Dragos Scores $74M, Softbank Leads Mapbox's $280M Round, & Animoca Brand Raises $20M for NFT Collection
September 19, 2023's biggest news in the private markets.
Dragos: The seven-year-old startup based in Hanover, Md., specializing in industrial control systems security software, recently closed a substantial $74 million Series D extension round, achieving a valuation of $1.7 billion. WestCap led the deal, bringing the company's total funding to $440 million.
Mapbox: The San Francisco-based location-mapping company, whose software powers in-car navigation systems for major automakers like Toyota, BMW, and General Motors, is reportedly in the process of securing a $280 million funding round led by SoftBank. This investment aligns with SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son's commitment to a strategic AI push.
Writer: The three-year-old San Francisco startup, utilizing Language Models (LLMs) trained on extensive online text datasets to enhance corporate content creation, recently closed a substantial $100 million Series B round at a valuation exceeding $500 million. Iconiq led the round, with participation from WndrCo, Balderton Capital, Insight Partners, Aspect Ventures, Accenture, and Vanguard Group.
Animoca Brands: The company recently raised $20 million in funding, primarily led by CMCC Global, and included investors such as Kingsway Capital, Liberty City Ventures, and GameFi Ventures. These funds will support Mocaverse, the company's NFT collection.
Bastion: This startup, founded by former executives from Andreessen's crypto division, emerged from stealth mode with an impressive seed fund round worth $25 million. a16z crypto led the round, with participation from Nomura Group's Laser Digital Ventures, Robot Ventures, and crypto influencer Packy McCormick's Not Boring Capital, among others.
Boxbot: The Oakland-based startup, operating for six years and specializing in warehouse technology for efficient box movement, successfully raised $12 million in a Series A round. Playground Global led the round, with Maersk Growth, Toyota Ventures, Pear Ventures, and Artiman Ventures also participating. The company's total funding now stands at $29.5 million.
Betterleap: The three-year-old San Francisco startup, leveraging generative AI for streamlined candidate matching in recruitment, recently secured a $13 million seed round co-led by Andreessen Horowitz and Peakstate Ventures. Additional contributions came from Streamlined Ventures, Active Capital, Air Angels, and Stipple Capital.
Broken String Biosciences: A Cambridge-based startup, focusing on accelerating the development of safer cell and gene therapies, completed a $15 million Series A round co-led by Illumina Ventures and Mérieux Equity Partners. Tencent and Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures, alongside HERAN Partners, also participated.
Fipto: The Paris startup, with a focus on corporate treasury management and international payments utilizing blockchain technology, secured a $15.9 million seed round led by Serena Capital, with Motier Ventures contributing. The company's total funding now stands at $16.1 million.
Levelpath: The one-year-old San Francisco startup, providing "mobile-first" procurement software to large enterprises, announced a $30 million Series A round led by Redpoint Ventures. Benchmark led a previous round with participation from NewView Capital and World Innovation Lab, bringing the total raised to $44.5 million.
Metaloop: The seven-year-old company based in Graz, Austria, connecting scrap metal sellers with buyers, recently announced a €16 million ($17 million) Series A round led by FirstMark Capital. FJ Labs, Statkraft Ventures, and Silence VC also participated.
Mottu: The São Paulo-based startup, providing motorcycle rentals and delivery couriers for various businesses, completed a $50 million Series C round co-led by QED Investors and Bicycle Capital. Endeavor Catalyst and Caravela also participated, bringing the total funding to $112 million.
Plan A: The Berlin-based carbon accounting and ESG reporting platform for corporations secured $27 million in a Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. This funding will further support the company's mission to facilitate sustainable practices in the corporate world.
Stoïk: The France-based startup offering cyber insurance solutions to small and medium-sized companies recently raised $10.7 million (€10 million) in funding. Munich Re Ventures, the corporate venture fund of Munich Re, led the round, with Opera Tech Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Alven, and others participating.
Tamnoon: The one-year-old cybersecurity startup based in Sammamish, Wa., specializing in cloud risk remediation, successfully raised a $5.1 million seed round. The round was co-led by Merlin Ventures and Secret Chord Ventures, with participation from Elron Ventures, Inner Loop Capital, and toDAy Ventures.
ZeroAvia: The six-year-old startup located in Hollister, Ca., pioneering hydrogen-electric propulsion systems for aircraft, recently secured a significant round of funding led by Airbus, Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital, and NEOM. This round included participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Horizons Ventures, Alaska Airlines, Ecosystem Integrity Fund, Summa Equity, AP Ventures, and Amazon Climate Pledge Fund.
Blockchain Capital: The Bay Area-based crypto-focused venture firm announced two new crypto funds - one with $380 million targeting pre-seed and Series A rounds and another $200 million fund focused on late-stage opportunities in the crypto space.
Lowercarbon Capital: Chris Sacca's venture firm, dedicated to climate tech startups, successfully raised over $550 million for two new venture funds. These funds will play a crucial role in advancing innovative solutions to address climate challenges.
FMR: The parent company of Fidelity Investments is backing a new venture fund with a unique focus on spices, vegan vitamins, and skincare. Unfold Ventures, supported by FMR, already invested in health, wellness, and beauty startups during its quiet year-long pre-launch period. The majority of the fund's assets remain uninvested.
Instacart: The grocery delivery company has priced its shares at $30, leading to a valuation of $10 billion as it prepares for its public debut on NASDAQ under the ticker "CART." This IPO marks a significant milestone for the company, representing approximately one quarter of its peak private market valuation of $39 billion in 2021.