, with participation from existing investors Coparion, Kulczyk Investments and Yabeo Capital, brings its total Series B round to US$45M. Link

Origin Protocol (2017, SF), building the infrastructure for a new decentralized sharing economy, raises $28.5M in funding from Foundation Capital, Garry Tan, Alexis Ohanian, Gil Penchina, Kamal Ravikant, Steve Jang, Randall Kaplan, BlockTower Capital, Turing Capital, 1kx fund, FBG Danhua Capital, Continue Capital, PreAngel Fund, Hashed, Smart Contract Japan, Red Robot, Kenetic Capital, BlockAsset, Spartan Group, Iconic, Beyond Blocks. Link

PlaySight (2013, New Jersey), provider of video automated smart court system for sports analytics, raises $21M in Series C round of funding led by SoftBank Ventures Korea and CE Ventures. Link

Rocketrip (2013, NYC), provider of corporate travel solutions for companies, raises $15M in Series C round of funding led by GV, with participation from existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners and Canaan Partners. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

AutoNxt Automation (2016, Mumbai), provider of autonomous electric tractors, founder is Ex-Director Book Mera Book, IEEE-RAIT and alumnus of Padmashree Dr D. Y. Patil Vidyapeeth. Global comparables are Autonomous Tractor Corporation (2014, Fargo) and Electric Tractor(2010, Niagara-on-the-lake).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

OYO Rooms (2013, Gurgaon), branded marketplace for budget hotel accommodation, raises $10M in funding from China Lodging. Link

EdMobile Labs (2015, Pune), provides chat based english tutoring platform, raises $822k in funding from Unitus Seed Fund. Link

Whistle Drive (2015, Hyderabad), online platform to book chauffeurs, raises $747k in Series A round of funding from Colosseum Group. Link

Happy Cow Dairy (2017, Mumbai), aggregates milk from dairy farmers and provides them in bulk to dairy corporations, raises $615k in Seed round of funding from Mahendra Mehta. Link

Eunimart (2015, Bangalore), order fulfillment platform for cross border eCommerce, raises undisclosed amount of funding from Agility. Link

Cyient (1991, Hyderabad), provider of Engineering, networks and operations solutions, acquired AnSem (1998, Leuven), Analog, RF and mixed-signal ASIC design service company for $17M. Link

Alteria Capital, Mumbai-based Venture Capital & Private Equity firm raises $15M from SIDBI for its $150M maiden debt fund. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Revolut (2014, London), cloud money app for currency exchange, raises $250M in Series C funding led by DST Global with participation from existing investors Index Ventures and Ribbit Capital. Link

Dosh (2015, Austin), provider of cashback on card based offers, raises $44M in Series A round of funding from Goodwater Capital and PayPal. Link

IFTTT (2010, SF), enables users to connect different web and mobile applications to automate the workflow,  raises $24M in funding led by Salesforce Ventures, with participation from IBM, Chamberlain Group and Fenox Venture Capital. Link

Ready Robotics (2016, Baltimore), company integrating robot arms to form co-bots, raises $15M in funding led by Drive Capital with participation from Eniac Ventures and RRE Ventures. Link

NuMat (2012, Skokie), tailor-designs and develops nano porous structures for gas storage, raises $12.4M in funding led by OS Fund, with participation from Osage University Partners and Tin Shed Ventures. Link

Traackr (2008, SF), influencer discovery and management software, raises $9M in Series B round of funding led by Workhorse Capital with participation from You & Mr Jones. Link

Apollo Aviation Group (2002, Miami), a multi-strategy alternative investment firm specializing in commercial aviation investing, closes fourth Aviation fund, at $950M. Link

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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

Softbank and China Reform Fund Co-lead $1.9B Round In Truck-hailing Firm Manbang
Manbang Group (China), a truck-hailing firm, raises $1.9B in undisclosed Series round led by Softbank Vision Fund and China Reform Fund.

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Alibaba invests $717.2M in rural e-commerce platform Huitongda
Huitongda Network Co., (2008, Nanjing), an e-commerce platform serving rural consumers, raises $717.2M in Series D round led by Alibaba Group.

Tencent, JD.Com, Suning, Sunac Said To Invest $478M In LeEco TV Maker
New Leshi Zhixin (2004, Beijing), an affiliate of Leshi, raises $478M in undisclosed Series round led by Sunac China Holdings Limited, Tencent Holdings Limited, Suning Holdings Group and JD.com.

