Series A
Glooko, which allows individuals living with diabetes to track and analyze health data on their smartphones, has expanded its platform to Android devices and gained $7.1 million in funding. Investors in the Series A-1 round included Lifeforce Ventures and Samsung Venture Investment Company, as well as prior backers like The Social + Capital Partnership. Palo Alto-based Glooko (and companies like it) may flourish with the proliferation of more sophisticated wearable devices, as research indicates the industry could grow to $19 billion by 2018.
Series B
Employee benefits manager PlanSource has raised $12 million Series B from prior backers Lemhi Ventures and Timucuan Asset Management. The software company of Salt Lake City leverages a cloud-based solution for employee relations as it handles benefits, insurance exchange and more. According to IDC, spending on HR management systems reached $4.8 billion in 2012.
Forus Health, ophthalmology solutions provider, has raised Rs 50 Crore ($8.1 million) Series B from Asian Healthcare Fund, IDG Ventures India, Accel Partners and previous backers. The company, based in Bangalore, offers 3nethra technology that allows individuals inexperienced in eye care to check for five common ophthalmological health issues in less than 5 minutes — and in doing so help prevent blindness.
Funding
New York’s health insurer, Oscar, has received $30 million in funding. Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund contributed the lion’s share of funding, $25 million, while VCs like Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners and Thrive Capital contributed the other $5 million. Founded half a year ago in July of 2013, the company has reportedly achieved monster success with annualized revenues at tens of million of dollars. Timing by way of a governmental, healthcare system overhaul, has played to their favor.
CAN Capital, the New York-based loan provider to small- and medium-sized businesses, has raised $33 million from blue-chip investors including Meritech Capital Partners (which led the round) and Accel Partners. Ribbit Capital and QED Investors participated in the funding. Founded in 1998, the company has furnished $3.6 billion in funds for its customers and has doubled revenues four years running. Total small business loans for 2012 stood at $587.8 billion, according to a 2013 report by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Pittsburgh robotics developer Aethon adds $3 million more to a 2012 growth funding, now totaled at $7 million. Capital came from Mitsui USA. Aethon focuses on the healthcare space, and the company is perhaps best known for its TUG autonomous cart, capable of navigating hospitals on its own to transport supplies. Today, upwards of 400 TUG robots operate in American hospitals. Some research anticipates robotics market will expand from $1.6 billion in 2012 to $6.5 billion in 2017.
Global Founder Capital, the new investment arm of the notorious Samwer Brothers, and Redline Capital Management were among those that pumped £5 million ($8.2 million) into iwoca, the London-based money lender. All previous investors also contributed. The company gives loans to e-commerce companies in the United Kingdom. Total funding in iwoca, which debuted March of 2012, comes to about £7 million ($11.5 million).
M&A
Activist investor Elliott Management Corporation has made an unsolicited bid for San Francisco-based software company Riverbed. The hedge fund, whose stake in the company stands at roughly 10.5 percent, valued its offer at more than $3 billion, or $19 per outstanding share. Rumors of an approaching acquisition have followed Riverbed for more than a year.