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Global Trends
Global VC investments for 2015 have already passed 2014, but seed stage continues to fall
While the latest numbers on global venture capital investments are mostly cheerful, they also hint at trouble on the
horizon. According to the Q3 venture capital report released by CB Insights and KPMG, US$37.6 billion was raised
in 1,799 deals. Thats compared to US$20.6 billion across 1,977 deals for the same period a year ago. Overall,
global funding of VC-backed companies hit US$98.4 billion for the first nine months of 2015, compared to US$88.7
billion in all of 2014. But, at the current rate, the report projects that the total number of deals will fall short of last
year. In other words, the biggest companies are getting even bigger deals. But if youre looking for that initial funding,
things are getting tougher. The report noted that the number of mega-rounds
(more than US$100 million) hit 170 in
2015, including 68 in the third quarter. That is compared to just 28 in the same quarter a year ago. The result, of
course, is more and more unicorns. In the last quarter, there were 23 new unicorns minted globally.
How subscription video on-demand services like Netflix are contributing to the demise of pay-TV
The way viewers are watching TV is rapidly evolving. Every year, more viewers are ditching their expensive pay-TV
subscriptions and opting instead for subscription video on-demand (SVOD) services like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon
Video, as well as premium services from HBO and Showtime. Whereas video streaming services have found favor
with younger viewers in particular, an increasing portion of older subscribers also are leaving behind their pay-TV
packages. Still, younger viewers watch four times as much video content online than older viewers. Netflix is the
largest SVOD service and will continue to dominate the industry with an impressive original content lineup and
aggressive expansion plans. Amazon is trying to compete with Netflix by investing significant resources in original
content. Hulu is the third-largest SVOD service, but the only one to offer ad-supported membership tiers. Hulu has
been the slowest to roll out original and exclusive content, but it has inked numerous deals in the past year to boost
its content library. Pay-TV companies are responding to the rise of SVOD services by offering subscribers "skinny
bundles" and their own streaming services.
Asia Pacific
China
Smart Bike Startup Yunmake Gets Series A From Xiaomi Founders Investment Firm
Yunmake, a Hangzhou-based smart bike maker, has raised a Series A led by Shunwei Capital, the investment firm
led by Xiaomi chief executive officer Lei Jun. The company did not reveal the precise amount, but an article posted
to Yunmake founder and CEO Qiu Yiwus Weibo said that the round is worth tens of millions of RMB
(10 million
RMB is equal to about US$1.6 million). Other participants include Foxconn, Qualcomm, ZhenFund, Ricebank, and
Yinxinggu Capital. Shunwei and Ricebank are both returning investors, having contributed to Yunmakes angel
round last year. Yunmake makes foldable electric bikes, like the X1, that are battery-powered and connected to an
app. While a Xiaomi representative declined to comment on potential collaborations with Yunmake, Shunweis (and,
by extension, Lei Juns) interest in the company is notable because Xiaomi is busy building a hardware ecosystem
that extends beyond its smartphones.
Alibaba To Buy Out Chinese Video Site Youku Tudou In US$3.5 Billion Deal
Alibaba, the New York Stock Exchange-listed Chinese e-commerce giant, is getting into video in a major way, after it
announced plans to buy out Youku Tudou, one of Chinas top YouTube-like services, in an all cash deal. Alibaba
previously spent US$1.22 billion on an 18.3 percent stake in the video firm, which claims to serve 580 million users
each month. Youkus market cap is US$3.8 billion, and Alibaba intends to pay US$26.60 per share
a decent
markup on the most recent closing share price of US$20.43. Alibaba confirmed on an analyst call that, taking into
account the cash on Youkus books, its total offering is worth around US$3.5 billion. If the acquisition is a success,
Alibaba intends to take Youku private, according to a filing. Youku chairman and CEO Victor Koo will remain at the
helm of the company. While Koo and other founding shareholders have given their blessing to the proposed deal, it
is still subject to shareholder approval.
