Funding
SoftBank has invested $250 million into GrabTaxi, a Singapore-based taxi booking application. GrabTaxi currently operates in 17 cities across 6 countries in Southeast Asia and will aim to expand further in the region following this funding round. The investment from SoftBank makes the Japanese company the largest investor in GrabTaxi. “In two short years, GrabTaxi has become the dominant player in Southeast Asia’s mobile taxi booking industry, which is a testament to Anthony’s outstanding leadership. We look forward to working with his talented team and supporting GrabTaxi’s further expansion in the region,” said Nikesh Arora, Vice Chairman of SoftBank Corp.
Series B
Internet security company ThreatStream has raised $22 million in Series B funding led by General Catalyst Partners. Previous investors Google Ventures and Paladin Capital Group joined new investor Institutional Venture Partners in the round. ThreatStream provides an intelligence platform which identifies and shares cyber threats. The company will use the funds to accelerate its growth. “Today the bad guys are winning because they are collaborating. ThreatStream is committed to providing the tools to enable companies to share threat intelligence in a practical and effective environment,” said Hugh Njemanze, CEO of ThreatStream. “The pedigree of our investors and board members, together with the experience our team has gained building successful security companies like ArcSight, makes me confident in our ability to execute and grow our business with this additional investment.”
Internet of Things software provider Zonoff has raised $31.8 million in Series B funding. The round, which was a mixture of strategic and venture investment, included Grotech Ventures and Valhalla Partners. Zonoff has now raised a total of $35.6 million and its main product, Zonoff Connected Home Software Platform, is used in Staples’ home automation solution Staples Connect. “We’re excited to reach this next milestone in our progress,” explained co-founder and CEO Mike Harris. “This investment validates our approach in building a software platform for our channel partners, who in turn, have deep and trusted ties with consumers through their brand relationship.”
Series D
Consumer loan provider AvantCredit has secured $225 million in Series D financing led by tiger Global Management and August Capital. DFJ Growth, RRE Ventures, KKR & Co. and PayPal Co-Founder, Peter Thiel also participated in the round. The company has now raised more than $300 million in equity financing and will use the latest funds to expand its loan portfolio, boost data analytics capabilities and hire new staff. “As our largest round of equity funding to date, this Series D funding represents an important endorsement of our business model and our mission to provide consumers with a new way to borrow responsibly,” said Al Goldstein, AvantCredit’s Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder. “We’re dedicated to sustaining our growth and providing our customers with a better, faster and more convenient lending experience.”