university venturing Archives - Global Venturing Review

09 May – Shopify to buy Deliverr in $2.1bn deal

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Shopify to buy Deliverr in $2.1bn deal

E-commerce platform Shopify has agreed to acquire San Francisco-based logistics services provider Deliverr for $2.1bn in cash and stocK.

Coinbase’s takeover talks with 2TM break down

Cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase’s takeover talks with Brazil-based crypto brokerage 2TM, which would have boosted Coinbase’s international expansion, have reportedly broken down.

Zepto receives $200m series D delivery

Zepto, the Indian 10-minute grocery delivery service, has raised $200m in series D funding from investors including healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente.

Porsche leads Group14’s $400m series C

Carmaker Porsche led a $400m series C round for Group14, a US-based developer of a silicon-carbon system for use in lithium-silicon batteries.

GBT reaches unicorn status with $150m series A

Greater Bay Technology (GBT), a China-based fast-charging battery technology developer incubated by automotive manufacturer GAC Group, has closed a $150m series A round.

Veza eases out of stealth

US-headquartered data security software provider Veza has publicly launched with over $110m in funding from investors including internet and technology group Alphabet.

Spotawheel drives to $105m round

Spotawheel, a Greek used car trading platform, is gearing up for expansion with a $105m funding round backed by classifieds portal operator Adevinta and insurer Uniqa.

OMass Therapeutics binds to $100m series B

OMass Therapeutics, a UK-based small molecule drug developer, raised $100m in a series B round co-led by Alphabet and pharmaceutical firm Sanofi.

Nasdaq backs Amberdata‘s $30m series B

Stock exchange operator Nasdaq, Chicago Trading Company and a number of banks backed the $30m series B round for digital asset data provider Amberdata.

HilleVax racks up $200m in its IPO

US-headquartered vaccine developer HilleVax floated on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in a $200m initial public offering enabling pharmaceutical firm Takeda to exit.

Home Depot builds $150m CVC arm

US-listed hardware retailer Home Depot has formed a $150m corporate venture capital arm to identify and support customer experience and home improvement startups.

Corporates help AFH2 reach initial close

Pharmaceutical firms Asahi Intecc, Eisai Corporation and Ohara Pharmaceutical Industries all committed to Africa Innovation & Healthcare Fund (AFH2).

“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

25 April 2022 – Deezer agrees $1.1bn reverse merger

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Deezer agrees $1.1bn reverse merger

Deezer, the France-headquartered online audio streaming service backed by multiple corporates agreed to go public through a $1.13bn reverse takeover.

Amazon produces $1bn industrial technology fund

US-headquartered e-commerce and cloud services group Amazon announced a $1bn investment vehicle that will back customer fulfilment, logistics and supply chain technology developers.

Stripe commits to carbon removal

US-based payment technology provider Stripe has committed financing to cleantech-focused venture capital fund Lowercarbon, which raised $350m.

Panasonic puts $200m more into Conductive Ventures

Japan-headquartered consumer electronics manufacturer Panasonic provided $200m in capital for US-based venture capital partner Conductive Ventures’ third fund.

Chipotle serves up $50m venture fund

Fast food chain Chipotle Mexican Grill launched a $50m corporate venture capital vehicle.

Upside Foods feeds on $400m

US-based cultivated meat producer Upside Foods completed a $400m series C round backed by multiple corporates at a valuation of over $1bn.

Tessera Therapeutics edits in $300m series C

US-based genomic drug developer Tessera Therapeutics secured over $300m in series C funding from investors including SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 .

Convoy carries through $260m

US-based trucking services marketplace Convoy secured $260m in debt and series E equity financing from investors including internet and technology group Alphabet’s growth equity arm, CapitalG.

Rapido zips to $180m series D

India-based on-demand ride provider Rapido has received $180m in a series D round led by food delivery service Swiggy at a valuation of $800m.

Foodics fulfils $170m series C order

Internet group Prosus co-led a $170m series C round for Foodics, the Saudi Arabia-based creator of a restaurant management and payment software platform.

Oyster onboards $150m in series C funding

US-based human resources software provider Oyster received $150m in series C funding from investors including corporates Salesforce, Okta, Slack, PayPal and Indeed.com at a valuation of over $1bn.

“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

18 April 2022 – Epic Games scores $2bn in corporate funding

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Epic Games scores $2bn in corporate funding

Consumer electronics group Sony and toy brand Lego’s parent company Kirkbi each invested $1bn in US-headquartered video game producer Epic Games at a $31.5bn valuation.

