Investment summaries: Matrak and Runchise receive funding, Earth VC supports YC-endorsed HyLight, significant investments in three Chinese ventures, and additional developments
In the ever-evolving world of technology, startups continue to secure significant funding to fuel their growth and innovation. Here's a roundup of recent funding news from around the world:
Energy and Infrastructure
HyLight, a Paris-based startup specializing in aerial inspections for energy infrastructure, secured EUR 3.7 million (USD 3.9 million) in a funding round. Investors included Primavera Venture Partners, Y Combinator, Ring Capital, Kima Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Tesla co-founder Marc Tarpenning.
Hengtong Submarine Power Cable, a Chinese company focusing on submarine power cable solutions, raised RMB 1.03 billion (USD 142.6 million) in a strategic funding round. CCB Investment, the asset management arm of Bank of China, Hainan Zhongying Equity Investment Fund, and Changsha Jingkai Guofa Fund were among the investors.
Food and Beverage Solutions
Runchise, an Indonesia-based restaurant management and culinary franchise company, raised USD 1 million in a new funding round. The company uses machine learning techniques to provide daily sales predictions for food and beverage businesses.
Self-Driving Technology
Wayve, a British self-driving technology startup, secured USD 1.05 billion in a Series C funding round, led by SoftBank Group.
Blockchain and NFTs
Galaxis, a Singapore-based blockchain startup, secured USD 10 million in funding from Chainlink, the Ethereum Name Service (ENS), and ENS co-founder Nick Johnson. Galaxis is described as a "post-hype non-fungible token (NFT) utility platform."
Construction and Aerospace
Matrak, a Melbourne-based startup focused on improving construction supply chains, raised AUD 2.9 million (USD 1.9 million) in a Series A funding round. The funds will be used to fortify its balance sheet and launch Matrak China, a collaboration with G&M Capital. Matrak plans to establish a presence near the industry's manufacturing base in China.
Emposat, a commercial aerospace company, has secured close to RMB 500 million (USD 69.2 million) in Series B and C funding.
Agriculture and Biotechnology
Invest Inya Farmer, a platform offering access to agriculture investment opportunities, has raised AUD 2.8 million (USD 1.8 million) in a Series A funding round. AgFunder Ventures and Investible are among the investors.
NSG BioLabs, a provider of coworking biotechnology laboratories and office space in Singapore, has completed a USD 14.5 million funding round. Celadon Partners and Temasek's ClavystBio jointly led the funding round.
Orange, a Japanese startup that has developed a manga localization tool, raised JPY 2.9 billion (USD 18.7 million) in a pre-Series A funding round.
Extended Reality Technology
Optix, a startup specializing in extended reality technology, has raised USD 15 million in a pre-Series A funding round.
Muyan Zhiyu, a new startup established by Zhang Yueguang, has secured investments from Gaorong Ventures, Zhipu AI, Zoo Capital, Monolith, Future Capital, and BlueRun Ventures. The startup's focus is yet to be disclosed.
Funding Round Leaders
The funding round for Wayve was led by SoftBank Group, while that for Matrak was led by China-based G&M Capital.
This roundup showcases the diverse range of startups securing funding across various sectors, from energy and infrastructure to agriculture and biotechnology, blockchain, and extended reality technology. As these startups continue to grow and innovate, we can expect to see significant advancements in these fields in the coming years.
