Private Equity
Resolver Inc has acquired Global AlertLink, a Charleston, West Virginia-based software company focused on incident management, emergency notification and risk management. No financial terms were released. Resolver, a Toronto-based provider of risk and incident management software, said the deal expands its emergency notification, business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities. It was backed by a $20 million financing raised last month. The investors included the company's majority owner, Canadian private equity firm Klass Capital. In 2016, Resolver bought assets from New Zealand’s Wynyard Group Ltd.
3 min read · 13 July 2017
Toronto aesthetic technology company Venus Concept Ltd has raised $38 million in an equity investment. The transaction was led by EW Healthcare Partners and joined by HealthQuest Capital and Madryn Asset Management. As a result, EW Healthcare and HealthQuest will each receive one seat on the board. Founded in 2009, Venus Concept develops and makes non-invasive devices for the global medical aesthetics market. Led by CEO Domenic Serafino, it will use the funds raised to grow its subscription-based business model and continue to develop its products. The company secured $10 million from Longitude Capital in 2014.
3 min read · 13 July 2017
Rover.com, a Seattle, Washington network of pet sitters and dog walkers, has secured US$65 million in funding. The round was led by Spark Capital and joined by new and existing investors, including Canadian venture capital firm OMERS Ventures. Earlier this year, Rover.com acquired DogVacay, a U.S. online care service for pet owners that was previously backed by OMERS Ventures. Founded in 2011, Rover.com said it expects to see a 200 percent increase in net revenue in 2017. It will use the funds raised for global expansion, brand awareness and to launch new services.
4 min read · 13 July 2017
Not all founders of tech companies have been coding since they could clutch a sippy-cup. Ryan Holmes, the 42-year-old founder and CEO of the Canadian social-media management platform Hootsuite, had an off-the-grid upbringing that saw him tending to animals instead of web pages. For the latest in Reuters' "Life Lessons" series, Holmes spoke about how he transitioned from farm boy to running a company that is said to be at or near "unicorn"-level valuation of more than US$1 billion.
4 min read · 12 July 2017
Aquatic Informatics Inc has amalgamated with WaterTrax and Linko Technology, both software providers to water and wastewater utilities and agencies. No financial terms were disclosed. Aquatic Informatics, a Vancouver-based company in the same vertical, said the merger creates a complete suite of software solutions for managing water resources, water and wastewater compliance. The deal was backed by XPV Water Partners, a Canadian water-focused private equity firm. XPV acquired the majority stake held in Aquatic Informatics by Canadian impact venture capital firm Renewal Funds, an investor since 2010. The company is led by President and CEO Ed Quilty.
4 min read · 12 July 2017
New York business risk intelligence platform Flashpoint has raised US$28 million in a Series C financing. The round was led by Canadian growth equity firm Georgian Partners with participation from Greycroft Partners, TechOperators, Leaders Fund, Jump Capital, Bloomberg Beta and Cisco Investments. With the financing, Georgian Principal Steve Leightell will join the board. Founded in 2010, Flashpoint helps business units and functions across organizations make better decisions and mitigate risk. Led by CEO Josh Lefkowitz, it plans to use the funds raised to accelerate adoption of its product and recruit talent.
3 min read · 12 July 2017
London, Ontario voice-over online marketplace Voices.com Inc has secured an $18 million investment from Morgan Stanley Expansion Capital, a growth equity firm affiliated with U.S. money manager Morgan Stanley Investment Management. The company said the institutional investment is the first since its founding in 2005. The funds raised will be used to scale global operations, expand client and subscriber product offerings and enhance the technology platform. Led by CEO David Ciccarelli, Voices.com connects buyers of audio and voice-over products and services with a selection of more than 200,000 voice actors. It has enabled over 250,000 transactions to date.
4 min read · 12 July 2017
Two like-minded venture firms have formed a strategic partnership and marked the occasion with a first joint deal, backing the developer of an electronic nose sensor. TandemLaunch, a creator of synthetic startups in the consumer-electronics space, agreed to partner with Mistral Venture Partners, a seed investor in information-technology companies. The pact formalizes an already close bond between the firms, but will take the collaboration up a notch, including giving Mistral an early window on opportunities emerging from TandemLaunch’s company-building process.
3 min read · 12 July 2017
U.S. cyber security company Lastline Inc has raised US$28.5 million in a Series C financing. The round was led by Thomvest Ventures, the Silicon Valley venture capital firm of Peter Thomson, a member of Canada's Thomson family. Existing investors, including Osage University Partners and Redpoint Ventures, also participated, as did several strategic investors. Lastline develops technology to help protect enterprises from data breaches caused by advanced malware threats. The Redwood, California-based company will use the funds raised to accelerate its next phase of growth.
4 min read · 11 July 2017
Online real estate listings marketplace Casalova Inc has bought My Property Managers, a Toronto-based manager of residential properties with $35 million under management. No terms were disclosed for the acquisition, Casalova's first since its founding in 2014. Toronto-based Casalova said the deal creates a full-service real estate platform that allows users to buy, rent, sell and manage properties on a single platform. The company, which plans to grow its managed assets to $100 million this year, raised $2.5 million in April from Aviva Ventures, the venture capital arm of U.K. insurance company Aviva plc.
2 min read · 11 July 2017
