Overseas:
- Micro VC firm 500 TukTuks targets $20M for second fund.
- Benchling, platform for life sciences research, announces a $14.5M series B led by Benchmark.
- Zomato, Indian restaurant search and discovery firm, promises to invest $15M in Loyal Hospitality, a startup that helps restaurants expand operations through its “shadow kitchen” concept.
- Propeller Aero, drone analytics startup, secures $10M in series A led by Blackbird Ventures.
- Microsoft takes aim at Amazon with push for checkout-free retail.
China:
- B2B pharmaceutical trading app Yaoshibang Raises RMB 420M series C across two rounds.
- WeChat launches product search function linked to JD.com, Chinese B2C e-commerce platform.
- BeagleData, distributed computing platform developer, lands RMB 100M series D led by Ally Capital and Meridian Capital.
Cross-border:
- JD.com partners with Magplane, U.S. rail engineering firm, to develop maglev logistics technology.
- PatSnap, provider of patent and research services, raises $38M in series D round led by Sequoia and Shunwei Capital.
- Grab in talks with Didi Chuxing to explore self-driving cars.
- Google’s new AI research center will be its first on the African continent.