North America

Walmart acquires Cornershop

Walmart Inc has acquired Cornershop Inc, an on-demand grocery delivery service for the Latin American market. No financial terms were disclosed. Cornershop's backers included Accel, Creandum, Jackson Square Ventures and Endeavor Catalyst, according to Crunchbase.

Iskn pulls in funding

Iskn, a France-based provider of smart drawing pads, has raised 10.5 million euros in funding. The company's investors included iXO Private Equity, CM-CIC Innovation, C4 Ventures and Supernova Invest.

Meeker bolts from Kleiner Perkins to start own firm: Bloomberg

Silicon Valley-based venture firm Kleiner Perkins is experiencing a big shakeup. Mary Meeker, a partner at the venture firm and well-known internet investor, is leaving the firm and taking her team with her to form a new firm, reported Bloomberg. Meeker's team, comprised of Mood Rowghani, Noah Knauf and Juliet De Baubigny, "will raise a fresh fund of their own devoid of the Kleiner brand," noted the news outlet. The firm will launch in 2019.

Golden Gate Ventures closes third fund at $100 mln

Singapore-based venture firm Golden Gate Ventures has raised $100 million for its third fund. The early-stage fund will focus on consumer internet trends in Southeast Asia. The investors include Temasek, Hanwha, Naver, EE Capital, Taizo Son’s Mistletoe, Mitsui Fudosan, IDO Investments, CTBC Group, Korea Venture Investment Corporation and Ion Pacific.

NEO Global Capital backs Contentos

Contentos, a decentralized global content ecosystem, has secured an undisclosed amount of funding. The investor was NEO Global Capital.

Endotronix inks $45 mln Series D

Lisle, Illinois-based Endotronix Inc, a digital health focused on advancing the treatment of heart failure, has raised $45 million in Series D funding. LSP led the round with participation from other investors that included Aperture Venture Partners, BioVentures Investors, Lumira Ventures, OSF Ventures, Seroba Life Sciences, SV Health Investors and Wanxiang Healthcare Investments.

VC-backed Vendini buys ticketing software provider Boxxo

U.S. live event management platform Vendini has acquired Boxxo, a ticketing software company based in Montréal. No financial terms were disclosed. Founded in 2000 by President Bernard Boissonneault, Boxxo helps theatre, cultural, sports and leisure organizations in Québec sell tickets. San Francisco-based Vendini said the acquisition expands its customer base and footprint in the Canadian market. Vendini is backed by Level Equity Management, a U.S. growth equity firm.

Mystery thrillers to venture capital: the power of diverse collaborations

You’ve likely read about the intangible benefits of collaborating. But what about the tangible benefits? In a PE Hub Canada feature article, Karen Fisman, director of communications at FirePower Capital, notes recent research reveals that diverse collaborations yield measurable positive returns, including improved financial outcomes for venture capitalists. Indeed, across sectors, from publishing to finance, it appears that diverse collaborations do (literally) pay off, she writes.

CIBC Innovation Banking provides growth funding to Embotics

Embotics, an Ottawa-based provider of multi-cloud management software, has entered into a credit facility agreement with CIBC Innovation Banking. No financial terms were released. Founded in 2006 by President Jay Litkey and led by CEO Michael Torto, Embotics' platform helps enterprise information technology and managed service providers to automate and control their virtualized and cloud environments. The funds raised will support the company's client acquisition and growth in new markets. Embotics' investors include U.S. growth equity firm Arrowroot Capital, which invested $12.1 million in 2016.

Partech strengthens its growth team

Partech Growth announced it has promoted Victor Huberson to principal and named Henrik Grosse Hokamp an associate. Huberson, based in Paris, joined Partech in October 2017 after five years in investment banking at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He focuses on growth investments. Hokamp joined Partech in 2015 from High-Tech Gründerfonds and was working on seed and venture investing, He will split his time between Berlin and Paris.