Chinese WeChat Business Service Firm Weimob Raises $160M In Series D Funding Round
Weimob (2013, Shanghai), a WeChat business service company, raises $160M in Series D round led by Shanghai Free Trade Zone Equity Fund, V-Capital, Shanghai Guohe Capital, Zhejiang Paradise Silicon Valley Asset Management Group, Tencent Double-Hundred Plan, Oriental Fortune Capital, Bohai Industrial Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd., Chentao Capital, and PreIPO Capital.

Sequoia Capital China backs $159M Series C in Fintech startup 100Credit
100Credit (2014, Beijing), a credit risk assessment and fraud management solutions provider, raises $159M in Series C round led by Sequoia Capital China.

CDH Leads $120M Round In E-commerce Portal Yunji
Yunji (2015, China), a social E-commerce platform, raises $120M in Series B round led by CDH Investment, and  Huaxing New Economic Fund.

Online Education Platform Knowbox Raises $100M From Yunfeng Capital
Knowbox (2014, China), a K-12 online education platform, raises $100M in Series C round led by Yunfeng Capital, and TAL Education Group.

Sino-Ocean, Hopu Co-Lead $79M Series C Round In Chinese Logistics Service Platform Yimidida
Yimidida (2015, Shanghai), a logistics services platform focused on small cities and counties in China, raises $79M in Series C round led by Sino-Ocean Group, Hopu Investment Management, Global Logistic Properties, and  SourceCode Capital.

Meituan-Dianping Invests $63.3M In Cheese Tea Chain HeyTea
HeyTea (2012, China), a tea shop chain provider, raises $63.3M in Series B round led by Longzhu Capital, and Meituan-Dianping.

Gopher Asset, JD Finance Co-Lead $50M Series C Round In Chinese Smart SMS Service Provider Bizport
Bizport (2011, China), a smart SMS service provider, raises $50M in Series C round led by Gopher Asset Management, JD Finance, Zhuhai Science, and Technology Venture Capital Co., Ltd.

China’s state-owned FAW Group to invest in electric vehicle startup Byton
Byton (2016, Jiangshu), an electric vehicle startup, raises an undisclosed amount in undisclosed Series funding round led by FAW Group.

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

Ping An Healthcare To Raise Up To $1.12B In Hong Kong IPO
Ping An Healthcare And Technology Co., Ltd. (2015, Shenzhen), a subsidiary of Shenzhen-based Ping An Insurance, raises up to $1.12B in Hong Kong IPO.

China’s Sinovation Ventures Closes New Fund At $500M
Sinovation Ventures, a Chinese venture capital firm, closes $500M Fund IV.

China’s early-stage VC firm Sky9 Capital closes the third fund at $200M
Sky9 Capital, a China-based Venture capital firm, closes third fund Sky9 Capital Fund III, L.P, for $200M.

Alibaba Buys Chip Maker C-SKY Microsystems As China Seeks Semiconductor Self Reliance
Alibaba Group Holdings, a multinational e-commerce, retail, Internet, AI, and technology conglomerate, acquires C-SKY Microsystems Co., Ltd., a China-based integrated circuit design house, for an undisclosed amount.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Clutch AI (2017, Bangalore), Platform for developing predictive models using machine learning technology, Co-founder is strategic marketing & global alliances at Khosla Labs, ex-Recruiterbox and alumnus of University of Illinois. Local comparables are Tookitaki (2014, Bangalore, $1.22M) and Arya (2013, Mumbai, $949K). Global comparables are Bitfusion(2015, Austin, $7.45M) and FloydHub (2016, SF, $120K).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Rubique (2014, Mumbai), Online marketplace for financial products, raises $15-20M in funding led by Emery Capital, Blacksoil and Kalaari Capital. Link

RailYatri (2011, Noida), Online and mobile rail travel information, raises $10M in Series B round of funding led by Omidyar Network, Nandan Nilekani, Blume Ventures and Helion Venture Partners. Link

Eruvaka (2012, Vijayawada), Technology solution offering on-farm diagnostic equipment, raises undisclosed amount in Series B funding led by Nutreco and Omnivore. Link

Capital Float (2013, Bangalore), Online lending platform for small businesses, raises $7M in debt funding from Triodos Investment Management and MobiKwik (2009, Gurgaon), provides a mobile phone based payment system and digital wallet, raises $4.5M in debt funding from Trifecta. Link

GetMyParking (2014, Ghaziabad), provides parking related information in real time, acquires ConstaPark (2013, Bangalore), On-demand valet parking service, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Paytm (2010, Noida), Mobile wallet and payments bank, launches Paytm Tap Card to enable safe and convenient digital payments. Link

