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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Virtus Motors (2016, Hyderabad), Developer of a sustainable transportation solutions, Co-founder is ex- Transinov Engitec,Tata Motors, Gretec Systems and alumnus of  Brunel University. Local comparables are Hriman Motors (2017, Noida) and Golden Arrow Wireless (2008, Ahmedabad). Global comparables are NIO (2014, Shanghai, $2.1B) and WM Motor (2015, Shanghai, $1.81B).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Bizongo (2014, Mumbai), Online marketplace for packaging supplies, raises $22M in Series B round of funding from B Capital Group and the International Finance Corporation. Link

OpenTap (2014, Chennai), Peer-to-peer lending platform providing short-term loans to consumers, raises 448K in funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Cricnwin (2015, Gurgaon), Mobile-based fan engagement platform for cricket lovers, raises an undisclosed amount in a seed round of funding from ZDream Ventures. Link

TechSamvad, Lucknow-based Hindi Technology News platform, raises undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Pawas Jain. Link

Paytm Mall (2017, Delhi), Online horizontal e-commerce marketplace, launches PoS solution for retail stores enabling shopkeepers to manage their offline and online customers, has also partnered with Asus India (1989, Mumbai) to implement this connected PoS solution at Asus retail stores. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Frontier Car Group (2016, Gothenburg), Builds & runs marketplaces for used cars in emerging markets, raises $58M in funding led by Balderton Capital TPG Growth, Fraser McCombs Capital and Autotech Ventures. Link

Soothe (2013, Los Angeles), On-demand massage booking at home, raises $31M in Series C round of funding led by The Riverside Company. Link

Banco Neon (2016, Sao Paulo), mobile-first retail bank, raises $22M in Series A funding led by Propel Venture Partners, Monashees, Quona Capital, Omidyar Network, Tera, and Yellow Ventures. Link

Soft Robotics (2013, Cambridge), Manufactures robotic grippers and control system, raises $20M in Funding  led by Hyperplane Venture Capital with participation from new investors Scale Venture Partners, Calibrate Ventures, Honeywell Ventures, Tekfen Ventures, Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., and existing investors Material Impact, ABB Technology Ventures, Taylor Farms Ventures and Haiyin Capital. Link

StorageOS (2013, London), Storage solution for building container based applications, raises $8M in Series A funding led by Bain Capital Ventures with participation from new investors MMC Ventures and 645 Ventures. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Amie (2017, Kochi), Smart home device to control home appliances, Founder is Ex-founder of Qrio Technologies, CTS and alumnus of Vellore Institute of Technology. Local comparables are Nocto (2017, Noida) and Cosine Labs (2016, Bangalore). Global comparables are Brilliant (2015, San Mateo, $21M) and josh.ai (2015, Denver, $11M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Oyeloans (2017, Noida), provider of unsecured personal loans, raises $2.25M in funding from GAIN Credit. Link

boAt Lifestyle (2014, Mumbai), audio product maker, raises $900k in first round of funding from Fireside Ventures. Link

Excess2sell (2016, Mumbai), online marketplace platform for excess inventory, raises undisclosed amount of funding from Aashish Pitale and Harinder Singh. Link

Fareye (2013, Delhi), Web-based last mile and first mile delivery management software, launches Foodeligent, a ‘last mile’ SaaS-based delivery platform that uses machine learning and AI to enable restaurants and food delivery companies to cut delivery times by up to 15%. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Zola (2013, New York City), Wedding registry and gifts marketplace, raises $100M in Series D round of  funding led by Comcast Ventures, NBCUniversal, Goldman Sachs Investment Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Canvas Ventures, Thrive Capital, BBG Ventures, Female Founders Fund, Balyasny Asset Management, Founders Circle, GingerBread Capital and Jerry Yang. Link

SoundHound (2005, Santa Clara), Developer of sound recognition based mobile apps, raises $100M in funding led by Tencent Holdings Limited, Daimler AG, Hyundai Motor Company, Midea Group, and Orange S.A. Link

IronNet Cybersecurity (2014, Baltimore), Behaviour based threat detection and mitigation solution, raises $78M in Series B round of funding led by C5 Capital, with participation from ForgePoint Capital,  Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. Link

BounceX  (2012, NYC), Behavioral Automation Platform, raises $37M in Series series B round of funding led by Battery Ventures with participation from existing investors Contour Venture Partners, Cross Creek Capital, Primary Venture Partners, Jason Finger and Rho Ventures. Link

Humu (2017, Mountain View), behavioral change software company, raises $30M in Series B round of funding from  Institutional Venture Partners. Link

CloudPay (1996, Raleigh), SaaS Payroll software and services, raises $25M in funding led by Rho Ventures, Pinnacle Investment Partners, and Hercules Capital. Link

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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

TPG, Carlyle lead $1.9B+ round in Baidu’s newly spun-off finance arm
Baidu (2000, Beijing), a Chinese search engine giant, raises $1.9B in undisclosed Series of funding from TPG, and Carlyle Group.

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Tencent Leads $820M Series C Round In Chinese Humanoid Robot Maker Ubtech
Ubtech Robotics (2012, Shenzhen), a humanoid robot maker, raises $820M in Series C round led by Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Chinese Electric Vehicle Start-up Singulato Motors Gets $474M
Singulato Motors (2014, China), a new energy vehicle start-up, raises $474M in Series C round led by undisclosed investors.

Goldman Sachs Leads $300M Round In Chinese Online Used-Car Auction Platform Renrenche
Renrenche (2014, Beijing), an online used-car trading marketplace, raises $300M in Series E round led by Goldman Sachs. Existing investors Tencent Holdings Ltd. and Didi Chuxing.

GSR Invests $236M In Chinese Energy Conservation Firm Shenwu To Increase Liquidity
Shenwu Group (1999, Beijing), an energy conservation and environmental protection firm, raises $236M in undisclosed Series of funding from GSR Ventures.

Capital Group Private Markets Leads $150M Round In China’s Innovent Biologics
Innovent Biologics, Inc. (2011, Suzhou), a biotech firm, raises $150M in undisclosed Series of funding from Capital Group Private Markets.

Chinese Fintech Firm MS Finance Gets $100M From Chongqing Department Store
MS Finance (2011, China), part of msxf. com, a Fintech company providing consumer credit services, raises $100M in Series C round led by Chongqing Department Store Co., Ltd.

Chinese Intelligent Retail Solution Provider DeepBlue Raises $47M From Greenland Group
DeepBlue Technology (2014, Shanghai), an intelligent retail solution provider, raises $47M in Series B round led by Greenland Group.

GGV Leads $15.7M Series B Round In Chinese AI Medical Data Start-up Synyi
Synyi (2016, Shanghai), an artificial intelligence-powered medical data solutions provider, raises $15.7M in Series B round led by GGV Capital.

Renewable Energy Firm Arctic Green Energy raises undisclosed funding from CITIC Capital and China Everbright Back.
Arctic Green Energy (2002, Beijing), a renewable energy company focusing on creating zero-emission cities, raises an undisclosed amount in undisclosed Series of funding from CITIC Capital, China Everbright Ltd., and Asian Development Bank.

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

Baidu Sets Up $500M Internet and Artificial Intelligence Fund
Baidu Inc., a China-based search engine giant, plans to set up a new fund $500M to invest in Internet and artificial intelligence start-ups.

HNA Group To Sell Shanghai Property Project For $456M
HNA Group, a Chinese conglomerate, sells Shangai property project to Fujian Group, a Chinese developer, for $456M.

China’s Decheng Capital raising $450M for third life sciences fund
Decheng Capital, a Shanghai-based private equity, and venture capital firm raise $450M for the third fund to invest in the life sciences sector.

Chinese VC Firm Sky9 Capital Reaches Final Closing Of $200M For New Fund
Sky9 Capital, a venture capital firm founded by a former partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners, completes the final closing of a new fund with $200M.

Diginex sells 51% stake in the crypto mining business for $60M
Diginex Global Limited, a Hong Kong-based distributed ledger technology company, sells 51% stake in its cryptocurrency mining operations for $60M.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Bionic Yantra (2017, Bangalore), Provider of exoskeleton for mobility and rehabilitation, Founder is Ex-Senior Delivery Manager Xerox Business Services, PSI Data Systems, Tarang and alumnus of Bangalore University. Local comparable is Genrobotic Innovations (2015, Thiruvananthapuram, Seed). Global comparables are ReWalk Robotics (2001, Yokneam Illit, $24M) and Wandercraft (2012, Paris, $22.1M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Disprz (2015, Chennai), a corporate learning management platform, raises $2.5M in Series A round of funding from IL&FS Private Equity and existing investor, Kae Capital. Link

Unacademy (2010, Mumbai), free online learning platform offering crowd sourced courses on multiple subjects, raises $573k in funding from existing investors Sequoia Capital, Saif Partners, Nexus Venture Partners and Blume Ventures. Link

Blue Dolph (2012, Delhi), employee attendance platform for both in-office and field employees, raises $513k in funding from Naukri’s parent company Info Edge Ltd. Link

Freightbro (2016, Chennai), Cloud based software solutions for freight forwarders, raises undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Suresh Kumar who has also become an advisor to the firm. Link

Vayana (2010, Pune), Invoice financing platform, acquires SahiGST (2016, Mumbai), cloud based GST compliance platform, to enhance its portfolio offerings in the GST and E-Way Bill space, for an undisclosed amount. Link

ePayLater (2016, Mumbai), checkout platform offering pay later option to users, partners with IDFC Bank (1997, Mumbai), private sector bank, to facilitate loan disbursals through UPI. Link

Ola (2011, Bangalore), App-based asset-light cab operator, partners with MobiKwik (2009, Gurgaon), Mobile wallet, recharge and bill payments app, to enable MobiKwik users to book Ola Cabs and autos across 110 cities in India. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Miramax (1979, Santa Monica), a global film and television studio, raises $300M in Conventional Debt from Bank of America, Merrill Lynch, MUFG Union Bank. Link

Lucidworks (2007, Redwood City), search platform based on Apache Lucene and Solr Technologies, raises $50M in funding led by Top Tier Capital Partners, with participation from Silver Lake’s growth capital fund and Silver Lake Waterman. Link

Divvy (2016, Lehi), expense management platform for businesses, raises $10.5M in Series A funding led by Pelion Ventures with participation from Josh James, Aaron Skonnard and Jeremy Andrus. Link

Fat Lama (2016, London), peer to peer rental platform, raises $10M in Series A funding led by Blossom Capital, with participation from Atomico and Y Combinator. Link

StratiFi (2015, Mckinney), option-based risk management platform for advisors, raises $7M in Series A funding from Anthemis Group, Wolverine Holdings, Cboe Global Markets, HOF Capital and AngelList. Link

Smarp (2011, NYC), SaaS company connecting employees with professional content, raises $5.02M in funding led by Nauta Capital. Link

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

INTERESTING COMPANIES FOUND

Anryze (2017, New York City) – Distributed supercomputer for speech recognition. Global Comparable include Friend Unifying Platform (2014, Stavanger, null) and Golem (2015, Poland, $8.6M).
Nebula AI (2017, Montreal) – Decentralized cloud computing for AI applications. Global Comparable include Neureal (2014, Salt Lake City, null).