SoftBank to spin off Latin America fund

Internet and telecommunications group SoftBank announced it is spinning off its Latin America Fund into an independent vehicle called Upload Ventures.

Gaojing gathers $251m in series A funding

China-headquartered solar wafer producer Guangdong Gaojing Solar Energy Technology has raised $251m in a series A round featuring solar cell provider Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy and home appliance manufacturer Midea.

Voyager Innovations sails to $210m

Philippines-based financial technology app developer Voyager Innovations received $210m in a funding round led by quantitative trading firm Susquehanna International Group.

Pax8 tacks on $185m

Pax8, the US-based operator of an online marketplace for cloud software products, secured $185m in a funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 at a $1.7bn valuation.

Nord Security raises $100m in first external round

Lithuania-based internet privacy and security software provider Nord Security secured $100m from investors including media company Hubert Burda in its first external round.

Perforce pursues Puppet acquisition

Software development tool provider Perforce agreed to acquire US-based software automation technology developer Puppet for an undisclosed sum, allowing corporates Cisco, VMWare and Alphabet to exit.

Robert Bosch fires off Five acquisition

Industrial technology manufacturer Robert Bosch agreed on acquire UK-based autonomous driving technology developer Five for an undisclosed sum, providing exits for conglomerate Sistema and insurance provider Direct Line.

Northwell brings forth $100m healthcare incubator

US-based healthcare provider Northwell Health launched a healthcare company building platform called Ascertain with venture studio Aegis Ventures.

“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

11 April 2022 – AMD to pick up Pensando for $1.9bn

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AMD to pick up Pensando for $1.9bn

Semiconductor producer AMD agreed to acquire US-based edge computing technology provider Pensando in a $1.9bn deal.

Bolt ties on $1.5bn Wyre purchase

Online checkout software provider Bolt agreed to buy US-based cryptocurrency payment technology developer Wyre in a $1.5bn transaction.

ACA to land majority of BitFlyer

Private equity firm ACA Group has agreed to buy a majority stake in Japan-based cryptocurrency exchange BitFlyer for up to $370m.

Fanatics sports $1.5bn in latest round

Sporting association the National Football League has invested $320m to lead a $1.5bn funding round for US-based online sports memorabilia retailer Fanatics.

Climeworks clasps $646m

Switzerland-headquartered carbon capture technology provider Climeworks revealed it has agreed to raise $646m of equity funding from investors including reinsurance firm Swiss Re.

Near Protocol nets $350m at $10bn valuation

Blockchain deployment platform developer Near Protocol has secured $350m from investors including cryptocurrency exchange FTX’s corporate venturing arm, FTX Ventures.

Grover to grow with $330m series C

Germany-based electronics rental service Grover received $330m in debt and series C equity financing from investors including insurance provider Assurant, media company ProSiebenSat.1 and electronics manufacturer LG.

Softbank helps send $300m to Remote

SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 led a $300m series C round for Remote, a provider of remote work management tools, at a valuation of $3bn.

Fetch Rewards retrieves $240m

US-based consumer loyalty platform provider Fetch Rewards secured $240m in equity and debt from investors including SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2, mass media company TelevisaUnivision and media data provider NielsenIQ.

Binance.US rakes in $200m

Binance.US, the US-based spinoff of cryptocurrency exchange Binance, secured $200m in seed funding from investors including digital payment platform developer Circle.

SoftBank to slow investment pace

SoftBank is reportedly set to cut down its rate of investment as share prices in tech companies continue to dwindle.

“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

04 April 2022 – Instacart snips valuation to $24bn

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Instacart snips valuation to $24bn

US-based online grocery delivery service Instacart, which is backed by corporates American Express, Comcast and Amazon, is cutting its valuation from $39bn to $24bn.

GoTo gets $1.1bn in initial public offering

GoTo Group, the Indonesia-based joint venture between ride hailing platform operator Gojek and e-commerce group Tokopedia, has floated in a $1.1bn IPO.

AN2 Therapeutics prices $69m IPO

US-based lung disease therapy developer AN2 Therapeutics, which counts pharmaceutical firm Brii Biosciences as a backer, has raised $69m in an IPO.

Liberty Strategic Capital to buy Zimperium for $525m

US-based mobile security platform developer Zimperium, which counts corporates SoftBank, Telstra, Toyo Corporation and Samsung as investors, agreed to a $525m acquisition by private equity firm Liberty Strategic Capital.

LetsGetChecked to buy Veritas Genetics

At-home diagnostic test provider LetsGetChecked agreed to acquire US-based genetic testing technology developer Veritas Genetics for an undisclosed sum, providing exits for pharmaceutical firms Eli Lilly and Jiangsu Simcere Pharmaceutical.