Samco Ventures, Mumbai-Based online discount broker and the execution broker for the Indian Trading League, raises $7.3M in Series B round of funding led by Bay Capital Investments. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Flexport (2013, SF), Online freight forwarder that simplifies the import-export process for small businesses, raises $100M in funding from SF Express. Link

United Automobile Insurance Company (1989, Miami Gardens), provider of a high quality and low cost insurance product to the non-standard automobile insurance market, raises $45M in funding from  Victory Park Capital. Link

RStor (2016, Saratoga), provider of multicloud platform for enterprise performance computing, raises $45M in Series A round of funding Led by Giovanni Coglitore. Link

Pathao (2015, Dhaka), Online platform for last mile delivery and ride hailing, raises $10M in Pre-Series B funding led by Go-Jek. Link

Dugout (2016, London), innovative new digital football platform, raises $10M in funding led by David and Frank McCourt. Link

EcoFlow Tech (2016, SF), a mobile power company, raises $4M in Series A funding led by Chunjia Assets, Delia Capital, SCUD Group and Guangzhou Penghui Energy. Link

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

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

GetMed (2015, Muntinlupa) – Online platform and app to find doctors, hospitals, and drugs. Global Comparable include We Doctor Group (2010, Hangzhou, $520M) and Practo (2008, Bangalore, $180M).
NKN (2017, Singapore) – Decentralized internet infrastructure. Global Comparable include Globatrix (2017, Limassol, null) and DENT Wireless (2014, Kwun Tong).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

GetLinks raises funding
GetLinks (2014, Bangkok), a technology-enabled curated hiring marketplace, raises an undisclosed amount in an undisclosed round of funding from SEEK Group, Alibaba Hong Kong Entrepreneurs Fund, and SCG via AddVentures.

Mecapan raises funding
Mecapan (2017, Indonesia), a beauty services marketplace, closes $75,000 in an undisclosed round of funding from undisclosed investors.

Sprout Solutions raises funding
Sprout Solutions (2015, Manila), a payroll management solution provider, raises $1.6M in Seed funding from Kickstart Ventures, Wavemaker Partners, and Beenext.

Soft Space raises funding
Soft Space (2012, Petaling Jaya), a centralized EMV processing provider, raises an undisclosed amount in Series B from Sumitomo Mitsui Card Company.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

Razer acquires MOL Global
Razer, a gaming accessories company, acquires MOL Global, a Malaysia based micropayment system provider for online game credits, for $61M.

Go-Jek launch online content production house, streaming service
Go-Jek, an Indonesian ride-hailing giant, launch Go-Play, a subscription-based video streaming service.

MFIL secures $6M loan
MFIL, a Myanmar based Microfinance firm, secures a $6M loan from Yoma Bank.

Techcombank to price $922M IPO
Techcombank, a Vietnamese lender backed by Warburg Pincus, to price $922M IPO.

Soonicorn Club

• Minicorn

  Comatch (2014, Berlin, $14.4M) – Marketplace for freelance management consultant and industry experts
  Market: HRTech > Candidate Sourcing > Freelance Marketplaces > Expert Consulting

Analyst Picks

• Bravely (2017, New York City, $1.5M) – Mentor Solutions for Employees
  Market: HRTech > Corporate Training Management > Mentors
• Structural (2017, Indianapolis, $1.2M) – Employee success management software
  Market: HRTech > HRMS > Employee Engagement
• DineGigs (2017, Richmond, $57K) – Job Board for Foodservice Industry
  Market: HRTech > Candidate Sourcing > Job Board > Vertical > Retail & Hospitality
• Communo (2017, Calgary, $39K) – Online freelance marketplace
  Market: HRTech > Candidate Sourcing > Freelance Marketplaces
• Anaek (2017, Delhi) – Bot solutions provider for Slack teams
  Market: HRTech > Contingent Workforce Management > Attendance Management and Time tracking

Funding Rounds

Conventional Debt, $175M
Asure Software (1985, Austin) – Workplace, resource management solutions

Series C, $100M
Checkr (2014, San Francisco, $150M) – Automated background screenings and driving records
Investors: T. Rowe Price, Accel Partners, Y Combinator

Series B, $26M
BetterUp (2013, San Francisco, $38.9M) – Mobile platform for social and emotional training in an organisation
Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners, DFJ, Crosslink Capital, Freestyle Capital

Series A, $14M
BlueCrew (2014, San Francisco, $14.1M) – Online platform for blue-collar jobs
Investors: Match, Tinder