Uber may have a new rival in China, as Yidao Yongche to raise US$700M
Beijing (Paul Carste for Reuters) China ride-hailing app Yidao Yongche said that a unit of Beijing-based
technology company LeTV has agreed to invest US$700 million in the firm in return for a 70 percent stake. LeTV,
which includes Shenzhen-listed Leshi Internet Information and Technology Corp Beijing, said it would acquire the
stake, becoming the controlling shareholder, without disclosing the size of its investment. The market is fiercely
competitive, with billions of dollars being invested to lure in riders with steep discounts and to subsidise the money
earned by drivers. Yidao Yongche is a struggling company, facing up against larger, better-funded rivals like
domestic ride-hailing market leader Didi Kuaidi, which is backed by Alibaba Group and Tencent among others, and
U.S. firm Uber. The deal is part of LeTVs expansion into the vehicle market. The company, which also develops
Internet television and smartphones, said it has been working on an electric-vehicle project named super electric ecosystem since December.
Travel activities startup Klook bags series A funding ahead of Southeast Asia push
Travel activities startup Klook announced that it has bagged US$5 million in series A funding from investors including
Matrix Partners and China Growth Capital. Klook, based in Hong Kong, focuses on selling travel experiences and
packages for tourist hotspots across Asia. That means everything from tickets for attractions to bespoke offerings
like a supercar driving experience on Singapores F1 track, or a lesson in making kimchi in Seoul. Rather than doing
flights or hotels, which is already a crowded market, the team is going after a newer sector where theres no tech
giant leading the way
although lots of other startups are trying the same thing. The Klook gang is now setting up an
office in Singapore to be the regional headquarters for Southeast Asia. It already has offices in Shenzhen to cover
mainland China as well as in Taipei for the Taiwan market.
SparkLabs Global Ventures (http://www.sparklabsglobal.com) is a global seed-stage fund with partners in
Silicon Valley, Chicago, London Tel Aviv, Singapore, and Seoul.
2
Hong Kong Investor Buys 65% Of Russias Yota, Maker Of Dual-Screen Android Phones, For US$100M
Yota Devices, the Russian company that sells two-screened Android smartphones, has a new owner after
shareholder Telconet Capital sold its majority 64.9 percent holding to Hong Kong-listed REX Global Entertainment
for US$100 million, according to a regulatory filing. Yota caught the attention with a unique dual-screen smartphone
which takes aim at the increasingly homogeneous design of phones by offering an e-ink screen on its reverse. Yota
has offices in Germany, Canada, Finland, Singapore, and Russia, but it has previously said that China
where it
has locations in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen
is its most important focus. Given its interest in China, it makes
some sense that Telconet Capital is selling to an Asian investor, albeit one that doesnt have direct smartphone
experience. REX Global Entertainments business interests include cruise ships, casinos, property, and even
gamma ray irradiation services.
Korea
K-beauty startup Althea raises seed funding from 500 Startups
In the last few years, demand for Korean entertainment and beauty products has grown so much that we keep
hearing the term Korean wave. One startup riding that wave, Althea, is taking aim at the Southeast Asian market.
The ecommerce store announced it raised an undisclosed amount of seed funding from Silicon Valley venture capital
firm 500 Startups. Althea will expand beyond its home market Korea into six countries Singapore, Malaysia,
Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines, co-founder Frank Kang tells Tech in Asia. Frank is an ecommerce
veteran, having served as COO of Livingsocial Malaysia.
Japan
Japans Beenos founder Teru Sato and partner Hiro Maeda form new US$60M fund
The founder of Beenos, Teruhide Sato, who has been active in funding startups primarily in Asia recently
established a new fund called Beenext. According to Beenexts managing partner Teruhide Sato, Beenexts funding
target startups are not limited by region, business field, or funding rounds. Approaching their first close in July,
Beenexts first fund consisted of an investment plan with about 50% aimed at India, 30% to southeast Asia, and the
last 20% for Japan and America. Additionally, on September 7th, it was announced that Beenos will be investing
US$5,000,000 in Beenext. Hiro Maeda, who for a long time has been active in investments with Beenos and
acceleration programs with Open Network Lab, will take the position of partner at Beenext.
India
SparkLabs Global Ventures (http://www.sparklabsglobal.com) is a global seed-stage fund with partners in
Silicon Valley, Chicago, London Tel Aviv, Singapore, and Seoul.
