Month: May 2017

 SoftBank, known for investing in ridesharing apps that aren’t Uber, has added another startup to its list. This time it’s a $100 million bet on 99, the largest ridesharing company in Brazil. Read More

from TechCrunch

 Acko is an under-the-radar startup that wants to disrupt India’s insurance industry through a digital-only model. This week it stuck its head above the parapet and announced that it has raised $30 million to get started on its bold plan. Founded by Varun Dua, the man behind insurance comparison site Coverfox, Acko is designed as a wholly digital take on insurance in India. The… Read More

from TechCrunch

 Virginia-based Appian is finally braving the public markets, after a long journey as a private company formed in the dot-com boom of 1999. Appian announced Wednesday that they priced their IPO at $12 per share, raising $75 million for the company. This is in-line with the previously proposed price range of $11 to $13. Appian provides app development software for its business and… Read More

from TechCrunch

 Have you ever taken a class at SoulCycle? Or better yet, Flywheel? Spinning has turned out to be a big business and there’s one brand that’s been gaining traction in the at-home fitness space. Peloton’s $2000 bikes have developed a cult following, mainly because of its live-streamed classes, which are offered as an added subscription and can be displayed on the bike screen.… Read More

from TechCrunch

 Bulletin, the startup that describes itself as “WeWork for retail space,” is announcing that it has raised $2.2 million in seed funding. The idea is to give businesses — particularly online brands — access to brick-and-mortar retail space without the cost or commitment of a traditional lease. Read More

from TechCrunch

 Circle Media, the company behind Circle with Disney – a device that helps parents enforce their home’s internet rules and restrictions – has raised $10 million in Series A funding, the company announced this morning. The round was led by early stage venture fund Relay Ventures. There was other private equity investment in the round, but the parties didn’t want to… Read More

from TechCrunch

 Bloomberg is today reporting the size of Softbank’s stake in Nvidia is $4 billion, for 4.9 per cent of the company, which it says would make it the fourth largest investor in the chipmaker. Read More

from TechCrunch

 Dave Asprey, the man famous for encouraging Silicon Valley execs to put butter in his special blend of coffee, has raised another $19 million to keep on doing just that. His company and lifestyle brand Bulletproof 360 claims to make coffee free of something called mycotoxins, which is, basically, mold and can make you very ill if ingested. Asprey says about 75 percent of other brands are full… Read More

from TechCrunch

 Prolific investment firm Naspers is making a push into bitcoin and financial services after it backed Philippines-based startup Coins.ph to the tune of $5 million. Coins is focused on offering financial services for the unbanked in the Philippines and Thailand. It uses the blockchain as its underlying technology to facilitate transfers and remittances. It announced the new funding —… Read More

from TechCrunch

 DocPlanner, the European online booking platform for healthcare appointments, has raised €15 million in Series D funding, just ten months after announcing a larger Series C round of $20 million (~€18m). Leading the round is existing investors Enern Investments, and Target Global, in addition to London-based One Peak Partners. Read More

from TechCrunch