Startup Roundup: Who’s Getting Funded?

04 March 2014

Here’s our Startup Roundup: a (close-to-) comprehensive list of each of the startup companies in payments and/or e-commerce to receive at least $1 million in funding from equity investors in 2014. We’ll update this list regularly, with funding dates, amounts, and quick company bios. Missing someone? Tell us in the comments!

Wickr – March 3, 2014 – $9 Million

Wickr, developer of a self-deleting message app, has announced $9 million in new funding.

Wickr’s service allows users to transmit images, video and text to the company’s app-owners, VentureBeat reported on March 3 . Once the message has been viewed, it deletes itself.

The Series A round was led by Aslop Louie. Gilman Louie, Thor Halvorssen, Knight Foundation, Juniper Networks, and former CIA cybersecurity czar Richard Clarke were among those who also took part in the round.

Clarke is leading a 90-minute panel at The Innovation Project 2014 about cybersecurity, technology and more – learn about this upcoming discussion by clicking here.

Top10 – March 3, $8 Million

A travel recommendation startup, Top10, has announced $8 million in Series B funding.

Consumers can use Top10 to find hotels based on reviews and ratings aggregated from a number of popular online travel tools like Expedia and LateRooms.
Balderton Capital led the round, Travolution reported on March 3.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Balderton Capital and our existing investors to help us build a better way to book the right hotel,” Top10 co-founder and CEO Tom Leathes said in a statement. “Hotel booking and travel review sites contain an overwhelming amount of information.”

Pango – February 27, $6.5 Million

Pango Mobile Parking, a mobile-parking payment startup, has raised $6.5 million in new funding.

Pango, which is headquartered in both Israel and New York, offers services that include coupon creation for parking, location devices and valet parking.

The company announced that Bearing Capital Ltd. led the round, which also featured participation from some of the company’s undisclosed existing investors.

“Cities and private parking operators are adopting the Pango platform at light speed because they see the tangible results provided by the service: consumer convenience, increased revenues, reduced costs, and real-time parking information,” Neil Edwards, Pango’s president, said in a statement.

Dash – February 27, $1.2 Million

Dash, the developer of a dining-payments app, has announced $1.2 million in new funding.

New York Angels, Caerus Ventures and Jonathan Segal took part in the Seed-2 round.

“The growth of the mobile-payments industry is evident – and it’s here. Pay with Dash provides a 360-degree mobile-payments solution for both vendors and patrons,” Dash’s co-founder Jeff McGregor said in a statement. “With these new funds, we will be rapidly expanding our partner network in New York and hope to launch in several new cities before the end of the year.”

McGregor spoke with PYMNTS.com late last year about the startup’s founding and how it hopes to simplify payments at bars and restaurants. Hear what he had to say by clicking here.

Tradeshift, February 25 – $75 Million

The developer of a business communication and transaction platform, Tradeshift, has announced$75 million in new funding from a Series C round.

Tradeshift has raised more than $112 million since it launched in 2010. Scentan Ventures led the round, and Scentan managing director Noriaki Okubo will join the startup’s board of directors.

“We spent a lot of time determining who the best partner would be to move Tradeshift to the next level, not just with regard to our funding, but also our global expansion strategy,” Christian Lanng, CEO and co-founder of Tradeshift, said in a statement. “Scentan Ventures has a clear understanding of our vision, and is aligned with our ambition to connect every business on the planet on one shared platform. Couple this with Japan’s appetite for change and innovation, and their ranking as the world’s third largest economy, and the decision was made easy.”

Outfittery – February 16, $17 Million

Outfittery, a curated European shopping service designed for men, has raised $17 million in new funding.

The company, founded in 2012, operates primarily in Germany and the surrounding countries. Outfittery plans to use the new funds on international expansion initiatives, TechCrunch reported on Feb. 17.

Highland Capital Partners Europe led the round. Mangrove Capital Partners, High-Tech Grunderfonds, RI Digital Ventures and Holtzbrinck Ventures also participated in the round.