3
Lookup, A Chat App That Connects Retailers And Customers In India, Raises US$2.5M
Lookup uses chat to connect users with merchants in their local area. The India-based company has raised a
US$2.5 million Series A fund from a range of top investors, including Vinod Khoslas personal fund Khosla Impact,
Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Narayana Murthys Catamaran Ventures and Global Founders Capital, the investment
fund from the Samwer brothers who founded Rocket Internet. Lookup was started last December and it has racked
up 1.2 million registered users on iOS and Android to date. Of that number, 250,000 are active each month, using
the app to connect with some 70,000 merchants that are listed across three cities: Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai.
The companys US$2.5 million Series A
which takes it to US$3 million in total financing
will be used to grow
the services footprint and develop its product.
Gaana Takes Investment From Micromax To Get Ahead In Indias Music Streaming Race
Gaana, one of a posse of music streaming services aiming to make it big in India, has enlisted the help of Micromax,
the countrys largest smartphone maker, to get ahead of the competition and reach its goal of 100 million users. The
deal will see Micromax, an Android smartphone maker that previously caught the attention of Alibabas investment
team, invest an undisclosed sum in Gaana. But, more importantly, the company will bundle Gaanas music app on
its devices. Micromax sells two million phones per month, thats exposure that could vastly increase Gaanas reach
which currently stands at 20 million active users and 30 million downloads to date. This isnt just a pre-loading
deal. Gaana is planning customized software integrations with Micromax hardware to make it more than just a
bloatware
style app that is pre-installed to the disappointment of new phone owners.
Attune Technologies Gets US$10M Series B To Expand Its Healthcare Software Beyond India
Attune Technologies, a startup that makes cloud-based software for hospitals and labs, will tackle markets outside
of India after scoring a US$10 million Series B round from Qualcomm Ventures and returning investor Norwest
Venture Partners. This is the first investment from Qualcomm Ventures
Strategic Venture Fund in India. Along with
a US$6 million Series A that Attune Technologies raised in May from Norwest and angel funding, this brings the
startups total venture funding so far to US$17 million. Founder Arvind Kumar says there is still plenty of room to
grow in India, where Attunes software currently handles 10 million patient records for 2,500 healthcare centers, but
it also plans to launch soon in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Africa.
Logistics startup Delhivery doubles down on Parcelled with US$5M series A funding
Door-to-door courier service Parcelled raised a series A round of US$5 million. The round was led by Delhivery, an
ecommerce logistics startup, and Tracxn Labs. The two also contributed an undisclosed amount toward Parcelleds
seed round. Parcelled conducts end-to-end delivery of package shipping and tracks the entire process from pickup
to delivery. It works mostly with small ecommerce businesses, ecommerce returns, and gifting. This marks its third
strategic investment after putting money into hyperlocal delivery service Opinio. Their first was in 2013 in offline
SparkLabs Global Ventures (http://www.sparklabsglobal.com) is a global seed-stage fund with partners in
Silicon Valley, Chicago, London Tel Aviv, Singapore, and Seoul.
4
Indonesia
With fresh funding, Indonesian mens fashion estore Maskoolin lives to fight another day
Mens fashion ecommerce site Maskoolin announced a pre-series A funding round of an undisclosed amount. Its
based out of Jakarta and focuses on the Indonesian market. The new capital comes from Indra Djokosoetono, an
owner and family member of Indonesias largest taxi company, Blue Bird Group. Its one of the nations highestprofile family-owned conglomerates, which recently went public on the Indonesia Stock Exchange. Maskoolin was
built in 2012 by entrepreneurs Ilham Syafrialdi, Errol Widhavian, Kristian Harahap, and Kemal Wiryawan. In February
2013, the startup grabbed seed funding from local venture capital firm Grupara.