SEA – FUNDING UPDATES

iPrice raises funding
iPrice (2014, Kuala Lumpur), an e-commerce marketplace and deals aggregator, raises an undisclosed amount in an undisclosed round of funding from Line Ventures, and Cento Ventures.

Helicap raises funding
Helicap (2018, Singapore), a P2P lending space provider, raises $1.5M in an undisclosed round of funding from Teo Ser Luck.

Swingvy raises funding
Swingvy (2016, Kuala Lumpur), an HR management solution provider for companies, raises an undisclosed amount in Seed funding from Aviva.

CredoLab raises funding
CredoLab (2015, Singapore), a credit scoring provider through text mining and digital footprint, raises $1M in Seed funding from Walden International.

HealthMetrics raises funding
HealthMetrics (2015, Petaling Jaya), an employee healthcare benefits provider, raises $1M in Seed funding from Spiral Ventures, Cradle, and RHL Ventures.

SEA – RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

MC Payment acquires iFashion Group
MC Payment, a payment platform and solutions provider, acquires iFashion Group, a Singapore based online fashion, and lifestyle retailer, for an undisclosed amount.

Artivision acquires MC Payment
Artivision, a video solutions provider, acquires MC Payment, a Singapore based payment platform, and solutions provider, for an undisclosed amount.

Dymon Asia closes second Southeast Asia fund at $450M
Dymon Asia, the PE arm of Dymon Asia Capital, closes second Southeast Asia fund at $450M.

Revolution Precrafted bags Japan deal
Revolution Precrafted, a unicorn property technology startup, bags Japan deal.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Santulan Technologies (2016, Chandigarh), provider of multiple artificial intelligence based custom solutions, Founder is ex-Fostinno Ventures, ex-Management Consultant IAG Automation, Trident and alumnus of CSIR. Local comparable is Silversparro (2014, Gurgaon, Seed). Global comparables are Element AI (2016, Montreal, $102M) and B12 (2015, NYC, $12.4M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

IL&FS (1987, Mumbai), NBFC specialising in infrastructure financing, raises $55M in masala loans (rupee loan) from UAE based Mashreq Bank. Link

Bira 91 (2008, Delhi), Production of Indian craft beer and marketing, raises $50M in funding led by a Belgian family-owned fund Sofina, with participation from existing investor Sequoia Capital. Link

Advanced Enzyme Technologies (1989, Thane), manufacturer of enzymes for nutrition, food processing and industrial processing, raises $16M in debt funding from Avendus Finance Pvt. Ltd, the credit solutions arm of investment banking firm Avendus Capital. Link

Timios (2016, Bangalore), private label brand for healthy snacks, raises $7.5M in Seed round of funding from MTR Foods Pvt. Ltd. Link

PaisaDukan (2018, Mumbai), a P2P lending marketplace platform, raises $225k in second round of seed funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Infibeam (2007, Ahmedabad), online horizontal retail marketplace, acquires Unicommerce (2012, Delhi), Automation of Order Fulfillment, for $17.8M. Link

ShareChat (2015, Bangalore), mobile-based social platform in vernacular languages, launches three new features ‘Private Messaging’, ‘Shake-N-Chat’, and ‘Open Tagging’. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Citigroup (1812, NYC), multinational investment bank and financial services company, raises $1.2B in Post IPO funding from ValueAct Capital  Link

Libstar (2005, Johannesburg), FMCG goods manufacturer, raises $240M in Private equity funding from undisclosed investor. Link

Mesosphere (2013, San Francisco), raises $125M in Series D round of funding led by T. Rowe Price Associates Inc and Koch Disruptive Technologies with participation from ZWC Ventures, Qatar Investment Authority,  Disruptive Technology Advisers and existing investors Andreessen Horowitz, Two Sigma Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, SV Angel, Fuel Capital, and Triangle Peak Partners. Link

Miovision (2005, Kitchener), web-based technologies, to monitor traffic and analyse traffic data, raises $15M  investment in the form of a convertible note from MacKinnon, Bennett & Co, McRock Capital, BDC Capital, HarbourVest Partners. Link

mPulse Mobile (2014, Los Angeles), Saas-based mobile messaging solution for healthcare organizations, raises $11M in Series B funding led by SJF Ventures, HLM Venture Partners, Echo Health Ventures, OCA Ventures and Bonfire Ventures. Link

Squelch (2015, SF), real-time customer experience optimization platform for customer support and customer success teams, raises $8M in Series A funding led by Shasta Ventures and Correlation Ventures. Link

Funding Rounds

Post IPO, $850M
Nektar (1990, San Carlos) – Novel therapeutics based on advanced polymer conjugate chemistry technology platform

Post IPO, $300M
Kite Pharma (2009, Los Angeles, $100.3M) – Develops cancer immunotherapy products using genetic engineering

Series E, $100M
Constellation Pharma (2008, Cambridge, $348.6M) – Discovers and develops drugs in the field of epigenetics.
Investors: Deerfield, Fidelity Investments, Hillhouse Capital Group, Orbimed, SIRONA CAPITAL, Venrock, The Column Group, Third Rock Ventures, SR One, Casdin Capital, Topspin Partners, University of California Office of the President

Series B, $70M
Crescendo (2009, Cambridge, $109M) – Humabodies and conjugates to treat psoriasis and prostate cancer.
Investors: anderapartners.com, Sofinnova Partners, IP Group, Takeda Ventures, Quan Capital, EMBL Ventures

Series B, $64M
Eidos Therapeutics (2016, Palo Alto, $64M) – small-molecule treatment for transthyretin (TTR) amyloidosis.
Investors: RA Capital Management, Janus Henderson Investors, Viking Global Investors, Aisling Capital, Perceptive Advisors, Amzak Capital Management, BridgeBio

Series B, $60M
Corvidia Therapeutics (2016, Waltham, $86M) – Cardiovascular therapies leveraging functional genomics.
Investors: Venrock, anderapartners.com, HBM Healthcare Investments, Apple Tree Partners, MedImmune, Sofinnova Ventures, Fresenius Medical Care

Series B, $56M
Revolution Medicines (2014, Redwood City, $126M) – Discovering and developing novel anti-cancer targeted small molecule drugs.
Investors: Nextech Invest, Casdin Capital, Schroder Adveq, The Column Group, Third Rock Ventures

Series C, $55M
Arvinas (2013, New Haven, $111.6M) – Small molecule drugs to target and degrade disease causing proteins
Investors: Nextech Invest, Deerfield, Hillhouse Capital Group, SIRONA CAPITAL, Canaan Partners, 5AM Ventures, RA Capital Management, Orbimed, New Leaf Venture Partners

Series C, $52M
Magenta Therapeutics (2016, Cambridge, $150.5M) – Stem cell-based therapies for autoimmune disease, genetics blood disorders and cancer
Investors: Casdin Capital, EcoR1 Capital, Eventide Funds, bethematchbiotherapies.com, Access Industries

Series C, $50M
Tessa Therapeutics (2011, Singapore, $130M) – T Cell-based therapies for virus-related cancers.
Investors: Temasek, EDBI, Heliconia Capital Management, heritascapital.com

Post IPO, $50M
Prothena (2012, Dublin) – Antibodies for the treatment of AL amyloidosis, Parkinson’s disease and psoriasis.

Venture Debt, $45M
Omeros (1994, Seattle, $66.9M) – Small-molecule and protein therapeutics for large-market as well as orphan indications targeting inflammation, coagulopathies and CNS disorders
Investors: CRG

Post IPO, $44.5M
Inventiva Pharma (2011, Daix) – Small molecules for the treatment of NASH, Systemic sclerosis, Mucopolysaccharidoses (rare disease) and cancers.
Investors: BVF Partners, Novo Holdings, Sofinnova Ventures

Series B, $41.1M
Enterprise Therapeutics (2014, Brighton, $53.0M) – Therapies for treatment of respiratory diseases such as cystic fibrosis.
Investors: Versant Ventures, Novartis Venture Fund, Forbion Capital Partners, Epidarex Capital, IP Group

Post IPO, $38.7M
Tracon Pharma (2005, San Diego, $50.5M) – Antibody therapeutics for cancer and fibrotic diseases.
Investors: Puissance Capital Management, New Enterprise Associates

M&A

• Novartis bets big on gene therapy with $8.7 billion AveXis deal Reuters
• Advent is said to near deal to acquire Sanofi Generics unit Livemint
• Biotech M&A rolls on as Alexion snaps up Wilson for $855 million Reuters
• HCL Technologies Acquires Life Sciences and Consumer Services Provider C3i Solutions Business Wire
• Fresenius pulls out of Akorn takeover over data integrity Reuters
• Ferring Acquires Innovative Biotechnology Company and Microbiome Pioneer Rebiotix Inc. Business Wire
• Avara Pharmaceutical Services Finalizes Acquisition of GSK Consumer Healthcare facility in South Carolina PR Newswire
• Mylan to buy MS drug marketing rights from Israel’s Mapi Pharma Reuters
• Corona Remedies acquires two brands from Abbott Indiatimes
• Inception Neuroscience Program Acquired by Roche Business Wire

IPO

• Unity Biotech Files IPO to Bring Anti-Aging Drugs into Clinical Trials Xconomy
• Flagship’s Evelo Biosciences pitches $100M IPO for a new platform of monoclonal microbials EndPoints News
• MorphoSys Resolves a Capital Increase to Implement the Offering of 8,300,000 American Depositary Shares (ADS) in the United States Life-Sciences-Germany
• Alzheon Launches Roadshow for Initial Public Offering Business Wire
• Abpro planning $69M NASDAQ listing BioCentury
• Mereo BioPharma’s Rationale for Halting IPO Draws Skepticism BioSpace
• Arcus Biosciences’ $138 Million Initial Public Offering Global Legal Chronicle
• Surface Oncology reaches public markets in $108m IPO Global Corporate Venturing
• Menlo’s IPO hangover begins with a failed PhII for an old Merck castoff EndPoints News
• Unity Biotech Announces Potential Pricing for IPO Wall

