Seed
Chicago-based startup Konekt has raised $1.3 million from among others NextView Ventures to leverage cell phone networks, instead of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, for the purpose of IoT connectivity.
Series A
The Highland Capital Partners Consumer Fund is leading the $13 million Series A for Paint Nite, a nightly group painting workshop with over 135 locations worldwide. The company self-reported over $50 million in revenue last year. “We allow restaurants to connect with local artisans to turn what’s typically an empty function room on a slow night of the week into a revenue generating space for the artist and the restaurant,” explained founder Sean McGrail.
Astroscale, a space debris removal company based in Singapore, has received $7.7 million from JAFCO Asia, Misletoe, and a host of angel investors. The company was founded by the Japanese entrepreneur Mitsunobu Okada.
DriverUp, until now operating in stealth mode, has raised $50 million from Emerald Development Managers and RRE Ventures to give consumers access to an alternative lending platform for new and used cars.
Another peer-to-peer platform, NoBroker, has raised $3 million from SAIF Ventures and Fulcrum Ventures. The Bangalore, India-based company is looking to connect buyers with sellers of homes and to exclude real estate brokers from the process.
Series C
The on-demand delivery service Postmates has secured $35 million in financing from Spark Capital at a valuation somewhere between $150 and $200 million, to bring total funding to $58 million. Currently operational in 60 markets, the four year old San Francisco-based company recently surpassed the 1 million delivery mark. The financing announcement comes on the heels of Amazon’s introduction of its Prime Now service in New York, which promises delivery in one hour or less, and the increased traction of WunWun, an on-demand service looking to undercut Postmates on price.