Thailand
Golf booking app sinks funding as golf tourism booms in Thailand
Golfdigg, an app that offers last-minute golf deals in Thailand, has secured THB 23.83 million (roughly US$673,700)
in funding from telecoms group Intouch through venture capital arm, Invent. Intouch runs AIS, the top telco in
Thailand. Golfdigg allows users to book slots at golf courses across Thailand for lower rates than walk-in prices. Cofounder and CEO Bhurich Aksorntub says the app benefits local golfers as well as the growing number of golfing
holidaymakers from around the world who can now play at courses that normally exceeded their budgets. The
investment, which the startup received in full, brings its valuation to US$2.8 million, which is a a hundredfold
increase from before. Golfdigg will use the funds from Intouch to acquire new customers and for marketing activities.
Playlab unlocks US$5M funding to be top mobile gaming player in Southeast Asia
Bangkok-based mobile game development studio Playlab has secured US$5 million for its series B round. The
investment came from Southeast Asia-focused venture capital firm Monks Hill Ventures. Its the first external
investment for the game developer, which has relied on self-funding and its own revenue so far. Playlab is primarily
known for Juice Cubes, a puzzle game for iOS and Android in the vein of Candy Crush. Juice Cubes had over 20
million downloads with 1.5 million to 2 million active users per day back in May 2014. The company will use the
funding to expand its operations in Southeast Asia and to further grow its footprint in Southeast Asia, hoping to
become the go-to partner
in the region.
Vietnam
Vietnamese baby estore Taembe drinks seed funding from Swiss sippy cup
Vietnamese online retailer and marketplace Taembe announced it closed a seed funding round of US$228,000 led
by Swiss Founders Fund. The round was joined by Binh Tran, co-founder and former CTO of Klout, and Eddie Thai,
a local startup advisor who spent time working with Fortune 500 companies and an international syndicate of angel
SparkLabs Global Ventures (http://www.sparklabsglobal.com) is a global seed-stage fund with partners in
Silicon Valley, Chicago, London Tel Aviv, Singapore, and Seoul.
5
Malaysia
With US$2M funding, cosmetics marketplace Hermo to expand further in Southeast Asia
Cosmetics and skincare marketplace Hermo has raised US$2 million in series A funding from venture capital firm
Gobi Partners. Some of the money will go toward expanding into new markets beyond its home nation Malaysia and
neighboring Singapore. Hermo received the funding in full. Founded in February 2012, Hermo sells premium and
affordable beauty products for women. It features international brands, mainly Asian, and partners directly with brand
owners and distributors.
Singapore
With Vietnams biggest taxi firm as customer, fintech startup gets funding to go regional
Mobile point-of-sale (MPOS) startup SoftPay Mobile has raised US$1 million for its series A round, the company.
The round was led by Singapore-based venture capital firm Life.Sreda through its InspirAsia fintech accelerator.
SoftPay is part of the accelerators current cohort of startups. The round was also joined by an undisclosed investor.
SoftPay Mobile (not to be confused with the Hong Kong-based online marketplace for digital goods, or SoftTouchs
payment solution, or the Nigerian money transfer method) is registered in Singapore but is currently operating in
Vietnam. It provides a MPOS reader that allows businesses to accept and process credit and debit card payments,
much like US startup Square. In Vietnam, the startup works with companies such as taxi company Mai Linh Taxi,
and various smaller businesses. With this funding, the startup will staff up in order to fuel its expansion to other
Southeast Asian territories.
Online grocery startup Honestbee raises US$15M from Silicon Valley to deliver the goods
Online grocery delivery service Honestbee has raised US$15 million in a series A round. Silicon Valley investment
firm Formation 8 led the round. The round was joined by Silicon Valley venture fund Pejman Mar Ventures, an
investor in Dropbox and Lending Club, as well as Facebook, Amazon, and Google luminaries Gideon Yu, Owen Van
Natta, and Steve Chen. Honestbee provides online grocery delivery within one hour of ordering, the company claims.
It uses freelance shoppers who receive the order on their phone, purchase the groceries, and deliver them to your
door. The company has partnerships in Singapore with supermarket chains NTUC Fairprice and Cold Storage, pet
products retailer Pet Lovers Center, and specialty retailers like Gastronomia da Paolo, Crystal Wines, and Four
Seasons Organic. The company is operating in Singapore and has just announced its Hong Kong launch. Plans
include expansion to another six major cities by June 2016, it says. In the last eight months, it has staffed up to 100
people and continues to look for more hires.