Funds Raising Funds

• AXIM Biotech Secures Additional Funding to Advance Cannabidnoid-Based Clinical Development Program for Multiple Indications EconoTimes

FDA Approval

• FDA refuses to review Alkermes’ depression treatment, seeks more trials Reuters
• FDA approves Ultragenyx’s drug for rare form of rickets Reuters
• GW cannabis-derived epilepsy drug gets positive FDA staff review Reuters
• Rigel Website Shows Erroneous Information that Tavalisse Has Been Approved by the FDA BioSpace
• Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories and its U.S. subsidiary Promius Pharma announce the filing of an NDA for its migraine candidate Business Wire
• Pfizer Granted FDA Breakthrough Therapy Designation for TRUMENBA® (Meningococcal Group B Vaccine) for the Prevention of Invasive Meningococcal B Disease in Children Ages 1 to 9 Years Business Wire
• Glenmark gets USFDA nod for skin ointment Livemint
• US FDA Accepts Biologics License Application for Moxetumomab Pasudotox in Hairy Cell Leukemia Business Wire

Regulatory Change

• Futility forces Pfizer to stop phase 3 trial of Inlyta for recurrent renal cell carcinoma Pharmaceutical Business Review

New Product Announcement

• ‘Site-less’ trials in mind, Novartis launches an app for ophthalmology research EndPoints News
• Acerus Announces Launch of URIVARX® in Canada Business Wire
• Natco Pharma launches 1st generic version of Oral tablets for Multiple Sclerosis Business Standard
• Basilea reports launch of antibiotic Zevtera (ceftobiprole) in Canada by Avir PharmaGlobeNewswire
• Look at our new launches, GSK urges, as its respiratory woes steal the limelightFiercePharma
• Alcon introduces pre-loaded delivery system for the CyPass® Micro-Stent to enhance surgical experience PR Newswire
• Innovus Pharma Announces the Launch of its Hemorrhoid Drug Xyralid® in CanadaBioSpace

New Geo Entry

• CollPlant Opens a New rhCollagen Production Facility PR Newswire
• Amarantus Relocates Headquarters to WeWork at 110 Wall St.  in New York City ADVFN
• Roche to launch startup in India BioSpectrum India
• Scythian Poised to Enter Argentina Cannabis Market GlobeNewswire

Business Partnership

• Ionis may get up to $300 million in licensing deal with AstraZeneca Reuters

Company Announcement

• AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso shows sustained PFS in phase 3 lung cancer trial Pharmaceutical Business Review
  

Earnings Release

• Pampg Quarterly Results Surpass Estimates News Amed

Research Partnership

• Pfizer in deal with Allogene to develop cancer cell therapies Reuters
• Biogen boosts investment in neurology with $1 billion Ionis deal Reuters
• Loxo, Illumina to partner for diagnostic tool targeting cancer Reuters
• Bristol-Myers Squibb Announces Worldwide Collaboration with Janssen to Develop and Commercialize Next-Generation Cardiovascular Therapy Business Wire
• Boehringer Ingelheim and OSE Immunotherapeutics Announce Global Immuno-Oncology Partnership to Develop a Pioneering Checkpoint Inhibitor for the Treatment of Advanced Solid Tumors Business Wire

Lawsuit

• Samsung Bioepis goes to courts to defeat AbbVie patents covering Humira theinvestor.co.kr
• Brower Piven Reminds Shareholders Of Approaching Deadline In Class Action Lawsuit And Encourages Investors Who Have Losses In Excess Of $100,000 From Investment In Bellicum Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: BLCM) To Contact The Firm GlobeNewswire

Soonicorn Club

•  Minicorn

  Ionic Materials (2012, Woburn, $65M) – Solid state polymer electrolyte material
  Market: Energy Storage > Component Developer > Battery > Electrolyte

Analyst Picks

• Pi Charging (2015, San Bruno, $14.4M) – Wireless charging solution for mobile devices
  Market: Energy Storage > Charging Solutions > Wireless Charging > Consumer and Power Electronics
• Cuberg (2015, Stanford, $900K) – Solid State Lithium Ion battery developer
  Market: Energy Storage > Batteries > Lithium-Ion
• Airthium (2015, Paris, $120K) – Compressed air energy storage (CAES) battery
  Market: Energy Storage > Energy Storage Systems > Integrated Energy Storage > Terrestrial Storage
• Charge CCCV (2014, Ithaca, $7.5M) – Multiple battery technology developer
  Market: Energy Storage > Batteries > Multi-Chemistry
• ReVibe Energy (2014, Gothenburg, $450K) – Energy harvesting by converting vibrations into electricity
  Market: Energy Storage > Charging Solutions > Wireless Charging > Consumer and Power Electronics

Funding Rounds

Venture Debt, $25M
FuelCell Energy (1969, Danbury, $65M) – Installs fuel cell power plants
Investors: Hercules Capital

Post IPO, $13.7M
Redflow (2005, Brisbane) – Power Storage manufacturing company

Series B, $7M
Chargifi (2013, London, $10.4M) – Proximity advertising through wireless charging station
Investors: Accelerated Digital Ventures, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Firstminute Capital

Series A, $6.1M
Geli (2011, San Francisco, $19.5M) – Develops energy storage operating software

Post IPO, $5.5M
REDT Energy (1989, London, $6M) – Manufacturing Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries

Series A, $2M
FastCAP System (2008, Boston, $11.4M) – Manufactures ultracapacitors

Post IPO, $645K
EEStor (2001, Toronto, $3M) – Ultracapacitor technology developer

Seed
Engenie (2011, London, $2M) – Infrastructure for electric vehicle charging
Investors: Investec

Series C
Ionic Materials (2012, Woburn, $65M) – Solid state polymer electrolyte material
Investors: Total

Series E
VionX Energy (2002, Woburn, $116.1M) – Develops Vanadium Redox Batteries

Conventional Debt
VionX Energy (2002, Woburn, $116.1M) – Develops Vanadium Redox Batteries

M&A

• FuelCell Energy Enters into Definitive Agreement to Sell Project to NRG YieldGlobeNewswire
• Canadian Solar completed sale of 80.6 MWp solar energy project in Brazil to Global Power Generation PR Newswire
• Total buys stake in U.S. battery developer Ionic Materials Reuters
• EnSync Energy Announces Sale of Solar Power Purchase Agreement for Honolulu Apartment Building Global Renewable News
• Contemporary Amperex Technology Canada Limited Announces Acquisition of Units in North American Nickel Inc. GlobeNewswire
• Apple’s First PowerbyProxi Patent Application Surfaces about a Charging Mat with an Object Detection System Patently Apple
• Dana invests £21 million in Birmingham operation Machinery Market
• Acquisition Of Evatran By China-Based Company ‘Off The Table’ Due To Regulatory Environment Citybizlist
• Voltabox acquires engineering company Concurrent Design Evertiq
• Xcel Energy Purchases Foxtail Wind Energy from NextEra Power Engineering

IPO

• China regulator approves battery giant CATL’s $2 billion IPO: Xinhua Reuters

New Product Announcement

• Exide Launches Advanz, India’s first completely sealed and maintenance free batteryCore Sector Communique
• Anker Launches New Soundcore Vortex Over-Ear Bluetooth Headphones Channel International
• Exide Technologies Unveils Lithium-Ion Battery to Power Material Handling Systems at MODEX 2018 PR Newswire
• SUN Mobility launches swappable batteries for two, three-wheelers ElecTrans
• FedEx adds a hydrogen fuel cell van to its fleet Engadget
• BYD to deliver a fleet of all-electric trucks to San Francisco Goodwill Electrek
• Wireless Charging System developed on Kia Soul EV finchannel.com
• McPhy presents large-scale electrolysis platforms gasworld
• Official Images Of The New BYD Qin Pro Hybrid Sedan For China Car News China
• BYD to unveil all-new concept E-SEED at Auto China 2018 Gasgoo.com
• Nel expands H2Station product range with new compressor and increased fuelling capacity gasworld
• Ceres Power unveils 5 kW SteelCell SOFC stack, V5 SteelCell technology Green Car Congress
• Elistair Announces Its Ligh-T Version 3, The Next Generation Of Compact Tethered Drone Stations UAS WEEKLY
• Use the NuIQ Wireless Power Technology Platform to Develop Efficient Wireless Charging Products EverythingRF
• The World’s First IOTA-Fueled Electric Charging Station is Released by ElaadNLCoinspeaker
• VRLAs have Ten-Times More Conductivity in the Negative Plate PowerPulse
• Gencell Fuel Cell Power Solution for Telecom, Utilities and Mission-Critical Application to Make German Debut at Hannover Messe FuelCellsWorks

New Market Entry

• Element Power Takes Over Irish Offshore Wind Project Offshore Wind
  

New Geo Entry

• China’s Lishen plans first European sales office for electric vehicle batteries – sourceReuters
• BYD Electric Bus Enters Europe, US, Japan, South Korea Yicai Global

Business Partnership

• Huayou Cobalt Eyes New Energy Vehicle Market Through JVs With South Korean FirmsYicai Global
• MGM Resorts will use solar array to power Las Vegas casinos The Las Vegas RJ
• NuCurrent Partners With GaN Systems On Wireless Charging Compound Semiconductor
• Canadian Solar Partners with Global Investment Holdings to Develop and Provide Services for up to 300 MWp Solar Projects in EMEA PR Newswire
• Engie and sonnen partner on French solar-plus-storage package PV-Tech
• Sungrow Partners with Greensmith to Deliver State-of-the-Art Solar Plus Storage Technology to Massachusetts PR Newswire

Company Announcement

• Sungrow to expand its production facilities into India PR Newswire
• Melrose takes control of GKN Evertiq
• Grupo Bimbo, Largest Bakery in the World, Signs Agreement with Invenergy for 100 Percent Renewable Energy for U.S. Operations GlobeNewswire

Regulatory Issue

• CCI slaps Rs 215 cr fine on Eveready, Indo National, others, for unfair biz ways Indiatimes