Series B, $13.5M
Xinren Xinshi (2015, Beijing, $8M) – SaaS tool for payroll processing and HR management
Investors: Sequoia Capital, Alpha Startups
Series B, $13M

Wonolo (2013, San Francisco, $25M) – Marketplace for daily and hourly jobs
Investors: Sequoia Capital, CrunchFund, PivotNorth Capital, b10v.com

Series A, $11.8M
Qmerit (2015, Irvine, $16.8M) – Skill matching application for businesses
Investors: Strandview, Innogy Ventures, Schneider Electric

Series B, $9.8M
Comatch (2014, Berlin, $14.4M) – Marketplace for freelance management consultant and industry experts
Investors: Acton Capital Partners, Atlantic Labs, Btov

Seed, $9M
Breezy (2014, Jacksonville, $10.9M) – Collaborative approach to hiring
Investors: Monashees+, Grishin Robotics

Series D, $7.9M
Gongziqianbao (2015, Shanghai, $37.9M) – Online wallet and payroll management application
Investors: Marathon Venture Partners, Xiaomi, Shunwei Capital

Series A, $6.8M
Workana (2012, Buenos Aires, $6.8M) – Freelancer marketplace focussed on Latin America
Investors: SEEK

Series A, $6.2M
Andjaro (2015, Paris, $6.2M) – Workforce management solution
Investors: Balderton Capital, Edenred Capital Partners

Series B, $6.2M
Employment Hero (2012, Sydney, $13.5M) – HRMS
Investors: One Ventures, SEEK, AirTree Ventures, ampproject.org

Seed, $3.2M
Wurk (2015, Denver, $6.2M) – HRMS for the cannabis industry
Investors: Poseidon Asset Management, Phyto Partners, The Arcview Group, Arcadian Fund

Seed, $1.8M
Hunt Club (2014, Chicago, $1.8M) – Referral network
Investors: Brian Spaly, Godard Abel, Chris Hill, Coco Meers, Dave Knox, Mike Pykosz, New Coast Ventures, Network Ventures, Vine Street Ventures

M&A

• Adecco to buy U.S.-based General Assembly in deal valued at $412.5 million Reuters
• Asure Software Acquires Austin HR: Expanding HR Consulting Reach GlobeNewswire
• Asure Software Acquires OccupEye Limited; Building on an already impressive Internet of Things (IoT) Strategy GlobeNewswire
• PIXID Continues European Expansion with Acquisition of Dutch Staffing CRM Supplier Carerix Business Wire
• Qualtrics Acquires Delighted, Extending Its Market Leadership in Customer ExperiencePR Newswire
• Recruit Holdings Announced Today That It Will Acquire Canadian Job Site Workopolis.com Financial Post
• “Business Rockstars” Acquires CoFoundersLab PRWeb
• Veon to sell Beeline Tajikistan to local shareholder Telecompaper
• BI WORLDWIDE acquires Bunchball, strengthening its next generation gamification technology PR Newswire
• Was Microsoft’s Acquisition Of LinkedIn A Success? Forbes

IPO

• Ceridian steps closer to IPO Enterprise Times
• Chinese online recruitment platform seeks Hong Kong IPO Chinadaily
• India %2D HR firm Genius Consultants files for IPO Staffing Industry Analysts
• HeadHunter.ru files for Nasdaq IPO AIM Group

New Product Announcement

• iCIMS Launches Monthly Hiring Indicator for U.S. Job Growth and Hiring ActivityGlobeNewswire
• Textio aims to improve recruiting with new AI offer writing optimizer SiliconAngle
• Maritz Motivation Solutions Launches Cartwheel, New Creative Agency PR Newswire
• HireXP unveils app for recruitment solutions on the go Business Standard
• Kenya-based recruitment site to expand to Uganda AIM Group
• CYPHER LEARNING Announces Launch of Adaptive Learning Feature for its Products NEO and MATRIX Business PR News
• Castlight Boosts Wellbeing Solution with Claims-Based Insights PR Newswire
• FinancialForce Embraces XaaS Economy in Spring 2018 Release eWEEK
• Smart Pension preps app Finextra
• PandoLogic Unveils AI-Enabled Algorithm That Predicts Job Ad Performance PRWeb
• Ascendify Announces AI-Powered Talent Management Solution Technology-Signals
• HotSchedules Announces Clarifi™ Advanced Forecasting Engine, Partnering Restaurant Managers with Machine Learning to Increase Predictability and Reduce CostsGlobeNewswire
• Perks Worldwide Accelerates Innovation — Unveils Next-Generation MDF Solution Improving Management of Global MDF/Co-Op Programs ePRNews
• Beeline Announces Converged Platform Using Both Legacy Vendor Management Systems at Annual Customer Conference PR Newswire
• Beeline launches cloud infrastructure offer BeeCloud Telecompaper
• Paysa Launches Job Sense, A Smarter Job Search Engine AIThority
• Prositions Releases New Master Learning Series of Micro-Learning Courses Based on Best-Selling Books PRWeb

