North America

NVCA appoints Battery Ventures GP to board

The National Venture Capital Association has named Michael Brown to its board of directors. Brown is a general partner at Battery Ventures.

PetPlate nabs $4 mln seed

PetPlate, a subscription service that delivers fresh-cooked pet meals, has secured $4 million in seed funding. Dane Creek Capital led the round with participation from other investors that included Amity Supply, SWAT Equity, The Yard Ventures, Castor Ventures and BrandProject.

Blockchain tech company Compound rakes in $8.2 mln seed

Compound, a blockchain technology company, has raised $8.2 million in seed funding. Bain Capital Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Polychain Capital led the round with participation from Transmedia Capital, Compound Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Danhua Capital and Coinbase.

New Markets wraps up second fund at $68 mln

New Markets Venture Partners has closed its second fund at $68 million. The fund will focus on education technology and innovations.

Workframe inks $9.5 mln Series B

Workframe, a collaboration and communication platform for commercial real estate professionals, has raised $9.5 million in Series B funding. Newmark Knight Frank led the round with participation from MetaProp and Venrock.

Maisonette fetches $15 mln Series in NEA-led round

Maisonette, a children’s clothing and lifestyle e-commerce site, has secured $15 million in Series A financing. New Enterprise Associates led the round with participation from other investors that included Pritzker Group Venture Capital, John Fisher of Draper Fisher Jurvetson and Thrive Capital.

Provi lands $3.5 mln

Provi, an ecommerce marketplace helping bars and restaurants order alcohol more efficiently, has raised $3.5 million in funding. The investors included Hyde Park Angels, Hyde Park Venture Partners, Ludlow Ventures and Sandalphon Capital.

Riverwood leads Series C round for Cloudvirga

Cloudvirga, a developer of intelligent mortgage point-of-sale platforms, has raised $50 million in Series C funding. Riverwood Capital led the round with participation from Upfront Ventures.

CPPIB partners in $120 mln funding of fashion brand Lulus

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has partnered in a US$120 million investment in Lulus, a Chico, California-based digitally native apparel brand for women. CPPIB invested alongside IVP, a U.S. late-stage venture capital and growth equity firm. They join existing investor HIG Growth Partners, which has backed Lulus since 2014. Lulus started out in 1996 as a vintage boutique and in 2008 transitioned to purely online sales of products from the Lulus label and a selection of designers and brands. The company uses data to anticipate demand trends and a merchandising strategy to engage its millennial customer base.

Online education company PluralSight goes public

PluralSight Inc, an online education company, has raised $310.5 million for its IPO after pricing its 20.7 million shares at $15 per share. The stock began trading May 17, 2018 on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "PS." Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are the lead underwriters. PluralSight is backed by Insight Venture Partners.