Analyst Picks

• AllerGuard (2017, Tel Aviv) – Personal allergen hazard sensor
  Market: AgriTech > Supply Chain Tech > Quality Check & Analysis > Content Analysis > Nutrient Analysis
• Oxen Farm Solutions (2016, Delhi) – Offers farm mechanization services
  Market: AgriTech > Market Linkages > Supply Chain > Farm Input > Crops > Marketplace > Operation Services
• BayoTech (2015, Fort Collins, $16.1M) – Modular, on-field fertilizer production system
  Market: AgriTech > Infrastructure > Crops > Growing Systems & Components > Agnostic > Soil-based
• Dropcopter (2015, San Francisco, $250K) – Developer of system for autonomous UAV operations
  Market: AgriTech > Precision Ag > Field Ops > Field Crops > Horizontal
• Integriculture (2015, Tokyo) – Developing technology to produce lab cultured meat
  Market: AgriTech > BioTech > Cellular Ag > Tech Platform

Funding Rounds

PE, $61.3M
Bioline AgroSciences (1979, Little Clacton, $61.3M) – Manufacturer and distributors of biological pests control products in crops
Investors: LFPI, IDIA Capital Investissement, Unigrains

PE, $24M
Biobest Group (1987, Antwerp, $24M) – Pollination services provider and supplier of biological plant protection solutions
Investors: Merieux Developement

Series B, $20M
Soft Robotics (2013, Cambridge, $25M) – Manufactures robotic grippers and control system
Investors: hyperplane, Scale Venture Partners, Honeywell, ABB, Calibrate Ventures, Tekfen Ventures, Yamaha, Material Impact, Taylor Farms, Haiyin Capital

Series B, $15.9M
Inocucor (2007, Montreal, $63.1M) – Sustainable Biological Products for enhancing plant growth
Investors: TPG, Cycle Capital Management, Desjardins %2D Innovatech, Pontifax Agtech

Series B, $12.5M
BayoTech (2015, Fort Collins, $16.1M) – Modular, on-field fertilizer production system
Investors: Cottonwood Technology Fund, Sun Mountain Capital

Series A, $7.9M
XpertSea (2009, Quebec City, $9.2M) – Provides hardware and software to measure aquatic organisms count in a sample
Investors: Obvious Ventures, Aqua Spark, Real Ventures

Series B, $5.2M
Resson Aerospace (2013, Fredericton, $19.2M) – Customized precision agricultural solutions for large farming corporations
Investors: Mahindra

Series A, $3.1M
Inspira Farms (2012, Sevenoaks, $5.1M) – Modular processing and chilling platforms
Investors: FactorEVentures, Pymwymic, Stichting DOEN, Energy Access Ventures, Montpelier Foundation

Series A, $2.9M
Thrive Agritech (2014, New York City, $3.1M) – Manufacturer and supplier of LED grow lights for indoor agriculture

Seed, $2.5M
Biocarbon Engineering (2014, Oxford, $2.5M) – Developing drone for planting trees

Series A, $1.4M
California Safe Soil (2012, West Sacramento, $14.5M) – Converts unsold food from grocery stores to liquid fertilizer

Seed, $1.2M
KnipBio (2013, Lowell, $3.9M) – Developer of microbes for waste mitigation

Seed, $440K
Agrodron Group (2016, Moscow, $440K) – Integrated platform for farm mapping and crop scouting
Investors: RVC

Seed, $400K
Mesur.io (2016, Raleigh, $1.4M) – Sensor platform for capturing & analyzing data

Post IPO, $352K
Affinor Growers (1996, Vancouver, $30M) – Development of vertical farming technology and installation of farming projects

M&A

• PharmaCielo Ltd. to Acquire Colombia’s Leading Provider of TeleMedicine Services PR Newswire
• Canopy Growth Corporation Announces Acquisition of Largest Czech Medical Cannabis Company Annabis Medical PR Newswire
• Syngenta Acquires Another Seed Company, More Could Come AgProfessional
• Bayer-Monsanto deal said to be on track for US approval by end of May Missouri Business Alert
• BASF SE, Germany to acquire Bayer’s seed & crop protection businesses and assetsBusiness Standard
• Solis Tek to Acquire Arizona Operator and Management Services AgreementNewMediaWire
• Maricann Group Announces Definitive Agreement for Haxxon Acquisition GlobeNewswire
• ChemChina’s purchase of Syngenta a win-win ecns.cn
• Emerald Health Acquires Licensed Québec Cannabis Producer Stockhouse
• Inocucor buys ATP Nutrition to increase crop yields with both biologics and nutrientsBiofuels Digest

FDA Approval

• AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. Announces FDA Approval of First U.S. Facility for Commercial Production of AquAdvantage Salmon GlobeNewswire

New Product Announcement

• Heliospectra Launches HelioCORE™ PR Newswire
• Monsanto develops product to deactivate controversial farm chemical Reuters
• PrecisionHawk launches first long-range, Beyond Visual Line of Sight multi-rotor drone platform Geospatial Media and Communications
• CropX Announces New Soil Intelligence Platform Powered by Deep Sensor PrecisionAg
• Sentera Extends FieldAgent’s In-Field Analysis Toolset PR Newswire
• Canntrust® Holdings Launches Cannabis Oil Vegan Hard Shell Capsules CNW
• Skylark, a Cloud-Based, High-Precision GNSS Service UAS VISION
• HeavyConnect offers food safety mobile app The Packer
• Eco Convergence Group Launches World’s First HyCube™ Hydroponic Production System at Orlando World Center Marriott PRWeb
• Valagro to present Opifol®, the innovative line of water-soluble foliar fertilizers specifically designed for row crops nutrition Agropages
• AEssenseGrows Boosts Clone Production 50% with New AEtrium-2.1 SmartFarm-72 PR Newswire
• Harvesting Inc launches innovative credit scoring system to help financial institutions facilitate agriculture financing in Africa TechMoran
• New NIR analyzer from FOSS enables faster dairy analysis DairyReporter
  

New Geo Entry

• Impossible Foods Makes International Debut In Hong Kong PR Newswire
• Syngenta opens digital innovation lab in Singapore sgsme.sg

Business Partnership

• IBM and Twiga Foods Introduce Blockchain-Based MicroFinancing for Food Kiosk Owners in Kenya TechMoran
• Smithfield Foods Announces Partnership with Anuvia Plant Nutrients Citybizlist
• LumiPure Inc. Announces Long Term Agreement With illumiPure For The Distribution Of TruWhite And TruGrow LED Lighting Solutions PR Newswire
• BRIEF-ICL Announces An Investment And A Strategic Partnership With Cropx Reuters
• Aleafia aligns with Canntrust: New cultivation and patient relationship Stockhouse
• HAZON Partners With PrecisionHawk for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) TrainingPR Newswire

Company Announcement

• Arcadia Biosciences Expands GoodWheat™ Portfolio with Reduced Gluten WheatBusiness Wire
• Climate Corp Announces 5 New FieldView Integrations PrecisionAg

Earnings Release

• Ceapro Inc. Reports 2017 Financial Results GlobeNewswire
• Revenue Growth and Sub $1.00 Cash Cost per Gram Metric Highlight Quarter CMOCRO

Research Partnership

• Monsanto, RNAgri announce research partnership Agropages
• Biotech Firm KnipBio and Biofuels Leader ICM Inc. Ink Collaboration GlobeNewswire

Key People Movement

• Indigo Appoints Frank Crespo as Chief Supply Chain Officer to Drive Innovative Food and Agriculture Supply Network PR Newswire
• Scott Lay Joins Agricen as Director of Business Development GlobeNewswire

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Silvertraq (2016, Mumbai), Private label brand of fitness apparels, Founder is ex-Merchandiser & Supply Manager Qualiance International, Mindstorm and alumnus of NMIMS. Local comparable is  Turmswear (2016, Bangalore). Global comparables are Mizzen+Main (2012, Dallas, $4.45M) and Aday (2015, NYC, $3.1M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

IndoStar Capital Finance (2011, Mumbai), secured wholesale lending platform for real estate and infrastructure, raises $82.4M in funding by allotting shares to anchor investors, which include investment firms East Bridge Capital and Fidelity, ahead of its initial public offering. Link

The Times Group (1838, Mumbai), mass media company with interests in print, digital and broadcast, raises $75M in debt funding from ICICI Lombard General Insurance, DSP Blackrock Short Term Fund, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Company Limited, Edelweiss Corporate Bond Fund, Edelweiss Dynamic Bond Fund and HDFC Bank Limited. Link

Easypolicy (2011, Noida), online selling and comparison platform for insurance, raises approximately $7M in funding from Unilazer Ventures, raising its share to 70% in the firm.Link

Wishfie (2017, Bangalore), mobile-based collaborative video platform, raises undisclosed amount in Seed round of funding from undisclosed investor. Link

21North (2015, Bangalore), mobile app based marketplace for car service providers, raises undisclosed amount in Seed round of funding from Europ Assistance Holding. Link

Fastfilmz (2015, Bangalore), video on demand platform, has been acquired by SHAREit(2015, Beijing), application to transfer files from a Wi-Fi compatible device to another similar one, for $13M. Link

GiftCardsIndia (2010, Mumbai), online gift voucher aggregator and gifting portal, has been acquired by Swych (2015, Plano), online retailer of gift cards, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Reliance Jio Infocomm (2012, Mumbai), telecom operator offering 4G services and mobile handsets, launches Jio Interact, world’s first AI based brand engagement platform. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

ThoughtSpot (2012, Palo Alto), AI-enabled and search-driven analytics platform for enterprises, raises $145M in Series D round of funding led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, Sapphire Ventures and Future Fund. Link

Owlet (2013, Lehi), creator of smart sock that monitors baby’s vitals, raises $24M in Series B round of funding led by Trilogy Equity Partners, with participation from existing investors Eclipse Ventures, Broadway Angels, Enfield Ventures and Pelion Venture Partners. Link

Simplesurance (2012, Berlin), marketplace to buy affordable health insurance plans, raises $24M in Series C round of funding led by Allianz X with participation from Rheingau Founders and Rakuten Capital. Link

BorderX Lab (2014, Mountain View), technology enabled cross-border e-commerce platform, raises $20M in Series B round of funding led by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers with participation from Hillhouse Capital Group, CBC, Welight Capital and iFly Venture Capital. Link

Gamalon (2013, Brea), machine intelligence system for enterprise solutions, raises $20M in funding led by Intel Capital with participation from 406 Ventures, Omidyar Technology Partners and existing investors Boston Seed Capital, Felicis Ventures, Rivas Capital, Andy Bechtolsheim, Steve Blank, Ivan Chong, Adam D’Angelo, Georges Harik, and Raymie Stata. Link