New Geo Entry

• Benefitfocus Expands Operations, Opens Office in New York City PR Newswire
• Workday Continues European Growth with Italy Launch GlobeNewswire
• FinancialForce expands in US and UK Enterprise Times

Secondary

• Asure Software Acquires Evolution HCM Customer Portfolio from Wells Fargo Business Payroll Services Citybizlist

Business Partnership

• BRIEF-Onex And Vista Equity Partners To Become Equal Partners In PowerschoolReuters
• Glint partners with HooYu to streamline onboarding Verdict

Company Announcement

• LG Smart Appliances Now Work With Both Amazon Alexa And The Google Assistant PR Newswire
• Asure Software Closes Two Strategic Transactions and Updates 2018 Guidance Citybizlist

Earnings Release

• Paychex, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Results Business Wire
  

New Feature Release

• LinkedIn adds video for sponsored content and company pages Fierce Cable
• GIF search is coming to LinkedIn messaging through Google’s GIF engine TenorTechCrunch

Key People Movement

• Empyrean Benefit Solutions Announces New Executive Chairman Business Wire

Lawsuit

• Levi & Korsinsky, LLP Notifies Shareholders of WageWorks, Inc. of a Class Action Lawsuit and a Lead Plaintiff Deadline of May 8, 2018 GlobeNewswire

Soonicorn Club

• Unicorn

  Lytx (1998, San Diego, $153.4M) – Driver risk management solutions
  Market: Logistics Tech > Freight > Software Solutions > Fleet Management

• Minicorn

  6River Systems (2015, Boston, $46.7M) – Robot for assisted picking at e-commerce fulfillment centers
  Market: Logistics Tech > Warehousing > Tech Solutions > Robotics and Automation

Analyst Picks

• CogoPort (2016, Mumbai, $14M) – Online platform for shipping freight internationally
  Market: Logistics Tech > Freight > Ocean/Air > Carrier Booking > Multi-channel
• We4Sea (2016, Delft, $427K) – SaaS-based fuel monitoring solutions for marine industry
  Market: Logistics Tech > Freight > Software Solutions > Fleet Management > Vessel
• VahAnalytics (2016, Mumbai, $200K) – Driver behaviour analytics company
  Market: Logistics Tech > Freight > Software Solutions > Analytics
• Honestbee (2014, Singapore, $15M) – Concierge grocery delivery service
  Market: Logistics Tech > Parcel > Hyperlocal > Consumer-Focused > Grocery
• urb.it (2014, Stockholm, $7.2M) – Local Shopping & courier service
  Market: Logistics Tech > Parcel > Hyperlocal > Consumer-Focused > Multi-Vertical

Funding Rounds

Series E, $150M
Instacart (2012, San Francisco, $1.0B) – Marketplace for same-day grocery delivery
Investors: Coatue Management, Glade Brook Capital

Series A, $47.7M
Dishangtie (2015, Shenzhen, $55M) – Online platform for ecological fleet sharing
Investors: Matrix Partners China, Qiming Venture Partners, State Power Investment Corporation Limited, Eastern Bell Venture Capital

Series B, $35M
Project-44 (2014, Chicago, $48M) – Cloud-based software solution for shipping and fulfilment
Investors: OpenView, 8VC, Omidyar Technology Ventures, Chicago Ventures, Pritzker Group, Emergence Capital

Series B, $25M
6River Systems (2015, Boston, $46.7M) – Robot for assisted picking at e-commerce fulfillment centers
Investors: Menlo Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Eclipse, iRobot

Series B, $10M
Arviem (2008, Baar, $15M) – Real-time cargo monitoring
Investors: SICPA, Swisscom, Investiere, hiq-solutions.ch, nest-info.ch

Series C, $7.7M
Porter (2014, Bangalore, $20.2M) – Intra-city logistics and fleet management solutions
Investors: Mahindra Partners

Series A, $7.6M
CogoPort (2016, Mumbai, $14M) – Online platform for shipping freight internationally
Investors: Accel Partners

