Banking app Pockit picks up further £2.9M as it readies new remittance service

Pockit, a mobile banking app that provides current account functionality and is targeting the U.K.’s “underbanked,” has picked up £2.9 million in further funding and will soon begin rolling out a remittance service to make it easier for its users to send money abroad. Available as of next week, Pockit’s 150,000 or so users will… Continue reading Banking app Pockit picks up further £2.9M as it readies new remittance service

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Dave wants to save you from expensive overdraft fees

Meet Dave: an AI dressed up in a bearsuit that’s just launched to save you from the evils of expensive overdraft fees. Hand Dave access to your checking account and the app’s machine learning algorithms will get busy crunching your spending data so the bear can warn you about pending transactions — like a monthly subscription for Netflix… Continue reading Dave wants to save you from expensive overdraft fees

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SeedPlus closes $18M early-stage fund backed by Cisco, Eight Roads and others

SeedPlus, the early-stage investment firm backed by Singapore’s Jungle Ventures, has closed its debut fund at a total of SG$25 million, or approximately $18 million. The firm also announced that Cisco and Eight Roads Ventures, the investment arm of Fidelity, have joined IFC and Indian business magnate Ratan Tata among the fund’s LPs. It added that the fund was over-subscribed.… Continue reading SeedPlus closes $18M early-stage fund backed by Cisco, Eight Roads and others

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HR and employee benefits platform Hibob raises $17.5M led by U.S.-based Battery Ventures

Hibob, an HR and employee benefits platform for small to medium-sized businesses, has raised $17.5 million in Series A funding. Leading the round is U.S. VC firm Battery Ventures, with participation from Arbor Ventures, and Fidelity’s Eight Roads Ventures. Existing backer Bessemer Venture Partners also joined the round, which brings total funding for the U.K.… Continue reading HR and employee benefits platform Hibob raises $17.5M led by U.S.-based Battery Ventures

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Babylon Health raises further $60M to continue building out AI doctor app

Babylon Health, the U.K. startup that offers a digital healthcare app using a mixture of artificial intelligence (AI) and video and text consultations with doctors and specialists, has raised $60 million in new funding. The company says it plans to use the new capital to continue building out its AI capabilities, including offering diagnosis by… Continue reading Babylon Health raises further $60M to continue building out AI doctor app

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Flush with funding, Instacart accelerates US expansion

Grocery delivery startup Instacart recently closed a $400 million Series D round of funding at a valuation of $3.4 billion. Now, the company is putting that capital to work by accelerating its expansion across the U.S., and offering free Instacart Express memberships to entice new users wherever it goes. According to the company’s vice president… Continue reading Flush with funding, Instacart accelerates US expansion

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Salesforce acquires MetaMind

MetaMind, a Palo Alto-based AI startup founded in July 2014, is being acquired by Salesforce. According to a new post published at the company’s website by CEO Richard Socher — a Stanford PhD who studied machine learning, deep learning, natural language processing and computer vision — Salesforce plans to use its technology to “further automate and personalize customer support,… Continue reading Salesforce acquires MetaMind

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In first India deal, Xiaomi leads $25M round for music/movie streaming firm Hungama

Xiaomi has furthered its push into India after completing its first investment in the country. The Chinese smartphone firm today announced it has led a $25 million round for Hungama, a video and music streaming service that claims 65 million users, and that it will integrate the company’s services into its content platform in India “in the near future.”… Continue reading In first India deal, Xiaomi leads $25M round for music/movie streaming firm Hungama

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On-demand valet service Luxe confirms $50m investment from Hertz

As reported by TechCrunch in February, valet service Luxe has now confirmed that it has raised $50 million in Series B funding from car rental company Hertz. Redpoint Ventures and Venrock will also be participating in the round. Luxe also announced that Hertz Global Holdings CEO John Tague will be joining Luxe’s board. “Our investment… Continue reading On-demand valet service Luxe confirms $50m investment from Hertz

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AirMap raises $15M Series A round to develop its airspace management system for drones

AirMap, a startup that provides drone operators with airspace information to let them know when and where they can fly, today announced that it has raised a $15 million Series A funding round. The round was led by General Catalyst Partners, with Lux Capital (which led the company’s $2.6 million seed round), Social Capital, TenOneTen… Continue reading AirMap raises $15M Series A round to develop its airspace management system for drones

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