SafeBreach (2014, Tel Aviv), offensive planned breach based vulnerability assessment, raises $15M in funding led by Draper Nexus with participation from PayPal, Sequoia Capital, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners and HPE Pathfinder. Link

Avaamo (2014, Los Altos), mobile-first enterprise secure messaging platform, raises $14.2M in Series A funding led by Intel Capital with additional investment from Ericsson Ventures, Mahindra Partners, Wipro Ventures and WI Harper. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Sentienz (2016, Bangalore), big data and text mining analytics platform, Founder is ex- Automatski Corporation, Flipkart, Oracle and alumnus of Visvesvaraya Technological University. Local comparables are BRIDGEi2i (2011, Bangalore, Series A) and Scalend (2015, Bangalore). Global comparables are MiningLamp (2014, Beijing, $189M) and Signals Analytics (2009, NYC, $50M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Toppr (2013, Mumbai), after-school learning app for K-5 to K-12 students, raises $2.3M in funding from from Venture debt firm Alteria Capital. Link

Charcoal Eats (2015, Mumbai), chain of quick-service restaurants, raises $741k in Pre-Series A round of funding led by Rajesh Ramanathan, Kush Verma, Rothschild Indian, Amit Gupta, Vishesh Shrivastav and  Sachin Khivasara. Link

Tork Motorcycles (2010, Pune), developer of electric motorcycles, raises $66k in funding from Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati. Link

Walmart (1962, Bentonville), multinational retail corporation, acquires 77% stake in Flipkart (2007, Bangalore), online shopping portal, for $16B. Link

IvyCamp (2014, Mumbai), platform to network with entrepreneurs, mentors, incubators, and investors, partners with Sonata (1986, Bangalore), IT consulting and software services company delivering transformational IT solutions, to Launch an ‘Open Innovation Program’ Targeted at India’s Startups. Link

UrbanClap (2014, Delhi), web and mobile-based marketplace for multiple local services, launches its service in Dubai. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Dreamlines (2012, Hamburg), online travel agency specializing in cruise line related travel, raises $55M in Series E round of funding, led by Princeville Global, with participation from existing investors HV Holtzbrinck Ventures, Target Global, Dimaventures, Hasso Plattner Ventures, TruVenturo and Global Founders. Link

Life House (2017, NYC), vertically integrated, modern lifestyle hotel & hotel technology company, raises $40M in funding. The funding consists of $10M in venture capital and $30M in real estate capital. Link

Tailor Brands (2014, Brooklyn), machine Learning based design software, raises $15.5M in Series B round of funding led by Pitango Venture Capital  Growth Fund and British Armat Group, with participation from Disruptive Technologies and Mangrove Capital Partners. Link

KeyedIn (2011, Minneapolis), cloud application building platform, raises $15M in Series C round of funding led by global growth equity firm Arrowroot Capital. Link

KeyW (2008, Hanover), provider of technology-based security solutions for cyber security, geospatial, counter-terrorism, establish a $340M credit agreement having a $215 million First Lien Term Loan facility maturing in May 2024, a $75 million Second Lien Term Loan facility maturing in May 2025 and a $50 million senior secured Revolving Credit Facility maturing in May 2023. Link 

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

GreyKernel (2015, Noida), edutainment content platform for high-end mobility & low cost VR devices,  Co-Founder is, Ex- Shaurya Technocrats Private Limited, Morgan Stanley and alumnus of Kamla Nehru Institute. Local comparables are Out of Box Edutainment (2016, Mumbai) and Vrook (2017, Bangalore). Global comparables are Wizsch (2015, Beijing, $4.6M) and Unimersiv (2015, San Mateo, Seed).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

SMEcorner (2014, Mumbai), online platform for SME loans, raises $3M in Series A funding led by Dutch Good Growth Fund and Accion Ventures Labs. Link

Lymbyc Solutions (2012, Bangalore), provider of predictive analytical solutions for pharma and consumer technology, partners with L&T Infotech (1997, Mumbai), IT Services and Solutions provider, to provide AI-powered end-to-end real-time solutions for different verticals such as sales, communication and marketing. Link

Zensar (2001, Pune), provider of IT services, engineering services and BPO services, launches customer delivery center in North America. Link

42Gears (2009, Bangalore), mobile device management and security solutions provider, has extended its UEM platform to manage macOS entire lifecycle from a central console. Link

Tata Steel (1907, Mumbai), Indian multinational steel-making company, launches new website, Aashiyana. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Robinhood (2012, Palo Alto), zero commission trading app, raises $363M in Series D round of funding, led by DST Global with participation from Iconiq, Capital G, Sequoia Capital and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. Link

Fuze (2006, Cambridge), cloud-based communications solution provider for the modern global enterprise,  raises $150M in Series F round of funding led by Summit Partners with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners. Link

PumaPay (2017, Gibraltar), blockchain-based transaction billing platform, raises $117M in funding led by Yoav Dror, Giorgos Kourtellos and Milenko Strika. Link

Rubicon Global (2008, Atlanta), provider of cloud-based on-demand waste collection and management service, raises $65M in funding led by NZ Super Fund. Link

Perch (2017, New York), marketplace for buying and selling homes, raises $30M in Series A round of funding led by FirstMark Capital, with participation from Juxtapose and Accomplice. Link

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

DEALS OF THE WEEK

Robot-maker UBTECH secures $820M led by Tencent, in largest ever AI funding
UBTECH Robotics (2012, Shenzhen), an intelligent humanoid robots maker, raises $820M in Series C round led by Tencent Holdings.

INTERESTING FUNDRAISING ACTIVITY IN CHINA

Tencent’s We Doctor Gets $500M Pre–IPO Financing At $5.5B Valuation
We Doctor Holdings (2010, Hangzhou), a Tencent backed online healthcare service provider, raises $500M in a Pre-IPO round led by AIA Company Ltd.

Singapore’s GIC Leads $260M Series B Round In Chinese Biopharma Company CStone
CStone (2016, Suzhou), a Chinese biopharmaceutical company, raises $260M in Series B round led by GIC.

Ant Financial and CDH Lead $200M A Round In Chinese Catering Company Xiyun
Xiyun International (2017, Beijing), a meal catering company, raises $200M in Series A round led by Ant Financial, CDH Investment, and Koubei.

Chinese Long-Term Apartment Leasing Firm Uoko.com Raises $157M C1 Round
Uoko.com (2011, Chengdu), a Chinese long-term apartment leasing start-up, raises $157M in Series C1 round led by Shenzhen Venture Capital, Legend Capital, Matrix Partners China, SIG, Greentown Service Group, and Galaxy Holdings.

Chinese Rural Fintech Firm Shenma Completes $47.3M Series C Round
Shenma Finance (2015, Shanghai), a Fintech company focused on rural mobility, raises $47.25M in Series C round led by China Growth Capital, Hina Group and Tongbanjie Group.

GSR Ventures Leads $47M Series A Round In Chinese E-Commerce Platform XYB2B.COM
XYB2B.COM ( 2015, Shenzhen), a B2B cross-border marketplace for maternity and beauty products, raises $47M in Series A round led by GSR Ventures.

HG Capital Leads $38M Series C Round In Chinese Cancer Hospital Operator Kexin Health
Hunan Kexin Health Industry Development Co., Ltd (, Changsha), a Chinese cancer hospital operator, raises $38M in Series C round led by HG Capital.

Yao Capital Leads $15.7M Pre-A Round In Chinese eSports Club EDward Gaming
EDward Gaming (2013, Guangzhou), a Chinese esports club, raises $15.7M in a Pre Series A round led by Yao Capital.

AI Solutions Provider Aibee Raises $15.7M From Billionaire Mall Operator
Aibee (2017, Beijing), an artificial intelligence solutions provider, raises $15.7M in undisclosed Series of funding from Adrian Cheng Chi-kong.

HK mobile games platform ALAX raises $3.8M from its token-based fundraising
ALAX (2018, Hong Kong), a mobile gaming platform, raises $3.8M in a token sale.

INVESTMENTS BY CHINESE INVESTORS AND COMPANIES

CDH Investments Offers Higher Bid Of $1.4B To Acquire Australian Medical Device Firm Sirtex Medical
CDH Investments, a Chinese alternative asset fund manager, to acquire Sirtex Medical Limited, an Australian medical device company, for $1.4B.

China’s Second Largest Bitcoin Mining Machine Maker Canaan Plans $1B Hong Kong IPO
Canaan, a China’s second largest bitcoin mining machine manufacturer, plans to raise $1B in a Hong Kong IPO.

Chinese appliance maker Hisense offers to buy Slovenia’s Gorenje at $347M valuation
Hisense Electric, a Chinese household appliances maker, to acquire Gorenje, an appliances producer, for $347M.

China State-Owned CICIIF To Launch $255M Semiconductor Fund With Foundry
China Integrated Circuit Industry Investment Fund, a China-based semiconductor devices company, joins Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corporation, a semiconductor foundry company, to launch Semiconductor fund at $255.16M.

Chinese live streaming platform Huya raising $165M in US IPO
Huya Broadcasting, a China-based e-sports video platform, raises $165M in US IPO.

JD.com Buys 10% Stake In China Logistics Property For $115M
JD.com, a China’s second-largest online retailer, acquires China Logistics Property Holdings, a Hong Kong stock exchange company, for $114.52M.

PE firm FutureX Capital proposes to acquire AI solutions provider Gridsum
FutureX Capital, a private equity firm, to acquire Gridsum Holding Inc, a China-based big data analytics, and AI solutions provider, for an undisclosed amount.

China Everbright picks 22.4% Medtronic stake in HK-listed LifeTech
China Everbright Limited, a financial services company, acquires Medtronic’s stake in LifeTech Scientific Corporation, a China-based medical devices provider, for an undisclosed amount.

China’s co-working giant Ucommune merges with rival Workingdom
Ucommune, a China-based co-working space operator, acquires Workingdom, a co-working space provider, for an undisclosed amount.

Alibaba Buys Daraz Group To Expand South Asia E-commerce
Alibaba Group, a China-based online marketplace, acquires Daraz Group, an e-commerce company, for an undisclosed amount.