Series A, $5M
Load Share (2017, Bangalore, $5.9M) – Analytics-driven logistics solutions provider for SMBs
Investors: Stellaris Venture Partners, Matrix Partners India

Series A, $3.3M
GoShare (2014, San Diego, $3.3M) – Crowd sourced shipping

Series A, $3M
CargoBot (2016, Coral Gables, $3.8M) – Online marketplace for shippers and road carriers

Seed, $2.4M
Stord (2015, Atlanta, $2.4M) – On-demand warehouse booking
Investors: Revolution, Dynamo, Susa Ventures, Engage

Seed, $2M
Pando (2016, Bangalore, $2M) – Cloud-hosted transport management solution
Investors: Nexus Venture Partners, Kashyap Deorah, Girish Mathrubootham, Nishant Rao, P Balaji

Conventional Debt, $1.4M
Lightfoot (2003, Exeter) – Vehicle telematics & diagnostic solutions for consumers & fleets
Investors: UK Government

Seed, $1.1M
Quicargo (2015, Amsterdam, $1.6M) – App-based freight marketplace

Seed, $1.0M
LYNK Logistics (2015, Chennai, $1M) – On-demand intra-city truck rental service
Investors: Ramco Group, Venketrama Raja

M&A

• Alibaba To Acquire Full Ownership Of China Online Delivery Platform Ele.Me Reuters
• Square Acquires Zesty to Expand Caviar’s Corporate Catering Business Business Wire
• Belgium’s WABCO scouts for suitable buys in India after AssetTrackr Gadgets Now
• WiseTech Global (ASX:WTC) Acquires Three Leading Logistics Solution Providers Across Latin America and Europe: Forward, Softcargo and EasyLog ABN Newswire
• Postmates And DoorDash Considering Teaming Together PYMNTS
• Movinga acquires bankrupt rival Move24 AIM Group
• PE Firm InfraRed Invests US$50M In HK Self-storage Provider RedBox China Money Network

New Product Announcement

• Electric N-Gen Vans from Workhorse Group Begin Delivering Goods TrucksDotCom
• Zipline’s new drone can deliver medical supplies at 79 miles per hour CNBC
• Teletrac Navman Partners with Weather Telematics to Give Fleets Real-Time View of Hazardous Road Conditions PR Newswire
• Chevin Offers Cloud-Based Fleet Management Software Automotive Fleet
• Fetch Robotics Partners with Ricoh USA, Inc. to Offer 24/7 Global Support Business Wire
• Cargo Chief Launches C4™ to Help 3PLs Find Carrier Capacity C Velocity
• Fleet Complete Vision™ Brings Intelligent Video Analytics to Advance Fleet Safety PR Newswire
• Doddle launches returns chatbot Logistics Manager
• Transbotics Lowers Agv System Costs With New Software PressReleasePoint
• Rivigo eases e-way bill generation process Asian News International
• Trucker Path Rolls Out Electronic Logging Device (ELD) Fleet News Daily

New Market Entry

• Swiggy looks to start delivery of medicines, groceries Indiatimes
• Uber Eats launched in Kolkata in partnership with 250 restaurants Livemint
• Grofers to deliver groceries via e-rickshaws in Delhi-NCR Indiatimes

New Geo Entry

• India Ride-hailing Firm Jugnoo Eyes Singapore As Uber Drives Off Indiatimes
• Swiggy expands footprints, launches operations in Kochi New Indian Express
• Grubhub Expands Delivery Service to Mahoning Valley Business Journal Daily
• Beenext-funded logistics automation startup Locus.sh expanding to Southeast Asia E27
• Flowspace Expands Footprint to Five New States ocbj.com
• Zed Connect Opens U.S. Headquarters Trucking Info

Business Partnership

• Walmart partners with Postmates to expand online grocery delivery Reuters
• DoorDash makes a big push into grocery delivery through a pilot program with WalmartTechCrunch
• Lytx® and GTCR Announce Strategic Partnership with Clearlake Capital and Other New Investors PR Newswire
• Vecna Robotics Partners with RightHand Robotics to Streamline Intralogistics and Material Handling Process RoboticsTomorrow
• Fleetcor Partners with Reimbursement Solutions Company Work Truck Online
• Fleet Complete and General Motors Bring Scalable IoT Solutions to Commercial Fleets and Small Businesses with OnStar PR Newswire
• Deliv now offers same-day delivery for Shopify retailers TechCrunch

