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Jack Leeney, US head of investing for Telefonica Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of the eponymous Spain-based phone operator, has left after nearly five years at the firm in order to be a partner at SP Global Capital.
Microsoft Ventures has hired Leo de Luna, previously a principal at venture capital firm Split Rock Partners, as managing director to cover California’s Bay area and New York; Rashmi Gopinath, previously an investment director at Intel Capital, as an investing partner covering enterprise software investments in the Bay area; Lisa Nelson, previously chief of staff to the head of business development and the chief financial officer at Microsoft, as a partner; and Priya Saiprasad, previously part of financial services startup Square’s corporate development team, as a principal.
Mérieux Développement has appointed Jean-François Billet, Daniel Fero and Benoit Pierret as it expands its investment capabilities in Europe and the US.
Funds
Canada could start a second funds of venture capital funds (FoF) support programme in its next federal budget allied to support for corporate venturing.
The government-backed European Investment Fund (EIF) has set up a collaboration with national promotional institutions (NPIs) or banks (NPBs) across European Union (EU) member states, with one of its first initiatives expected to be a venture capital coinvestment programme with the Netherlands, according to an attendee.
Baidu, the internet company has added another fund, the $60m Easterly Ventures, to its arsenal. This latest vehicle will focus on Brazil-based technology startups.
Line, the messaging app spun out of Naver, has joined forces with its parent company to put $112m in a fund being raised by Korelya Capital – both companies providing $62m.
ServiceNow has set up an investment division dubbed ServiceNow Ventures and launched a competition to award a total of $500,000 to startups.
Havas, the France-based advertising and PR firm, will provide capital and consulting to Australian startups.
Wayra joins UK government for cybersecurity accelerator
The Telefónica subsidiary will establish the accelerator initiative
Daimler’s Startup Autobahn accelerator reaches Singapore
The scheme, initiated in Stuttgart last year, will be replicated in Singapore in partnership with NUS
Nationwide Children’s Hospital partners Rev1 for $5.5m fund
The healthcare system has joined venture capital firm Rev1 Ventures for a unit that will invest in life sciences
Exits
One of the companies that was expected to list back in January after filing for a $200m IPO at the backend of last year was Nutanix, an enterprise cloud company backed by Sapphire Ventures, the VC firm spun out of SAP. Market conditions turned out to be less than favourable then, but the company has now finally moved ahead valuing the company at $4bn.
Nokia exits Gridsum in $87m IPO
Nokia gets out of Intermedia in MDP acquisition
One97 comes to the rescue as EduKart crashes
SoundCloud, a music streaming service popular with independent artists, is reportedly in acquisition talks again. This time it’s not Twitter, which discussed such plans in 2014 but withdrew that same year before injecting $70m in series E capital a few months ago, but Spotify.
Investments
Another maybe deal but Wal-Mart enters talks to drive $1bn Flipkart investment
FIH Mobile subsidiary has contributed $125m to Tink’s funding round, a company that partners hotels and puts smartphones in rooms that are free to use for guests.
Didi Chuxing enters Ofo’s funding cycle
Online sales technology developer Apttus, backed by Salesforce Ventures, has welcomed back sovereign wealth fund Kuwait Investment Authority for an $88m series D round that put the company’s total equity at $274m.
Bloomberg helps ship $65m to Flexport
Xiaochuan Chuhai does its series B homework
Merck Ventures takes a ride on iOMX
Line seasons $45m Snow investment
Shape Security fits $40m into series D
Instacart consumes Whole Foods funding
NS1 directs $20m to series B
Eli Lilly breaches Fortis in $18m series A
University Corner
GE and Allied Minds study collaboration
Government Department
Druva drives $51m series E
“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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