Dianping – $400 Million, February 15

Dianping, a Yelp-like website based in China, reportedly raised $400 million in a new funding round.

Tencent, a Chinese Internet service provider, is reported to have led the round. Dianping has seen steady growth since it opened for business in 2013, VentureBeat reported on Feb. 16.

Dianping has received acquisition offers from several major Chinese companies, including Baidu and Tencent.

Lyft – Unknown, February 15

On-demand car service Lyft reportedly is engaged in a new funding round.

The funding amount has not been announced, but TechCrunch reported on Feb. 15 that the company is meeting with a group of new and existing investors, including Andreessen Horowitz.

Lyft raised $60 million in Series C funding in May 2013. Andreessen Horowitz led that round.

RocksBox – February 14, $1.5 Million
Subscription jewelry service RocksBox has raised $1.5 million in seed funding.

The service, founded in 2012, charges a monthly fee in exchange for regular shipments of jewelry. Members ship them back when they are finished, VC Post reported on Feb. 14.

Sandra Perkins, Matrix Partners and Ellen Levy took part in the seed-funding round.

Front Desk – February 13, $4 Million

Mobile management service Front Desk has raised $4 million in new funding.

FrontDesk operates a software-as-a-service (SasS) system that enables users to handle payments, coordinate schedules and process billing. Front Desk focuses on the personal service space,VentureBeat reported on Feb. 13.

Front Desk processes $100 million in transactions annually, according to VentureBeat.

PayNearMe – February 6, $20 Million

Cash-based payments platform developer PayNearMe announced $20 million in new funding last week.

The company raised funds in a round led by GSV Capital, TechCrunch reported on Feb. 6.

August Capital, True Ventures, Khosla Ventures and Maveron – all all existing PayNearMe investors – also took part in the round.

In 2013, PayNearMe announced major deals with Family Dollar and 7-Eleven that have led to a significant increase in market exposure.

BloomThat – February 6, $2 Million

BloomThat, a mobile- and Web-based flower purchase and delivery startup, has raised $2 million in new seed funding.

SV Rangel, A-Grade Investments, Joe Montano and Baron Davis were among a diverse group of investors, The New York Times reported on Feb. 6.

BloomThat services Silicon Valley and San Francisco. According to the Times, the company is considering expanding into other U.S. cities.

Easy Social Shop – February 5, $1.1 Million

Facebook retail integration startup Easy Social Shop has raised $1.1 million in new venture funding.

Lool Ventures led the round. Entree Capital, one of the company’s existing investors, also took part,TechCrunch reported on Feb. 5.

“In just three clicks, we automatically take a merchant’s store from eBay, Amazon, Etsy, Shopify, Magento, Wix, and others, and provide a Facebook store optimized for easy engagement, improved sales, and organic sharing,” Easy Social Shop CEO and founder Nissim Lehyani told TechCrunch in an interview.

Donde – February 5, $1 Million

Mobile-product locator startup Donde has raised $1 million in seed funding.

Chicago Ventures, Full Stack, Mercury Fund, Vine St. Ventures and Tim Kopp took part in the round,TechCrunch reported on Feb. 5.

The startup’s app makes it easier for users to locate specific brands and items. Donde services the New York City area, and it plans to use the seed funding to expand its network of retailers and merchants.

Localytics – February 4, $16 Million

Mobile app analytics and marketing firm Localytics has raised $16 million in new funding.

Foundation Capital led the Series C round, the Boston Business Journal reported on Feb. 4.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its workforce and explore international opportunities.

Red Zebra – Feb. 3, Unknown

Loyalty startup Red Zebra raised an undisclosed seven-figure sum in a recent funding round.

Red Zebra’s service syncs with uses’ mobile-banking accounts, offering rewards based on their spending patterns.

SBT Venture Capital led the round. The deal is believed to be worth between $3 million and $5 million, Finextra reported on Feb. 3.

