Alastair Goldfisher

Investment platform CircleUp raises $125 mln to target consumer brands

On the Bleeding Edge: DFJ's Jurvetson, a defense of the firm, and what it all might mean

DFJ investigating co-founder Steve Jurvetson for sexual harassment

Steve Jurvetson, a longtime Silicon Valley investor and co-founder of DFJ, is under investigation by the firm for sexual harassment. The investigation, conducted by a law firm, began during the summer after media outlets began inquiring about allegations regarding Jurvetson's conduct with women. The ongoing investigation was first reported by The Information. The publication's post about the investigation into Jurvetson came a day after entrepreneur Keri Kukral told women in a public Facebook post to be careful when approached by founding partners of DFJ. "Predatory behavior is rampant," she wrote.

MassMutual Ventures raises second fund at $100 mln, expands Boston team

Boston-based MassMutual Ventures has raised a second $100 million fund to in invest in early-stage and growth companies in the insurance, benefits, financial services, enterprise software and cyber security sectors. With the new funding, provided by parent company Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, the firm will aim to invest in 20 to 25 companies in North America, Europe and Israel. MassMutual Ventures has also added Marybeth Egan as an associate. Egan was previously an associate at KKR & Co.

Avalon Ventures leads funding of security company Averon

San Francisco-based Averon, developer of mobile identity verification technology, raised an $8.3 million Series A round of funding led by Avalon Ventures. As part of the funding, Avalon Ventures Partners Rich Levandov and Brady Borhmann have joined the board.

PartnerConnect West in photos

Data spotlight: M&A value increases in September, led by IFM Therapeutics

Women's Venture Capital Fund seeks $20 mln

Portland, Oregon-based Women’s Venture Capital Fund, which focuses on early-stage gender-diverse companies in digital media and sustainable products and services, is seeking to raised $20 million for its second fund, Women's VC Fund II, according to a regulatory filing. The firm was co-founded in 2011 by Edith Dorsen and Monica Dodi.

Rebecca Kaden joins Union Square Ventures as GP

Union Square Ventures has added Rebecca Kaden as a general partner. Kaden joins New York-based USV from Maveron in Seattle, where she was also a general partner. Kaden posted in a USV blog that she is excited to return to her hometown of New York and the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. "Coming home is fun for many reasons, but coming home to such a hotbed of innovation and dreamers, particularly in the categories that excite me the most, is simply awesome," she wrote in her blog post.

Imaginary Ventures seeks $100 mln for inaugural e-commerce fund

New York-based Imaginary Ventures is seeking $100 million for its debut, according to a regulatory filing. The firm will reportedly invest in the e-commerce space, including retail, fashion, lifestyle and beauty. The firm is led by Natalie Massenet, who in 2015 resigned from luxury e-tailer Net-A-Porter that she founded, and Nick Brown, who most recently was a partner at 14W Venture Partners in New York.