Singapores HRBoss gets US$2M for cloud and big data business tools
Workforce planning analytics software startup HRBoss has announced it raised an investment round worth US$2
million. The round was led by Pacific & Orient Berhad, a Malaysia-based investment holdings and management
services company. Singapore-based HRBoss launched in 2011 and uses big data and cloud computing to power its
recruiting and workforce management software tools for businesses. The company currently operates three major
products: ATS (Applicant Tracking System) recruiting software HiringBoss, workforce management platform
EmployeeBoss, and recruitment agency software StaffingBoss. HRBoss has attracted some big-name brands to its
products, like KFC, Nissan, Fitness First, Randstad, and Changi Airport Group. Its customers also include
Singaporean government agencies such as the Monetary Authority of Singapore and the Economic Development
Board, as well as major universities.
United States
AngelList gets US$400M from Chinas CSC Venture Capital for early-stage startup investments
Optimizely raises a fresh US$58M to expand content testing platform amid rapid growth
Online testing platform Optimizely said it has raised a new US$58 million funding round, which it will use to support
its rapid growth in the web and mobile content optimization space. The San Francisco-based company has become
perhaps the best-known A/B testing platform for marketers, app developers, and publishers. Its customers use the
platform to run comparisons of various content versions they present to users. The platform then returns analytics
data showing which content worked best with various demographic groups. Its biggest customers include CNN
(which uses Optimizely to see which of its headlines work best), Crate and Barrel, Intuit, Microsoft Store, Priceline,
and Virgin America. The new Series C funding round was led by Index Ventures, with participation from Andreessen
Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Battery Ventures, Benchmark, Citi Ventures, Correlation Ventures, Danhua Capital,
Pharus Capital Management, Salesforce Ventures, and Tenaya Capital. The round brings the companys funding
total to US$146 million.
23andMe raises US$115M to grow its DNA health test technology globally
23andMe has raised a substantial US$115 million in a series E round led by Fidelity Management and Research
Company, with participation from new investors Casdin Capital, WuXi Healthcare Ventures, and Xfund, as well as
existing investors such as Google Ventures. The personal genomics and biotechnology company was founded in
2006 by Linda Avey and Anne Wojcicki, wife of Google cofounder Sergey Brin. The Mountain View, Calif.-based
company had already raised US$126 million prior to this announcement, and boasts a slew of big-name investors,
including Google, Google Ventures, Sergey Brin, and Yuri Milner. The new funds will be used to expand its
operations and maximize the potential of its direct-to-consumer product in the U.S. and abroad,
23andMe said in a
press release. The company added that it will introduce a new user experience that includes carrier status reports by
the end of 2015, alongside other new tools. The cash influx will also help it build new laboratory space for research.
Ingress maker Niantic spins off from Google and raises up to US$30M from Pokmon and Nintendo
Niantic, the Google-spawned company that created the popular mobile game Ingress, is spinning out on its own. It
has raised up to US$30 million from Nintendo, the Pokmon Company Group, and Google. Niantic makes realworld games,
or mobile titles that mix virtual gameplay with locations in the real world. Niantic has teamed up with
Nintendo and the Pokmon Company to create Pokmon Go, where you can hunt for classic animated characters in
real-world locations using your phone or a new device from Nintendo dubbed the Pokmon Go Plus. The deal is one
of the most significant game company investments of the year, and it gives Niantic some very powerful allies. Also,
the game will be one of the first to take Nintendos brands, which have been locked on Nintendo hardware in the
past, into the new world of smartphones. As such, it is a strategic bet by Nintendo and The Pokmon Company to
broaden their reach to the new audiences on mobile, which reaches more than a billion gamers. The new funding will
be used to develop Pokmon Go, which is expected to debut on iOS and Google Play in 2016.
OpenGov raises US$25M from Andreessen and others at US$100M+ valuation, Marc joins board
OpenGov, aiming to transform how governments analyze and share financial data, has closed an oversubscribed
US$25 million round from top-tier VC firms. The raise values the company worth of US$100 million, an individual
familiar with the matter said. Andreessen Horowitz, Thrive Capital, Ashton Kutchers Sound Ventures, and Intuits
Scott Cook, among others, participated in the round. With the new funds, Marc Andreessen will join the companys
board. Going forward, OpenGov plans to expand its staff and user-base. Prior to this round, the company had raised
more than US$19 million
US$22 million according to crowdsourced data on CrunchBase.
