I've been a business reporter for a while. I've covered Wall Street, venture capital and now private equity. I'm always looking for a scoop or something to talk about. I'm the eternal optimist and am still waiting for the Chicago Cubs to win the World Series. Yes, I believe.
Irving Place Capital said Thursday that it named Walter J. Galvin a Senior Advisor. Galvin previously spent 40 years with Emerson Electric Co., serving in a variety of senior executive roles, including CFO and Vice Chairman.
2 min read · 10 September 2015
Novadip Biosciences said Thursday it raised a 28 million Euro (US$31.3 mln) round of financing led by New Science Ventures. Belgian investors VIVES Louvain Technology Fund, NivelInvest (Start-Up), Fund+, Integrale, SRIW, SFPI-FPIM, Epimède and several individual investors also took part. Novadip Biosciences isthe biopharmaceutical spin-off company of Université catholique de Louvain.
8 min read · 10 September 2015
Total said Thursday it has agreed to sell a 50 percent stake, plus one share, in Géosel Manosque to EDF Invest and Ardian. The deal was valued at 265 million Euros (US$296.4 million). Total will retain a 3.4 percent stake in Géosel, which owns the Manosque underground storage facility in southeastern France and pipelines linking the facility to the oil terminals at Fos and Lavéra.
4 min read · 10 September 2015
HookLogic said Thursday it raised $15.5 million in a Series C growth round from new investors Fung Capital and Mousse Partners. Existing investors Bain Capital Ventures and Intel Capital took part in the round. New York-based HookLogic, which provides performance marketing for brands, said it also sold its AutoHook division to Urban Science. Financial terms weren’t announced. Presidio Group advised HookLogic on the sale.
4 min read · 10 September 2015
Orchard Platform said Thursday it raised $30 million in Series B funding led by Thrive Capital. Also participating were Jon Winkelried, Former President & Co-Chief Operating Officer of Goldman Sachs, Victory Park Capital, Thomvest Ventures, as well as existing investors including Spark Capital, Canaan Partners, QED Investors, Nyca Partners, Conversion Capital, John Mack, and Tom Glocer. New York-based Orchard is a technology and infrastructure provider for marketplace lending.
4 min read · 10 September 2015
KKR is leading a $42 million growth equity investment in Optimal+, which included participation by existing investors Carmel Ventures and Pitango. KKR is funding the investment primarily from its own balance sheet. No financial terms were disclosed. Tel Aviv, Israel-based Optimal+ is a big data analytics company that provides insights to the semiconductor industry.
4 min read · 10 September 2015
In First Read, we have a comparison of the new iPhones to the Android phones, Blackrock co-president Charles Hallac dies after a long battle with cancer and Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya says he plans to stick around.
1 min read · 10 September 2015
Fundbox said Thursday it has raised an additional $50 million in equity funding led by new investor Spark Capital Growth with participation from Bezos Expeditions (the personal investment arm of Jeff Bezos), Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary's Sound Ventures and Entrée Capital. Existing investors, including Khosla Ventures, General Catalyst Partners, Shlomo Kramer, and Blumberg Capital, also participated. San Francisco-based Fundbox, a cash flow optimization tool for small businesses, raised $40 million in Series B funding in March.
3 min read · 10 September 2015
Forbion Capital Partners said it closed its Forbion Capital Fund II Co-invest Fund I with 75 million Euros (US$84 million). The Co-Invest fund was set up to allow Forbion’s existing LPs to back later-stage, de-risked companies within the existing FCF II portfolio with additional (growth) capital. The pool will invest in up to six existing FCF II portfolio companies, alongside FCF II. Forbion is a Life Sciences venture capital firm with offices in Naarden, The Netherlands
3 min read · 10 September 2015
NorthEdge Capital said Thursday that it named Harry Jones as an Investment Executive in its Manchester office. He will work on the firm’s investment opportunities across the North West. Jones joins from Deloitte.
2 min read · 10 September 2015