Company Announcement

• On-demand shipping startup Shyp is shutting down TechCrunch
• Seegrid Announces 1 Million Miles by Self-Driving Vehicles Without A Single Safety Incident Business Wire

Research Partnership

• G7 Forms Joint Venture with GLP and NIO Capital to Develop Autonomous Driving Electric Trucks PR Newswire

Analyst Picks

• Opportunity Network (2014, New York City) – Digital business matchmaking platform
  Market: Investment Tech > Private Market Investing > Investment Platform > Private Equity > Deal Discovery

Funding Rounds

Series C, $25M
8 Securities (2011, Hong Kong, $46.5M) – Mobile first zero fee trading platform.
Investors: Nomura

Series B, $21M
DriveWealth (2012, Chatham, $30.6M) – Investment app and Brokerage API provider
Investors: Raptor Group, SBI Holdings, Point72 Ventures, Route 66 Ventures

Series A, $10.7M
Atlas Financial Tech (2015, Clearwater, $11.7M) – Trading technology provider for financial insititutions

Series A, $10.6M
Tradewind Markets (2016, New York City, $10.6M) – Capital markets technology solutions

Series A, $10M
CloudMargin (2013, London, $10M) – Collateral Management system for OTC markets
Investors: IHS Markit, Leucadia National, Illuminate Financial

Series B, $7.3M
SAMCO (2004, Mumbai, $7.3M) – Online Share & Commodity Trading platform
Investors: Bay Capital Investment Managers

Series A, $4M
StartEngine (2014, Los Angeles, $9.9M) – Crowdfunding platform for accredited as well as non-accredited investors

Series A, $3.6M
Asoko Insight (2014, London, $8M) – Database for African private companies.
Investors: Zephyr Management, North Base Media, CRE Venture Capital, Singularity Investments, Lateral Capital, SPiCE VC, Outlierz

Series B, $2.6M
ATA RiskStation (2006, Dallas, $4.9M) – Portfolio Risk Analytics Platform
Investors: Caruth Capital Partners

Seed, $2.3M
Landbay (2013, London, $13.7M) – P2P lending platform for residential mortgage investments.
Investors: Seedrs

Seed, $2M
Landis (2017, New York City, $2M) – Online platform for acquiring investment properties
Investors: Signia Venture Partners, Red Swan Ventures, Graph Ventures, Peterson Partners, Kima Ventures

Series A, $822K
Financial Times (1888, London, $822K) – Financial content publication.
Investors: Reward Finance Group

Seed, $600K
Neudata (2016, London, $600K) – Alternative data provider

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

Series A
Landbay (2013, London, $13.7M) – P2P lending platform for residential mortgage investments.
Investors: Seedrs

M&A

• ACA Compliance Group to Acquire Cordium Business Wire
• SS&C Completes Acquisition of DST PR Newswire
• Allegro Acquires Financial Engineering Associates Business Wire
• Nomura’s investment banking unit acquires 8 Securities Inc PageOne
• SS&C set May 4 deadline to gatecrash 1.5 billion-pound Fidessa deal Reuters
• FundedByMe acquires Laika Consulting POST Online Media
• Fidessa scraps Temenos deal and agrees takeover by Ion Reuters
• WisdomTree Completes Acquisition of ETF Securities’ European Exchange-Traded Commodity, Currency and Short-and-Leveraged Business Citybizlist
• “Business Rockstars” Acquires CoFoundersLab PRWeb
• Fintech OneVue just bought KPMG’s superannuation administration business Business Insider

IPO

• Saudis said to delay exchange IPO on MSCI valuation hopes The Business Times

New Product Announcement

• CORRECTING and REPLACING FlexTrade Launches FlexNOW Execution Management System (EMS) Business Wire
• Pegasystems Introduces Pega GDPR Accelerator to Help Companies Fast Track Regulatory Readiness PR Newswire
• TORA launches AI-powered AlgoWheel Institutional Asset Manager
• tZERO Unveils Security Token Trading Software Business Wire
• Exegy Launches Trade Port FX Service PR Newswire
• Fidessa launches next generation Solace integration PressReleasePoint
• AxiomSL Launches Solution to Tackle Complex IFRS 17 Requirements Finance Magnates
• HL cuts L&G UK Index fee to 0.04% as platform launches entry-level service Investment Week
• HomeUnion Launches New Crowdfunding Platform to Allow Investors to Purchase Stakes in Single-Family Rental Property Funds Crowdfund Insider
• ITG Launches POSIT and POSIT Alert for New Zealand GlobeNewswire
• Morningstar launches investment outsourcing unit for advisers Investment Week
• Ipreo Launches “Investor Day Advisory” Solution PR Newswire
• Quandl Launches Exclusive Corporate Aviation Intelligence Platform Business Wire
• ITRS releases integrations to monitor leading open source big data technologies Financial IT
• Ortec Finance launches new Factor-based ALM solution Institutional Asset Manager

