North America

Empower raises $4.5 mln

Empower said Sept. 19 that it raised $4.5 million in a round led by Initialized Capital. Existing investor Sequoia Capital also participated. Empower is a mobile bank.

AlphaNetworks raises $10 mln

AlphaNetworks said Sept. 18 that it raised $10 million in an initial funding round led by Alphabit Digital Currency Fund. Also participating were Shuttle Fund of Korea, Smart Contract of Japan and other crypto investors. AlphaNetworks is an entertainment platform that uses blockchain.

Amplify Partners wraps up third fund with $200 mln

Menlo Park, California-based Amplify Partners announced it has closed its third fund with $200 million in commitments. A regulatory filing indicated 50 investors contributed to the fund. The firm, founded in 2012 by General Partners Sunil Dhaliwal and Mike Dauber, raised $125 million for its previous effort in 2015. The firm backs early-stage technical founders in such sectors as machine intelligence, infrastructure, developer tools and security.

Remote camera platform Brizi seeded with $2.5 mln by 2EP

Brizi Inc, a Toronto-based remote-control camera systems developer, has raised $2.5 million in seed-stage financing led by U.S. investor 2EP. Founded in 2016 by CEO Anna Hu and CTO Sami Dalati, Brizi's technology helps users tap into nearby cameras to capture group images at sports events and landmarks. The platform also provides brands with new sponsorship opportunities and access to data and analytics. Brizi will use the seed round's proceeds for research and development and market expansion.

Ro pulls in $88 mln Series A

Ro, a direct-to consumer telehealth company, has raised $88 million in Series A funding, according to a blog post. FirstMark Capital led the round with participation from other investors that included SignalFire, Initialized Capital, General Catalyst, Slow Ventures, Sinai Ventures, Torch Capital, BoxGroup and Tusk Ventures.

Seed River invests in industrial 3D printing startup AON3D

U.S. angel investment firm Seed River has provided undisclosed financing to AON3D, a Montréal-based industrial 3D printing specialist. Led by CEO Kevin Han, who helped found the company in 2015, AON3D is developing tools for making 3D manufacturing with plastics easier and more affordable. The startup, which has previously been backed by Off the Grid Ventures, Prototype Capital and other investors, will use the partnership with Seed River to support its long-term growth initiatives.

Twaice Technologies gathers seed funding

Munich-based Twaice Technologies, a developer of digital twins for companies along the battery value chain, has secured 1.2 million euros in seed funding. The lead investors were Unternehmertum Venture Capital Partners and Speedinvest.

Saykara inks $5 mln

Seattle-based Saykara, a voice and AI-powered virtual assistant for physicians, has secured $5 million in funding. SpringRock Ventures led the round with participation from other investors that included NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Elevate Innovation Partners and Madrona Venture Group. In addition to the funding, Kirsten Morbeck, managing director of SpringRock, will join Saykara's board of directors.

Business hospitality service Domicile nets $5 mln

Seattle-based Domicile, a business hospitality service, has raised $5 million in funding. The investors included Crosscut Ventures and Madrona Venture Group.

Whill drives off with $45 mln

Whill Inc, a maker of personal electric vehicles, has closed $45 million in funding. The investors included SBI Investment Co., Ltd., Daiwa Securities Group Inc, WHIZ Partners, Inc and Endeavor Catalyst.