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Calamus Electric Cycles (2017, Mumbai), developer of connected electric bicycles, Co-Founder is Ex- MomoThao, STES Racing and alumnus of University of Pune. Local comparables are LightSpeed Bikes (2016, Ahmedabad) and Volta Motors (2015, Chennai,). Global comparables are TSINOVA (2014,Beijing, $29.3M) and Faraday Bicycles (2012, San Francisco, $3.96M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Sintex BAPL (2007, Pune), manufacturer and supplier of major auto components to OEMs, raises $185.7M in funding led by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. Link

Earth food (2016, Pune), that grows residue-free fruits and vegetable and sells them offline and online, raises $956k in Seed round of funding led by Rairah corporation. Link

Stelae Technologies (2002, Bengaluru), provider of cloud based automated conversion solution for unstructured information, partners with Satsearch (2016, Delft), global marketplace for space, to build the first global search engine for Aerospace. Link

Paytm (2010, Noida), mobile wallet and payments bank, introduces automatic recurring payments, a new feature that lets users configure the payments app to pay for periodic recurring expenses automatically. Link

MobiLock (2015, Pune), cloud-based Mobile device management solution, launches mobile device  management for iOS devices. Link

PhonePe (2015, Bangalore), UPI based payment app, goes global, will compete with PayPal, Apple, Samsung in US market. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Carousell (2012, Singapore), a P2P mobile listing platform, raises $85M in Series C round of funding led by Rakuten Ventures, EDBI, 500 Startups, Golden Gate Ventures and Sequoia India as well as new investor DBS. Link

Rubicon Global (2008, Atlanta), cloud-based on-demand waste collection and management service, raises $65M in funding led by NZ Super Fund. Link

Carro (2015, Singapore), marketplace for used cars, raises $60M in Series B round of funding led by SoftBank Ventures Korea, Insignia Ventures Eduardo Saverin’s B Capital Group, Manika Arora and Carro for its automotive classifieds and car financing service. Link

Luminary Media (1993, Kingston), full-service custom marketing agency, raises $40M in private equity funding led by undisclosed investor. Link

Carpetright (1988, Purfleet), retailer of carpets, flooring and beds, raises $20.3M in conventional debt funding led by Meditor European Master Fund. Link

Cat Financial (1981, Nashville), Caterpillar’s asset finance arm, raises $2B in Conventional Debt through Medium Term Notes from undisclosed investors. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Toffee (2017, Gurgaon), insurance distribution platform, Co-founder is Ex- CEO Design For Use, Faircent, Doctore, Co-Founder Popsoda, Association for Indias Development and alumnus of University of Michigan. Local comparables are Policybazaar (2008, Gurgaon, $364M) and Coverfox (2011, Mumbai, $57.1M). Global comparables are PolicyGenius (2014, New York City, $52M) and Clark (2015, Berlin, $45M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Nykaa (2012, Mumbai), online retail platform for beauty and wellness products, raises $24M in Series D round of funding led by Sunil Kant Munjal, Family Offices of Harsh Mariwala and Dalip Pathak. Link

Aye Finance (2013, Delhi), provider of business loans to the small and micro enterprises across India, raises $4.4M in debt funding from SBI. Link

Knowlarity (2009, Gurgaon), cloud based telephony service provider for SMEs, acquires Sunoray (2011, Mumbai), cloud communications solutions provider,for an undisclosed amount. Link

HCL Technologies (1991, Noida), IT, engineering and BPO services company, partners with Pow Pow Mobile (2012, San Francisco), low-code enterprise mobility platform to build mobile apps, to deliver application transformation to enterprise customers around the world. Link

The Blackstone Group, New York-based asset management and financial services firm sells 8% stake in Mphasis (1992, Bangalore), provider of infrastructure technology and applications outsourcing services, for about $213M. Link

Bumper (2015, Bangalore), mobile application to book car repair and service, has shut down its operation. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Fair Square Financial (2016, Wilmington), marketer of a credit card, raises $100M in equity investment led by The Orogen Group. Link

Cellulant (2010, Lagos), online payment service provider, raises $47.5M in Series C round of funding led by TPG Growth’s The Rise Fund, with participation from Endeavor Catalyst, Satya Capital, Velocity Capital & Progression Africa. Link

TruValue Labs (2013, San Francisco), provider of an artificial intelligence driven environmental, social and governance data platform, raises $13.6M in Series A round of funding led by Katalyst Ventures, with participation from the Hearst Financial Venture Fund, The Entrepreneurs’ Fund, Sun Hung Kai Strategic Capital Limited, William Campbell, former Chairman of JPM Chase Card Services, CEO at Citibank Global Consumer; and Tom Chavez, former CEO and Co-Founder at Krux Inc., a Salesforce Company. Link

Alloy (2015, San Francisco), software for end-to-end supply and demand visibility, raises $12M in Series A round of funding led by Menlo Ventures, with participation from 8VC, brings total venture funding to $15.3M. Link

VidMob (2015, New York City), marketplace for professional video editors, raises $6.4M in Series A round of funding led by Manifest Growth, Interlock Partners, Acadia Woods and Macanta Investments and new investor You & Mr Jones. Link

Renaissance Venture Capital Fund Detroit-based venture capital fund-of-funds, closed its third fund, at $81M. Link

Funding Rounds

Conventional Debt, $2.2B
Integra LifeSciences (1989, Plainsboro) – Suite of medical devices
Investors: Bank of America

Series E, $105M
Livongo (2014, Chicago, $237M) – Cloud connected glucose meter to manage diabetes and an online coaching program provider
Investors: General Catalyst Partners, Kinnevik, Echo Health Ventures, DFJ, KPCB, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund, Microsoft Ventures, Sapphire Ventures, Zaffre Investments, 7wire Ventures

Series C, $70M
V-Wave Medical (2009, Caesarea, $105M) – Implantable shunt to treat heart failure
Investors: Deerfield, Endeavour Vision, Quark Venture, Aperture Venture Partners, JNJ Innovation, Edwards Lifesciences, BRM Group, Pontifax, Pura Vida Investments, Triventures, BioStar Ventures, Israel Secondary Fund

Series F, $39M
Cardiac Dimensions (2001, Kirkland, $167.3M) – Minimally invasive cardiac implant for heart failure
Investors: Hostplus, M. H. Carnegie, Arboretum Ventures, Lumira Capital, Aperture Venture Partners

Series C, $33.5M
Limflow (2012, Paris, $33.5M) – Venous arterialization of the lower limbs
Investors: Sofinnova Partners, Bpifrance

Series C, $31.7M
EryDel (2007, Urbino, $46.7M) – Drug delivery through erythrocytes
Investors: Sofinnova Partners, Genextra, Innogest Capital

Post IPO, $28M
MannKind Corp (1991, Los Angeles, $50M) – Developing new drugs through their Technosphere® formulation technology

Series E, $25M
Avedro (2007, Waltham, $204.5M) – Corneal collagen cross-linking technology
Investors: Lilly Asia Ventures, Orbimed, InterWest Partners, Health Quest Capital

Series C, $20M
Intact Vascular (2011, Wayne, $86.2M) – Implant for artery repair after angioplasty
Investors: New Enterprise Associates, HIG BioHealth Partners, Quaker Partners

Series A, $19.9M
Soundbite Medical (2013, Montreal, $22.3M) – Shockwave device to treat chronic total occlusions in the coronary and peripheral vasculature
Investors: Fidelity

Series A, $14.1M
Companion Medical (2013, San Diego, $15.9M) – A smart insulin injector pen

Series E, $13M
CardioFocus (1990, Marlborough, $139.0M) – Endoscopically guided catheter for ablation

Post IPO, $12.9M
Danaher (1969, Washington D.C.) – Portfolio of medical and dental devices

Post IPO, $12.7M
Pixium Vision (2011, Paris, $32.8M) – Bionic vision restoration systems

Venture Debt, $12M
Cardiac Dimensions (2001, Kirkland, $167.3M) – Minimally invasive cardiac implant for heart failure
Investors: Oxford Finance

M&A

• Fresenius pulls out of Akorn takeover over data integrity Reuters
• BRIEF-Analogic To Be Acquired By Affiliate Of Altaris Capital Partners For $1.1 Bln In Cash financetime.org
• Boston Scientific Announces Acquisition Of nVision Medical Corporation PR Newswire
• United Therapeutics pens $216M deal to buy SteadyMed, neutralizing pump-based threat to PAH franchise FierceBiotech
• Fresenius Medical sells U.S. Sound Inpatient for $2.15 billion Reuters
• Livongo Health Acquires Retrofit PR Newswire
• Chinese firm makes last-minute $1.4 billion offer for Australia’s Sirtex, trumps VarianReuters
• New Mountain Capital Agrees to Sell Medical Specialties Distributors to McKessonBusiness Wire
• Roche. (4/6/18). “Press Release: Roche Completes Acquisition of Flatiron Health”. BaselLife-Sciences-Germany
• Olympus Announces Intention To Acquire Lithotripsy Systems From Cybersonics Reuters

IPO

• Inspire Medical inhales $108m in IPO Global Corporate Venturing

FDA Approval

• Roche’s Hemlibra gets speedy FDA review for wider use Reuters
• 4/23/18 – Medtronic IN.PACT Admiral Drug Coated Balloon Receives FDA Approval to Treat Long SFA Lesions Pharmacy Choice
• FDA Clears A.I. Software Detecting Diabetic Eye Disease Technology News and Literature
• Lumendi Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance for Dilumen C2™ Business Wire
• BrainsWay Receives FDA Clearance of Next Generation Stimulator, Enhancing Its Current Deep Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (Deep TMS) System for Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder GlobeNewswire
• Bayer Statement about Essure® Label Update PR Newswire
• Arthrosurface Gains FDA Clearance of OVOMotion™ Shoulder Arthroplasty System PR Newswire
• LENSAR® Laser System Receives FDA Clearance to Perform Corneal Pockets and Flaps for Corneal Inlay Procedures BioSpace

Regulatory Change

• Govt may push for regulating manufacture, sale, import of implantable medical devicesLivemint

New Product Announcement

• Fitbit Announces Health Partner Apps and Clock Faces Aimed to Improve Condition Management and Overall Health Business Wire
• Varian Launches Velocity 4.0 Cancer Imaging Software with Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Dosimetry Analysis PR Newswire
• Vayyar Imaging Unveils the World’s Most Advanced CMOS SOC for mmWave 3D Imaging Business Wire
• Curetis Launches CE-IVD Marked Unyvero Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) Cartridge at ECCMID 2018 PM360
• Medtronic Expands Focus on Interventional Oncology with Its U.S. Launch of OptiSphere(TM) Embolization Spheres PM360
• BD Launches BD FACSymphony S6 High Parameter Cell Sorter to Enable Sorting of Rare Cell Types PressReleasePoint
• BD Unveils Suite of Diagnostic Informatics and Automation Innovations PR Newswire