Ensighten raises US$53M to help companies manage sea of marketing data, vendors
The whole idea behind the Ensighten platform is to provide an open marketing platform
where its client companies
can pull in many different kinds of first- and third-party personalization and targeting data. The company has also
launched a real-time mobile app optimization and deployment platform, which is designed to help developers and
brands amp up in-app purchases. Ensighten has some big customers, including Microsoft, HP, Home Depot, CDW,
E-Trade, Fidelity, TD Bank, Symantec, and Viacom. And its signed up some big customers just this year, too,
including Delta, Citibank, Coca-Cola, Colgate-Palmolive, Nationwide, PayPal, and SunTrust Bank. The new funding
round, a combination of debt and equity, totals US$53 million, bringing the companys funding total up to US$108.5
million. The round was led by existing investors Insight Venture Partners, Lead Edge Capital, Mack Capital, and
Volition Capital, with Silicon Valley Bank participating.
Former Google exec raises US$28M to start shipping his smart payment terminals
Last year, Osama Bedier, former Google Wallet head and chief executive of Poynt, introduced what he deemed the
future of payment terminals: a developer-friendly payment point of sale that accepts everything from Apple Pay to
Samsung Pay, Android Pay, and chip-based credit cards. To deliver on the promise of the new payment terminal,
Poynt needs to ramp up manufacturing. The company is announcing a series B round of US$28 million to help it
build and ship terminals before the year is out. Growth equity fund Oak HC/FT led the round. Stanford-StartX Fund,
Matrix Partners, Webb Investment Network, and Nyca Partners also contributed.
Uber is raising another US$1 billion and could soon be worth US$70 billion
Uber is raising another US$1 billion in new venture-capital financing in a deal that would value the car-hailing startup
at between US$60 billion and US$70 billion. This round would come just three months after Uber raised US$1 billion
for its China branch. It would also be Uber's eighth round in five years. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said that the
company was "nowhere near" going public. Those remarks came after Bill Gurley, superstar venture investor and
Uber board member, warned startups not to stay private for too long. Uber is already said to be valued at more than
US$50 billion, making it higher than Facebook's valuation at its last private round in 2011.
Flex Logix raises US$7.4M to commercialize its clever flexible chip designs
Semiconductor startup Flex Logix Technologies has raised US$7.4 million to commercialize its technology for
designing flexible semiconductor chips. Mountain View, California-based Flex Logix has come up with a way to
design cores for field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that allows a chip to change its identity, even after it has
been shipped. The financing round was led by dedicated hardware fund Eclipse Ventures (formerly the Formation 8
hardware fund) and included participation from founding investors Lux Capital and the Tate Family Trust. Shirish
Sathaye of Formation 8 will join the Flex Logix board of directors.
Deep learning startup Enlitic raises US$10M from radiology company Capitol Health
Enlitic, a startup using a type of artificial intelligence called deep learning to help radiologists do a better job of
understanding medical images, announced a US$10 million round of funding. The money comes from Capitol Health
Limited, a publicly traded company that provides diagnostic imaging services in clinics across Australia. Deep
learning involves training artificial neural networks on large quantities of data
like several medical images
and
then getting them to provide inferences about new data. Other startups offer deep learning tools, including Clarifai,
Ersatz Labs, Metamind, Nervana Systems, and Skymind. To date Enlitic has raised US$15 million, including the
US$2 million seed round announced last year.
This high-tech circus act just scored US$6.5 million in funding from Intel and Techstars
The modern traveling technological spectacle known as Two Bit Circus has scored US$6.5 million dollars in Series A
funding. The group of investors, which include Intel Capital, were lead by Techstars Ventures and Foundry Group.
Two Bit Circus is part performance art, part gadget symposium, a roaming exhibit that takes advantage of modern
technology, science, and interactivity and morphs it into a live storytelling and educational experience. One of the
groups major projects under the Two Bit Circus umbrella, the Steam Carnival, has a gaming and virtual reality focus.
