North America

Las Olas Venture Capital raises $28.5 mln toward fund

Las Olas Venture Capital has raised $28.5 million toward a $50 million venture capital fund, according to a filing with the SEC.

TheSkimm grabs $12 mln Series C

TheSkimm, a daily newsletter for women, has raised $12 million in Series C funding, according to a source familiar with the transaction. GV led the round with participation from 21st Century Fox, RRE Ventures and Homebrew Ventures.

Auto parts maker Magna invests $200 mln in Lyft: Reuters

Canadian automotive parts supplier Magna International Inc said this week it will invest US$200 million in Lyft Inc and work with the U.S. ride-hailing company to manufacture self-driving cars, Reuters reported. The news comes three months after San Francisco-based Lyft made its international debut in Toronto, taking on much bigger rival Uber Technologies Inc, which has been operating in Canada for over five years. Lyft has previously secured investments from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments).

Medinas Health snags $1 mln seed

San Francisco-based Medinas Health, a data-driven marketplace for healthcare organizations, has raised $1 million in seed funding. Sound Ventures and General Catalyst’s Rough Draft Ventures led the round with participation from other investors that included Precursor Ventures and Trammell Ventures.

Strix Leviathan nabs $1.625 mln seed

Seattle-based Strix Leviathan, a crypto trading startup, has raised $1.625 million in seed funding. Liquid 2 Ventures led the round with participation from other investors that included Founders’ Co-op, Future\Perfect Ventures and 9Mile Labs.

Investing app Robinhood to collect $350 mln: WSJ

Investing app Robinhood is reportedly raising $350 million in funding, according to a Wall Street Journal report. DST Global, a venture firm founded by Russian billionaire Yuri Milner, will lead the round. The funding will put Robinhood at a valuation of $5.6 billion.

Heartland Ventures targets $25 mln for debut fund

Heartland Ventures is seeking to raise $25 million for its maiden fund, according to an SEC filing. Based in South Bend, Indiana, Heartland Ventures invests in high-growth startups in the Midwest.

Lundbeck to acquire VC-backed Prexton

Lundbeck has agreed to acquire Prexton Therapeutics for 100 million euros and will later pay up to 805 million euros in development and sales milestones. Based in The Netherlands and in Switzerland, Prexton is a biopharmaceutical company. Prexton's investors include Forbion, Seroba Life Sciences, Sunstone Capital and Ysios Capital.

Insight Venture Partners leads funding round for Swedish web security firm Detectify

Detectify, a Sweden-based web security company, has raised 5 million euros in funding. Insight Venture Partners led the round with participation from Paua Ventures and Inventure.

Sparkling water Spindrift takes in $20 mln

Newton, Massachusetts-based Spindrift, a sparkling water made with real fruit, has raised $20 million in funding. VMG Partners led the round with participation from other investors that included Prolog Ventures, KarpReilly and RiverPark Ventures.