New Geo Entry

• Fundedbyme Moves Into Poland Financial IT
• Trading Technologies Extends TT® Platform into Tokyo Business Wire
• FinMason Launches in Canada PR Newswire
• Algotrader expands to the US Startupticker
• AxiTrader Officially Opens Dubai Office in DIFC Finance Magnates

Business Partnership

• BMO Capital Markets to Enhance Algorithmic Trading Technology Through Partnership With Clearpool Group PR Newswire
• Dow Jones Media Group Partners With Brave Software To Offer Premium Content To Users and Test Blockchain-Based Payment Technology English PR Newswire
• Avaloq becomes founding partner of FinTech Scotland Fintech
• Thomson Reuters adds RiskMetrics to Eikon Finextra

Company Announcement

• FactSet Expands Its Data Offering with Launch of Data Marketplace PressReleasePoint
  

New Feature Release

• Fidessa upgraded by Barclays following Temenos takeover bid Proactive Investors

Key People Movement

• IPC Names Robert A. Santella as Chief Executive Officer PR Newswire
• Calypso Technology Welcomes Didier Bouillard as CEO Business Wire
• Warren Faleiro appointed Chief Technology Officer at OANDA PR Newswire

Board Updates

• OpenFin Welcomes Mark Yallop as Non-Executive Board Director Finance Magnates

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

EVI Technologies (2017, Delhi), provider of a electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Co-founder is Founder of Radsol Energy Solutions, ex- Jaiprakash Power Ventures and alumnus of Punjab Technical University. Local comparables are CZero  (2017, Bhubaneswar) and Amplify (2017, Hyderabad). Global comparables are SemaConnect (2008, Bowie, $27M) and BTCPower (1999, Santa Ana, $20M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

MyLoanCare (2013, Gurgaon), an online Loan Comparison Platform, raises $977K in equity Series A round  of funding from Ncubate Capital Partners. Link

TheCollegeFever (2013, Bangalore), Online Discovery Platform for College Fests and Events, raises $250K in seed round of funding from 11.2 Advisors. Link

Leap India (2013, Mumbai), Pallet and container sharing solutions provider, raises $3.7M in debt funding from Avendus Finance. Link

Edugild (2015, Pune), Global Edtech Startup Accelerator program, partners with Gray Matters Capital (2006, Atlanta), impact investing foundation investing on lower income groups. Link

ETMoney (2006, Gurgaon), Wealth management and expense tracking app, partners with RBL Bank (1943,  Mumbai), Corporate & Institutional Banking, to launch a lending platform CreditLine. Link

Unitus Seed Fund, Bengaluru-based social impact investment firm, raises $15M in funding from Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Bill Gates, investment banker Hemendra Kothari, Ajay Parekh, Pradeep Singh, Pramod Saxena, Padma Chandrasekaran and Ravi Venkatesan. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

BlueVine (2013, Redwood City), online provider of factoring to small businesses, raises $200M in debt funding from Credit Suisse. Link

Skykick (2011, Seattle), provider of SaaS cloud automation and management products for Microsoft information technology service providers, raises $40M in funding led by Navin Thukkaram, Tim Ferriss, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, Craig Nerenberg. Link

Hustle (2014, SF), an SMS marketing platform for businesses, raises $30M in Series B round of funding led by Insight Venture Partners with participation from GV and Salesforce Ventures, brings total Series B funding to $42M. Link

Suki (2017, Redwood City), AI-powered and voice-enabled digital assistant for doctors, raises $20M in Series A  round of funding led by Venrock, with participation from First Round and Social Capital, as well as individual Googlers and angels, Nat Turner of Flatiron Health, and Marc Benioff. Link

Namogoo (2014, Raanana), Website protection solution against Client-side Injected Malware, raises $15M in Series B round of funding led by Hanaco Venture Capital with participation from existing investors GreatPoint Ventures, Blumberg Capital and Inimiti Capital,  brings total Series B funding to $29M. Link

ZeroCater (2009, SF), provider of office catering and snacks, raises raised $12M in Series B round of funding led by Cleveland Avenue, Romulus Capital and Struck Capital. Link