Myntra – Jan. 31, $50 Million

Myntra, a fashion eCommerce portal based in India, raised $50 million in a new round of venture funding.

PremjiInvest, Sofina, Accel and Tiger Global participated in the round, and L Capital also may be involved, according to TechCrunch.

The company also reportedly was approached by both Flipkart and Amazon with acquisition offers. No details of either purported offer have been reported or confirmed.

Eashmart, Jan. 31 – Unknown

Delhi-based mobile-payments startup Eashmart has secured an undisclosed amount of capital in a new round of investment funding.

The Eashmart app uses a PIN-based security system, and the company has reported steady growth with 10 clients in its portfolio.

The startup received the funds from the Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship, a technology incubator, VC Circle reported on Jan. 31. Eashmart was among 10 startups selected to receive funding.

Yiftee – Jan. 28, $2.1 Million

Local gifting app Yiftee has secured $2.1 million in new funding.

Yiftee’s app works by offering users a way to buy gifts for friends and family from local businesses,TechCrunch reported on Jan. 28.

The Series A round was led by TransPacific Ventures, Intuit co-founder Scott Cook and Broad Strategy fund, among others.

Since it was founded in 2012, Yiftee has raised more than $3 million.

PricePanda – January 27, $3 Million

PricePanda, a price-comparison website, has received $3 million in new venture funding.

German retailer Tengelmann Group led the round, TechCrunch reported on Jan. 26. PricePanda will use the new funding to support its plans for expansion in Southeast Asia.

The company, founded in 2012, has raised an estimated $16 million to date.

Jelly – January 23, Undisclosed

Jelly, a crowdsourcing search network founded by Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, has raised an undisclosed amount of funding in a Series B round.

Greylock Partners led the round. The company also announced that Josh Elman will join Jelly’s board of directors.

Jelly enables users to crowdsource answers to questions and search queries.

In a statement posted on Greylock’s website, Elman spoke highly of Jelly and the nature of the funding round.

”As I played with the product during the early days, I had a few experiences that had me thankful I had Jelly. Someone on Jelly helped me realize I had a leak in my shower based on a spot on my siding 20 feet below,” he wrote.

Stripe – January 22, $80 Million

Online payments processor Stripe has announced $80 million in Series C funding.

Stripe, founded in 2010, specializes in providing payment processing solutions geared toward Web developers.

Founder’s Fund, established by PayPal co-founder Peter Theil, led the round. Sequoia Capital, Allen & Co. and Khosla also participated in the round.

The company has raised roughly $118 million since the start of 2012, Silicon Valley Business Journalreported on Jan. 22.

StyleSeat – January 22, $10.2 Million

StyleSeat, a digital marketplace and social network for beauty professionals and stylists, has announced $10.2 million in new funding.

Lightspeed Ventures led the Series A round. Lowercase Capital, one of StyleSeat’s existing investors, also took part in the round along with Softtech and Cowboy Ventures.

StyleSeat, founded in 2011, has raised over $15 million to date.

Bluebox – January 20, $18 Million

Enterprise mobile security startup Bluebox has announced $18 million in new Series B funding.

Bluebox, founded in 2012, specializes in security solutions for business-owned mobile devices.

Andreessen Horowitz, SV Angel and Andreas Betchtolsheim, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, took part in the round, TechCrunch reported on Jan. 20.

Bluebox raised $9.5 million in a Series A round in 2012.

WePay – January 16, $15 Million

WePay, an online payments startup, has successfully raised $15 million in a Series C funding round.

The round drew interest from Phil Purcell of Continental Investors, who led the round. Max Levchin, Maynard Webb and Raymond Tonsing also took part in the round.

WePay, founded in 2008, has raised nearly $35 million since 2009, according to a Jan. 20 report by TechCrunch.

To learn more, listen to a conversation between MPD’s Karen Webster and WePay CEO Bill Clerico by clicking here.

Linko – January 16, $2.6 Million

Linko, a customer relationship manager startup geared specifically toward mobile applications, has raised $2.6 million in seed funding.