A major focus of this round of funding will be to push the Steam Carnival concept into a national brand, while also
bolstering its virtual reality and game development resources.
Europe
Frances Doctolib raises US$20.5M from Accel and BlaBlaCar founder to fuel European expansion
Doctolib, the Paris-based startup that helps patients find doctors and schedule appointments, has raised US$20.5
million to help it expand into six new European countries. Since launching, Doctolib has signed up 5,000 doctors and
100 clinics and is being used by 2 million patients every month. Stanislas Niox-Chateau, the companys cofounder
and current chief executive, said Doctolib wants to consolidate is leadership in France, as well as launch across
Europe, with Germany, Spain and Italy high on the list of targets. In addition to fueling new growth, the latest
investment demonstrates the kind of maturity that Frances boosters hope to see more of from its growing startup
economy.
Highland Europe Raises New US$379M(332M) Fund To Fill The US$11M-33M(10-30M) Growth Gap
Highland Europe, which pitches itself as a growth-stage
technology investor, has raised a new 332 million
(~US$379m) tech fund. Highland Europe Technology Growth II
will target startups in the internet, mobile and
software space and who are at the venture and growth-stage
with investments between 10m and 30m(US$11M33M). The partners aim to back sector-leading companies addressing large market opportunities either on a panEurope basis or globally,
says the London and Geneva based VC. Meanwhile, the VC firms Highland Europe
Technology Growth I
fund, which launched in 2012, has invested in 15 technology companies to date. These are
WeTransfer, AMCS, GetYourGuide, Outfittery, SocialPoint, Finanzcheck, TalentSoft, eGym, Intersec,
NewVoiceMedia, Brandwatch, Matches Fashion, Jampp, LoveCrafts, and Malwarebytes.
Mobile App Intelligence And Analytics Startup Adjust Closes US$17M Round Led By Highland Europe
Highland Europe has led a US$17 million round in mobile app intelligence and analytics startup Adjust. This brings
total funding since being founded in 2012 to US$30 million. The Berlin-headquartered company (formerly known as
Adeven)
which has additional offices in San Francisco, Istanbul, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo and Sydney
offers
an open source SDK that enables app developers to track and analyse things like user acquisition, feature releases,
and user lifetime cohorts. That data can then be used to better market their wares to users. Adjust says it will use the
new capital to accelerate its product expansion, and further develop its ability to filter out fraudulent traffic, and
support user-friendly advertising practices and privacy protection in mobile marketing.
Naspers Buys Majority Stake In Russian Classifieds Site Avito For US$1.2B
Naspers, the South African conglomerate that invested in Chinas Tencent among others, is upping its stake in
Russia-based Avito, the third largest classifieds site in the world, by way of a US$1.2 billion investment. The firm
announced that it will increase its existing 17.4 percent ownership to a majority 67.9 holding through the acquisition
of shares from existing investors. Avito claims more than 35 million monthly visitors, with over half of its traffic
coming from mobile devices. The site, which has 32 million active listings and adds 500,000 new ones each day,
supercharged its presence in Russia when it merged with Slando.ru and OLX.ru
two Naspers-backed rivals
in
2013. Naspers said this news will bolster its online classifieds business, which includes OLX in South America and
Israel
Music Download Site eMusic Gets Acquired Again, This Time By Israeli Media Startup TriPlay
Yet more consolidation afoot in the world of digital music, and a new chapter for eMusic, one of the very first sites
that let you download music in the form of MP3 files. The company has been acquired by TriPlay, a startup based
out of Israel and NYC that operates various online media services, including MyMusicCloud. The companies say that
the deal was a mix of cash and stock, with eMusic employees and services both coming over in the deal. eMusic has
been around since 1998, and it was once one of the more popular digital music sites around. TriPlay, based in New
York and Israel, is backed by US$16 million, including raising US$11 million from the Fortress Group earlier this
year, and US$5 million led by Kazakh oligarch Kenges Rakishev, who also invested in Mobli and other startups.
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed but we understand from sources that the deal is under US$26 million
less than the last publicly-disclosed price paid by Vivendi when eMusic acquired it in 2001.