New Geo Entry

• Roche to launch startup in India BioSpectrum India
• Augmenix, Inc. Announces the Opening of a New Headquarters in Tokyo, Japan Business Wire
• Vision Care opens in Panadura The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd
• B&W Tek, Spinco Biotech Open Spectroscopy Center of Excellence in India Photonics Media

Business Partnership

• Tandem Diabetes Care and Movi SpA Announce Agreement for Distribution of Insulin Pump Products in Italy Business Wire
• Konica Minolta Healthcare, HydroCision Announce Distribution Agreement for TenJet System Citybizlist

Company Announcement

• J&J raises sales forecast but keeps profit outlook unchanged; shares drop Reuters

Earnings Release

• Philips first-quarter results beat estimates on strong China growth Reuters
• 1Q2018 Earnings Call Highlights Abbott’s $7.4 Billion In Sales BioSpace

Earnings Commentary

• Currency headwinds sap Bayer in Q1 Indiatimes

Research Partnership

• Gilead and Verily Announce Scientific Collaboration to Identify and Understand Immunological and Molecular Drivers of Inflammatory Diseases Business Wire
• 4DMT and ROCHE Expand Ophthalmology Partnership to Develop and Commercialize Multiple AAV Gene Therapy Products Business Wire

Key People Movement

• Clarify Medical® Announces the Appointment of George W. Mahaffey as President and Chief Executive Officer Business Wire

Lawsuit

• Johnson & Johnson wins appeal to overturn $151 million hip implant verdict Reuters

Soonicorn Club

• Soonicorn

  PFL (1996, Great Falls, $25M) – Marketing automation solutions
  Market: MarketingTech > Direct Marketing > Mail-based

• Minicorn

  RootsRated Media (2012, Chattanooga, $6.5M) – Content marketing platform
  Market: MarketingTech > Content Marketing > Suite

• Minicorn

  Punchh (2010, Sunnyvale, $32.5M) – Mobile CRM and loyalty Software
  Market: MarketingTech > Omnichannel Marketing Automation > Hospitality

Analyst Picks

• DemandJump (2015, Indianapolis, $9.1M) – Predictive Analytics Marketing Platform
  Market: MarketingTech > Marketing Intelligence > Suite
• PatientPop (2014, Santa Monica, $23.8M) – Marketing platform for healthcare providers
  Market: MarketingTech > Omnichannel Marketing Automation > Healthcare
• Adverity (2014, Vienna, $4M) – Data Integration platform
  Market: MarketingTech > Customer Data Management > Customer Data Platform
• ZyloTech (2014) – AI based Customer Analytics Solution
  Market: MarketingTech > Marketing Intelligence > Consumer Intelligence

Funding Rounds

Series C, $60M
Drift (2014, Cambridge, $107M) – Customer Segmentation and Engagement platform
Investors: Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst Partners, Charles River Ventures

Series D, $52M
Leanplum (2012, San Francisco, $145.2M) – Mobile A/B testing, personalization & analytics platform
Investors: Waterwood

Series A, $40M
SEMrush (2008, Trevose, $40M) – Competitive analysis tools for online marketing
Investors: Greycroft Partners, Siguler Guff & Company, E.ventures

Series D, $38.2M
ClickFox (2000, Atlanta, $80.2M) – Customer Experience Analytics Software
Investors: Arrowroot Capital

Series B, $37M
BounceX (2012, New York City, $78.8M) – Behavioral Automation Platform
Investors: Battery Ventures, Contour Venture Partners, Cross Creek Advisors, Primary Venture Partner, Rho Ventures, Jason Fing

Series A, $32M
Uberflip (2008, Toronto, $32M) – Digital Content Publishing Platform
Investors: Updata

Series B, $30M
Zaius (2012, Leesburg, $50.8M) – Audience Segmentation and Contextual Targeting platform
Investors: Insight Venture Partners, Matrix Partners, Underscore VC, Leaders Fund

Series B, $20M
Punchh (2010, Sunnyvale, $32.5M) – Mobile CRM and loyalty Software
Investors: Sapphire Ventures, Cervin Ventures

Series C, $15.5M
Tailor Brands (2014, Tel Aviv, $20.6M) – Machine Learning based design software
Investors: Pitango Venture Capital, Armat Group, Mangrove Capital Partners

Series A, $15M
Instapage (2011, San Francisco, $17.1M) – Landing Page Automation
Investors: Morgan Stanley

Series B, $9M
Traackr (2008, San Francisco, $18.0M) – Influencer analytics suite.
Investors: Workhorse Capital, You

Series B, $7.5M
Dscout (2011, Chicago, $11M) – User Feedback platform
Investors: Beringea, Synetro Group

Series A, $6M
DemandJump (2015, Indianapolis, $9.1M) – Predictive Analytics Marketing Platform
Investors: Revolution, Flyover Capital, Cultivation Capital, 4G Ventures, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Bob Davoli

Series A, $5.9M
Neuro-ID (2014, Whitefish, $5.9M) – Consumer behavior analytics

Series A, $5.6M
Banyan (2013, Provo, $5.6M) – Online Marketing Platform for Healthcare Practice

M&A

• Seismic Acquires SAVO Group to Extend Sales Enablement Market Leadership PR Newswire
• Marketo® Acquires Bizible to Create Industry’s Leading Analytics and Engagement Platform PR Newswire
• 6sense Acquires ZenIQ PR Newswire
• Media monitor Meltwater acquires social analytics player Sysomos TechCrunch
• Gannett To Acquire Digital Marketing Software Company WordStream, Inc. Business Wire
• Rockerbox Acquires Eventable to Expand Suite of Marketing Technology for BrandsGlobeNewswire
• Verdane picks up three-company German portfolio from Bauer Media Group AltAssets
• Optimove Expands Email Capabilities with Acquisition of the DynamicMail Business from PowerInbox PR Newswire
• Mspark Announces Acquisition of National Mail-It GlobeNewswire
• Interfax sold to US tech firm in €30m deal independent.ie

Funds Raising Funds

• Salesforce Ventures creates USD 100 million fund to invest in Canadian startupsTelecompaper

New Product Announcement

• Amazon is reportedly working on a home robot TechCrunch
• BlueConic Introduces Consent Management for GDPR Business Wire
• Synup launches “CoinFriendly”, the World’s Largest Repository of Bitcoin-friendly Businesses GlobeNewswire
• Acxiom Launches Global Data Navigator Tool Offering Marketers Visibility into Global Audiences Business Wire
• Segment launches new GDPR compliance tools ZDNet
• Womply Launches Womply Boost to Help Small Businesses Attract More Customers From Local Internet Searches Business Wire
• Pica9 Launching New Branding To Reflect Business Strategy EconoTimes
• Dyspatch Powers GDPR-Compliant, Enterprise-Ready, Transactional Email Experiences at Global Scale GlobeNewswire
• Openprise, an Oracle Marketing AppCloud Partner, Launches Application That Automates Critical Marketing Business and Data Management Processes PR Newswire
• HubSpot Alum Aims to Give Customers a Voice with Latest Venture Business Wire
• Upland Software Speeds Requests for Proposal (RFP) Through Upgraded Integrations with Microsoft Office 365 and Salesforce® Solutions PR Newswire
• Affinio Unveils New Integrated Audience Analysis Solution in Collaboration with MicrosoftPR Newswire
• Lattice Engines launches the first Customer Data Platform for Account-Based MarketingPR Newswire
• Demandbase Launches ABM Analytics to Provide Comprehensive Performance Metrics for Marketing Programs MarTech Advisor
• Unified Unveils Health Checks Solution for Transparent Social Advertising ReportingBusiness Wire
• Voxpopme Launches VideoCX Platform to Bring the Voice of the Customer to Life PR Newswire
• Widen Launches New Video Asset Management Solutions for Digital MarketersGlobeNewswire

New Geo Entry

• HubSpot to Open New Latin America Headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia PR Newswire
• SendGrid Announces the Grand Opening of its New Office in Redwood City, CaliforniaBusiness Wire
• Scoop launches corporate carpooling in Portland TechCrunch

Business Partnership

• Marketo® Announces Collaboration with Google Cloud to Drive Artificial Intelligence Innovation PR Newswire
• TGI Fridays Partners with SessionM to Raise the Bar on Personalized Guest Experiences Business Wire
• Conversica Partners With Microsoft to Bring Conversational AI to Microsoft Dynamics 365 PRWeb
• Radius & Leadspace Join Forces To Lead $50 Billion Data Intelligence Market PR Newswire
• Ooyala and MPP Global Team Up to Increase Worldwide Video Revenue for ClientsGlobeNewswire
• Zoho Corp inks alliance with Standard Chartered Bank Moneycontrol
• Bynder Announces Integration and Partnership with Hootsuite GlobeNewswire

Company Announcement

• Reputation.com Further Expands European Growth GlobeNewswire
  

New Feature Release

• Google Pay gains support for event tickets and boarding passes VentureBeat

Key People Movement

• mParticle hires Adobe’s John Sedlak as chief revenue officer TechCrunch

Soonicorn Club

• Minicorn

  Aqeed (2016, Dubai, $18M) – Online car insurance marketplace
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > Property & Casualty > Auto

• Minicorn

  At-Bay (2016, Mountain View, $19M) – Cyber insurance provider to enterprises
  Market: Insurance Tech > Internet-first Insurers > Commercial > Cyber Insurance

• Minicorn

  Simplesurance (2012, Berlin, $35.5M) – Point of sale insurance solutions
  Market: Insurance Tech > Enablers > Point of Sale Insurance

• Minicorn

  Beam Technologies (2012, Columbus, $33.5M) – Smart dental insurance solutions
  Market: Insurance Tech > Internet-first Insurers > Personal > Life & Health > Health

• Minicorn

  Easypolicy (2011, Noida, $6.1M) – Online selling and comparison platform for insurance
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > Horizontal

• Minicorn

  BriteCore (2004, Springfield, $15.1M) – Software solutions for property/casualty insurance carriers.
  Market: Insurance Tech > Enablers > Back-end Solutions > Policy Administration

Analyst Picks

• Toffee (2017, Gurgaon) – Insurance distribution platform
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > Horizontal
• Evari Insure (2016, Perth) – Insurance platform for small businesses
  Market: Insurance Tech > Distribution Platforms > Commercial
• DreamQuark (2014, Paris, $3.5M) – AI-based software platform for financial services industry
  Market: Insurance Tech > Enablers > Back-end Solutions > Underwriting & Risk Management

Funding Rounds

Series F, $200M
Policybazaar (2008, Gurgaon, $363.6M) – Leading online insurance aggregator in India.
Investors: SoftBank Group

Series B, $29M
Clark (2015, Berlin, $45M) – Mobile insurance platform to manage insurance
Investors: Portag3 Ventures, White Star Capital, Coparion, Kulczyk Investments

Series C, $24M
Simplesurance (2012, Berlin, $35.5M) – Point of sale insurance solutions
Investors: Allianz X, Rheingau Founders, Rakuten

Series C, $22.5M
Beam Technologies (2012, Columbus, $33.5M) – Smart dental insurance solutions

Series C, $22M
Coverfox (2011, Mumbai, $57.1M) – Insurance aggregator and selling platform
Investors: IFC, Transamerica Ventures, Catamaran Ventures, SAIF Partners, Accel Partners, N.R.Narayana Murthy

Series A, $18M
Aqeed (2016, Dubai, $18M) – Online car insurance marketplace

Series A, $13.5M
BriteCore (2004, Springfield, $15.1M) – Software solutions for property/casualty insurance carriers.