JD Property houses $800m

E-commerce group JD.com’s real estate services subsidiary, JD Property, has raised approximately $800m in series B funding.

WeRide zooms to $400m

China-based autonomous driving technology producer WeRide has raised $400m from investors including car manufacturer GAC and industrial technology and appliance manufacturer Robert Bosch.

Soterea buckles up $204m

Insurance group Ping An has led an over $204m series B round for China-based driving safety technology provider Soterea.

Nova Labs surges to $200m series D

US-based decentralised wireless communications technology provider Helium rebranded to Nova Labs, having secured $200m in series D funding from investors including Alphabet, Goodyear, Liberty Global and Deutsche Telekom.

Deepki tracks Statkraft to raise $167m

Deepki, the creator of a software platform which tracks ESG data for the real estate sector, secured $167m in series C funding from investors including power producer Statkraft.

LayerZero Labs stacks up $135m

Canada-based blockchain technology developer LayerZero Labs secured $135m in a funding round co-led by cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

Tishman Speyer tips $100m into venture fund

US-based real estate developer Tishman Speyer has raised $100m for a property technology-focused venture capital fund.

“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

28 March 2022 – Hub Cyber Security organises $1.28bn reverse merger

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Hub Cyber Security organises $1.28bn reverse merger

Israel-based cybersecurity technology provider Hub Cyber Security agreed to a reverse merger worth $1.28bn that will allow insurance group Axa to exit

Yuga Labs pulls in $450m

Yuga Labs, the US-based creator of non-fungible token collection Bored Ape Yacht Club, secured $450m in a seed round at a post-money valuation of $4bn.

Ramp climbs to $750m round

Ramp, a US-based provider of a corporate card for controlling spending, raised $750m in debt and equity financing from investors including digital payment technology provider Stripe.

Astronomer lands $213m in series C funding

US-based data analytics software provider Astronomer secured $213m in series C funding from investors including Salesforce Ventures.

Nio Capital drives to $400m second vehicle

Nio Capital, the China-based venture capital firm co-formed by electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Nio, closed its second vehicle at about $400m.

Stellantis launches venture unit with $331m

Automotive manufacturer Stellantis has launched a $331m corporate venture capital vehicle, to invest in technology that could be applied to the automotive and mobility sectors.

OfBusiness spins off Oxyzo with $200m

Oxyzo Financial Services, the smart financing spinoff of India-headquartered material procurement and financing services provider OfBusiness, secured $200m in series A round.

Qualcomm crosses off $100m XR fund

US-headquartered semiconductor technology producer Qualcomm unveiled an investment vehicle that will provide up to $100m in funding for developers of metaverse technology.

Alphabet sends Sandbox AQ independent

Internet and technology group Alphabet is spinning off its quantum technology subsidiary, Sandbox AQ, with a nine-figure amount of funding.

Nexo executes $150m fund launch

UK-based cryptocurrency asset manager Nexo, formed a $150m corporate venture capital and M&A arm dubbed Nexo Ventures.

Slack Fund slides in $100m third fund

Slack Fund, the strategic investment vehicle formed by US-headquartered enterprise communication app developer Slack, has launched its third fund with $100m in capital.

“Funky Chunk” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

21 March 2022 – FinAccel calls off $2.5bn reverse merger

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FinAccel calls off $2.5bn reverse merger

FinAccel, a Singapore-headquartered buy now pay later service backed by corporates Singapore Telecommunications, Telkom Indonesia, Telkomsel, Naver and GMO, has scrapped a planned $2.5bn reverse merger due to unfavourable market conditions.

GoTo targets $1.1bn in initial public offering

GoTo, the Indonesia-based amalgamation of ride hailing service Gojek and e-commerce marketplace Tokopedia, plans to raise $1.06bn in an IPO on the Indonesia Stock Market.

Leapmotor looks to Hong Kong flotation possibilities

Leapmotor, the China-headquartered electric vehicle producer that counts corporates Dahua Technology, Shanghai Electric and CRRC among its investors, has filed for an IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

SoftBank sells $1bn in Coupang shares

SoftBank has divested $1bn of shares in South Korea-based, New York-listed e-commerce group Coupang.

SentinelOne to acquire Attivo

Cybersecurity technology provider SentinelOne agreed to buy US-based cybersecurity and identity protection software developer Attivo Networks for $617m in cash and stock, allowing exits for semiconductor distributor Macnica and telecommunications company Singtel.