A group of angel investors led the round. The San Francisco-based startup was founded in January 2013.

Paired with the funding announcement was a statement saying that Linko had completed its acquisition of Localstream, a German startup with a similar platform currently in development,VentureBeat reported on Jan. 16.

Jifiti – January 16, $1 Million

Jifiti, a digital gifting startup, has successfully raised $1 million in seed funding.

The white-label registry app raised $2.5 million in July 2013, raising. The Jesselson Group, which participated in the July round, expanded its stake by $1 million.

Simon Property Group and Schottenstein Stores Corp. are among the gifting startup’s existing investors, TechCrunch reported on Jan. 16.

Delivery Hero – Jan. 13, $88 Million

Online food-ordering service Delivery Hero has raised $88 million in a Series E funding round.

Insight Partners led the Berlin-based company’s fifth funding round, VentureBeat reported on Jan. 13. To date, the company has raised more than $200 million.

Founded in 2010, Delivery hero raised $30 million in a Series D round in July.

Turn – Jan. 13, $80 Million

Cloud-marketing platform Turn(http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/turn-series-e/) announced $80 million in new funding from a Series E round.

The company reportedly received capital from BlackRock and Fidelity Investments, according to TechCrunch. These reports are unconfirmed.

Founded in 2004, Turn has raised more than $100 million since 2011.

Volusion – Jan. 13, $35 Million

eCommerce software developer Volusion reportedly has successfully raised $35 million in debt financing.

The company plans to use the funds to expand its business to compete in a space crowded by competitors like Shopify, TechCrunch(http://techcrunch.com/2014/01/13/eyeing-an-ipo-e-commerce-software-company-volusion-raises-35m-to-take-on-shopify/) reported on Jan. 13. Silicon Valley Bank provided the funding.

Additionally, the funds may be tapped as Volusion prepares for a possible IPO as early as this year.

CAN Capital – Jan. 9, $33 Million

Alternative small-business capital provider CAN Capital has announced $33 million in Series C funding.

Founded in 1998, the firm specializes in nonbank alternative capita. It has raised more than $60 million since 2012.

“Ensuring that small businesses continue to get access to capital remains a mainstream issue and a core focus for CAN Capital, especially as these businesses are among key drivers of economic growth,” Daniel DeMeo, CEO of CAN Capital, said in a statement.

Remitly – Jan. 6, $5.5 Million

Remitly, a mobile funds-transfer service, has raised $5.5 million in Series A funding.

The service is designed to enable funds transfers from users in the U.S. to users based in the Philippines, according to a Jan. 6 report by TechCrunch.

The round was led by QED. Other investors, including Founders Co-Op, TomorrowVentures, Trilogy Partnership and Bezos Expeditions, took part in the round.

Spredfast – Jan. 3, $32.5 Million

To invest in infrastructure and fund future product development, Spredfast raised $32.5 million in new capital.

The social marketing software company successfully raised the money in a Series D funding round. Lead Edge Capital led the round.

The company’s existing investor base, including Austin Ventures, OpenView Partners and InterWest Partners, took part in the round.

Founded in 2008, Spredfast’s service focuses on enterprise-level social-media strategy development and deployment.

Integral Ad Science – Jan. 3, $30 Million

Integral Ad Science has announced a successful Series D round that resulted in $30 million in new capital.

Integral is a media-valuation platform. August Capital led the round, a Jan. 3 press release indicated.

Atlas Venture and Pelion Venture Partners, the company’s existing investors, also took part in the Series D round.

Beyond The Rack – Dec. 31, $25 Million

Beyond The Rack, a retailer that specializes in product flash sales, announced $25 million in new capital on Dec. 31.

The online shopping club offers heavily discounted items from major brands. Founded in 2009, the company has raised over $50 million since 2011.

Iris Capital and Tandem Expansion Fund were among the VC firms that led the round, according to Internet Retailer’s report.