Series A, $10M
LeaseLock (2012, Marina Del Rey, $12M) – Commercial Guarantor for rental market
Investors: Wildcat Venture Partners, American Family Ventures, Moderne Ventures, Liberty Mutual, Hivers and Strivers

Seed, $3.9M
Konsileo (2015, London, $3.9M) – Helping individual insurance brokers with technology platforms
Investors: Committed Capital

Series A
BetterView (2014, San Francisco, $2M) – Drone-based inspection for P&C insurance
Investors: Nationwide Mutual Capital

Series B
Easypolicy (2011, Noida, $6.1M) – Online selling and comparison platform for insurance
Investors: Unilazer Ventures

M&A

• Ebix Enters India’s E-Learning Markets via Acquisition of 60 Percent Stake in Smartclass Educational Services GlobeNewswire
• Unilazer Ventures ups stake in EasyPolicy to 70%, co may raise additional Rs 150 CrIndiatimes
• Connecture, Inc. Completes Take-Private Acquisition by Francisco Partners GlobeNewswire
• Symbility Solutions Completes Agreement to Sell its Symbility Health Division PR Newswire

IPO

• Octo Telematics’ Execs to Buy 20% of Russian Shareholder Stake, Paving Way for IPOInsurance Journal

New Product Announcement

• CCC Introduces AI Damage Detection and Heat Maps to Aid Customer CommunicationCollisionWeek
• Verisk Launches API for Mozart Form Composer GlobeNewswire
• CoverWallet Expands its Innovative Insurtech Platform to The Hanover Insurance Group Agents PR Newswire
• H2O.ai Accelerates AI Deployments for Customers with Automatic Pipelines Generated with Driverless AI PR Newswire
• miEdge Property & Casualty Goes Mobile Business PR News
• CLARA analytics Launches ‘CLARA litigation’ at RIMS 2018 Business Wire
• Majesco Launches Majesco Digital1st Insurance, an Innovative Next Generation Platform Solution as the Foundation of a New Business Unit Business Wire
• Clover Health Launches New In-Home Primary Care Program Supported by Genomic Testing Capabilities PR Newswire
• Zipari Launches Mobile App to Enhance Customer Experience with Health InsurersBusiness Wire
• Askarvi Enters Motor Insurance Segment; Offers the Plans Through Mobile Chat FeatureStartup Success Stories
• Meteo Protect develops parametric solution following French floods Reinsurance News
• Cavirin Hybrid Cloud CyberPosture Intelligence Released DEVOPSdigest

New Geo Entry

• CoverWallet to open in Brighton, creating 100 jobs Rochester Business Journal
  

Business Partnership

• Sempre Health and Novo Nordisk Partner to Improve Medication Costs for Patients With Diabetes BioSpace
• Sapiens to Enrich Digital Engagement Platform Through Partnership With EasySend PR Newswire
• Hyundai Joins the Verisk Data Exchange Citybizlist
• Guidewire Software Announces Prelude Software as a New Solution Partner Business Wire
• Roomi Announces Partnership With Lemonade So Users Can Easily Buy Renter Insurance PR Newswire
• Hellas Direct and Revolut join forces to revolutionize the insurance industry in Greece and Cyprus PR Newswire
• TrueMotion Partners with INRIX to Deliver Contextual Driving Data to Auto InsurersPRWeb
• Tokio Marine Kiln Forms Strategic Agreement with Australian Insurtech Firm EvariInsurance Journal
• InsureSign Partners with HawkSoft Agency Management System to Offer Integrated e-Signature Service HITECH news articles
• US Bank streamlines automated insurance payment process with Enservio Finextra
• HDI Sigorta Selects the Sapiens Non-Life/General Insurance Suite PressReleasePoint
• Symbility and HOVER Collaborate to Reduce Claims Adjusting Costs and Decrease Cycle Times PR Newswire
• InsureSign Announces Integration with Partner XE Agency Management System Business PR News

Earnings Release

• Sapiens Reports First Quarter 2018 Financial Results PR Newswire
  

New Feature Release

• Linedata launches enhanced fund accounting platform PressReleasePoint

Key People Movement

• Kirstin Marr Appointed to President of Valen Analytics Business Wire

Award

• IMGlobal.com Announced as Website of the Year PR Newswire

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

Ayoga (2016, Bangalore), cloud-based collaboration platform for project management, Co-Founder is Ex  Coordinate Systems, Four Dimension Technologies, DesignSense and alumnus of National Institute of Technology Calicut. Local comparables are Buildtrek (2017, India) and Nesso (2016, Mumbai). Global comparables are Procore (2003, Carpinteria, $181M) and Viewpoint (1976, Portland, $86M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Thryve Digital (2016, Chennai), provider of technology solutions and services for health care, raises $1.4M in funding led by PivotNorth Capital, Unilever Ventures, Darling Ventures, Candela Paramount, Abstract Ventures and Joyance Partners. Link

Knudge me (2016, Mumbai), adaptive micro learning platform, raises undisclosed amount of funding led by Indian Angel Network, Axilor Ventures. Link

PayMate (2006, Mumbai), B2B Payments platform, acquires Z2P Technologies (2016, Bhopal), P2P lending platform for availing micro loans, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Quantiguous Solutions (2014, Mumbai), provider of solutions for machine-to-machine interactions via APIs and human-to-machine interactions on mobile devices, has been acquired by Deutsche Bank (1870, Frankfurt), provider of quality banking products and service, for an undisclosed amount. Link

Flipkart (2007, Bangalore), online horizontal marketplace, partners with Mobiistar, Vietnam-based handset brand, to enter India to offer shoppers with a range of smartphones, across segments. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Orbs (2017, Tel Aviv), blockchain-as-a-Service provider, raises $118M in funding led by undisclosed investors. Link

Saildrone (2014, Alameda), manufacturer of wind and solar powered unmanned surface vehicle, raises $60M in Series B round of funding led by Horizons Ventures, with participation from existing investors Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, Lux Capital, Social Capital and The Schmidt Family Foundation. Link

Vesper MEMS (2009, Boston), provider of Piezoelectric  MEMS microphones, raises $23M in Series B round of  funding led by American Family Ventures, with participation from Accomplice, Amazon Alexa Fund, Baidu, Bose Ventures, Hyperplane, Sands Capital, Shure, Synaptics, ZZ Capital. Link

Minute Media (2011, Tel Aviv), sports media and technology company, raises $17M in Series F round of  funding led by Goldman Sachs and Vintage Investment Partners, as well as existing investors Battery Ventures, Dawn Capital and Qumra Capital. Link

Metawave (2017, Palo Alto), smart radar and 5G antenna systems provider, raises $10M in funding led by Denso, Toyota AI Ventures, Hyundai Motor Company and Asahi Glass, Motus Ventures, Khosla Ventures, Autotech Ventures, Bold Capital, SAIC Capital, Western Technology Investment and Alrai Capital. Link

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

INTERESTING STARTUPS

AgSmartic (2017, Noida), AI based platform to use collected data for precision agriculture, Co-Founder is Ex-Fortuna Infotech, Sify Technologies, NIIT Technologies and alumnus of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University. Local comparables are Cultyvate (2014, Bangalore) and SenseWave (2017, Delhi). Global comparables are The Climate (2006, SF, $109M) and Prospera (2013, Tel Aviv, $22M).

INDIA INTERESTING NEWS

Fairfax India, Toronto-based, investment holding company, acquires 6% Interest in Bangalore International Airport Limited (2004, Bangalore), International airport located in Bangalore, from Siemens (1847, Munich), Manufactures and sells electronic and communications components, for $67M. Link

Gammon Infrastructure Projects Limited (2001, India), infrastructure project development company, sells 18% stake to ICICI Bank (1994, Mumbai), private sector bank, for an undisclosed amount. Link

MarketsandMarkets (2001, Pune), market research and consulting company, launches enhanced version of its interactive market intelligence platform, knowledge store. Link

GetNatty (2016, Vadodara), online marketplace for fashion designers, launches fashion e-commerce platform GetNatty.com for new-age and startup designers. Link

GLOBAL ROUNDUP

Lulus (1996, Chico), online platform for chic and on-trend fashion, raises $120M in funding led by IVP and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Link

Good Eggs (2011, SF), online marketplace for local farmers and food-makers, raises $50M in Series C round of funding led by Benchmark, with participation from existing investors Index Ventures, Obvious Ventures, S2G Ventures, DNS Capital, Uprising and Collaborative Fund. Link

KELA (2009, Tel Aviv), provider of cyber intelligence and security consulting service, raises $50M in equity investment from San Francisco-based Vector Capital.  Link

Parsable (2013, San Francisco), developer of collaboration software solution for industrial field workers, raises $40M in Series C round of funding led by Future Fund, with participation from Airbus, Saudi Aramco and B37 Ventures. Link

Aircall (2014, Paris), provider of call center software, raises $29M in Series B round of funding led by Draper Esprit with participation from Balderton Capital, NextWorld Capital, eFounders and Newfund. Link

Plastiq (2012, Boston), online platform allows consumers to use their credit cards for payments, raises $27M in funding led by Atlas Venture, Khosla Ventures and Top Tier Capital Capital Partners. Link