North America

Zaius raises $30 mln

Zaius said April 12 that it raised a $30 million Series B round led by Insight Venture Partners. Previous investors Matrix Partners, Underscore VC and Leaders Fund also participated in the round. Zaius, of Boston, provides a CRM for B2C marketers.

Canadian VC sees biggest Q1 since dot-com era as top deals nab $927 mln

Canada’s venture capital market has started the year with a bang. The top 10 first-quarter VC financings drew a substantial $927 million from investors. That’s up 40 percent from the $661 million raised by the top 10 deals a year earlier and close to twice the $491 million raised by the top 10 deals in Q1 2016. The estimate is based on PE Hub Canada’s list of the largest rounds announced from January through March, supplemented by Thomson Reuters data.

Lerer Hippeau raises $150 mln for sixth fund

New York-based early-stage investor Lerer Hippeau has raised $150 million for its sixth fund, according to a regulatory filing. The commitments came from 49 investors, the filing shows. Lerer Hippeau is separately raising a $50 million select fund for follow-on investments in its portfolio, according to a separate filing in December. But no update on that fund is available.

Swell Capital targets $10 mln for venture fund

New York-based Swell Capital is raising a venture fund targeted at $10 million, according to a regulatory filing. The firm is led by Rusty Ralston and Jay Patil, according to its website. The filing lists no investors.

Frontier Capital invests in growth of Agreement Express

Agreement Express, a Vancouver-based onboarding automation platform for financial services, has secured an undisclosed majority investment from Frontier Capital, a U.S. growth equity firm. As a result of the deal, Frontier Managing Partner Richard Maclean and Vice President Dave Pandullo will join the board. Founded in 2001, Agreement Express' technology allows financial services firms to deliver a consistent onboarding experience for clients across product offerings and channels. It also provides for deep analytics. Led by CEO Mike Gardner, the company will use the funds raised to fuel growth though expanded sales and marketing, product innovation and new hires.

Checkr raises $100 mln in round led by T. Rowe

San Francisco-based Checkr, a provider of compliant background checks, announced it raised $100 million in Series C funding. T. Rowe Price Associates led the round, which included participation from existing investors Accel and Y Combinator. The company has now raised $150 million in total financing.

Enterprise Therapeutics raises 29 mln pounds

Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd said April 12 that it raised 29 million pounds ($41 million) in a Series B round co-led by Versant Ventures and Novartis Venture Fund. The syndicate also included new investor Forbion, founding investor Epidarex Capital and existing investor IP Group. Enterprise Therapeutics Ltd is a biopharmaceutical company that is developing therapies for the treatment of respiratory diseases.

Kadena raises $12 mln SAFT round from Devonshire, SV Angel, Susquehanna, others

Kadena said it raised $12 million in a SAFT, or simple agreement for future tokens, Series B from investors including Devonshire Investors, the private investment firm affiliated with Fidelity Investments, SV Angel, Multicoin Capital, Susquehanna International Group and Alan Meckler's Asimov Ventures.

BBVA Compass expands accelerator program to seven U.S. states

BBVA Compass is expanding its BBVA Momentum accelerator program to seven U.S. states where the Madrid-based bank operates: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, New Mexico and Texas.

Tentrr pulls in $8 mln Series A

New York City-based Tentrr, a peer-to-peer marketplace of campsites, has closed $8 million in Series funding. West Venture Partners led the round with participation from Obvious Ventures, Great Oaks Venture Capital, Halogen Ventures, Rivet Ventures and WorldQuant Ventures.