Raise Report: Blippar, AppCard, Ninjacart Reel in Fresh Rounds
Every two weeks, we round up some of the biggest fundraises taking place in hyperlocal marketing, commerce, and tech.
Monday, Feb. 29: AppCard scores $20 million to bolster deals platform
AppCard, a special offers platform for retailers, has raised $20 million in series B funding, according to Media Post. The round will fuel product development and business growth. Alexander Rittweger, founder of Loyalty Partner and PLDT Capital, led the round.
Tuesday, March 1: Mariana pulls in $2 million for individualized marketing platform
Mariana, which champions a marketing strategy based on personalized information about individual potential clients, has raised $2 million, according to a press release. Mariana uses Deep Learning, an artificial intelligence process, to identify consumer interests and target likely buyers for a given business. With the seed funding, provided by Bruce Taragin, Gokul Rajaram, Gerri Elliott, and Semil Shah, the company launched last week.
Wednesday, March 2: Blippar racks up $54 million to buttress augmented reality searches
Blipper, a search engine that allows users to point their phone at an object and immediately find information about it, has raised $54 million in Series D funding, TechCrunch reported. Blippar will use the capital to soup up its technology and expand its 60-person staff. “The strategic investment arm of the Government of Malaysia” led the round, according to TechCrunch.
Friday, March 4: ICX Media bags $2.5 million to “democratize” video media
ICX Media, a video content marketplace connecting video journalists and media companies, has raised $2.5 million in seed funding, according to a press release. Phil Herget, a media veteran based at Vubiquity, led the round, which will help ICX Media further establish itself in the industry.
Monday, March 7: Staff Finder locks down €20 million to help cover shifts
Staff Finder, which connects workers looking for wages with businesses in need of immediate, temporary labor, has raised €20 million, TechCrunch reported. Staff Finder will use the capital to fuel expansion abroad, staking out space in the U.K. in particular. Goldman Sachs Private Capital and One Peak Partners provided led the round.
Monday, March 7: Ninjacart nabs $3 million to streamline agricultural retail
Accel Partners, Qualcomm Ventures, M&S Partners and Zop Smart have contributed $3 million to Ninjacart’s newest round, according to livemint.com. Once in the grocery delivery business, Ninjacart now connects farmers to retailers, cutting out the middlemen who drain farmers’ profits on their products. Ninjacart will use the funds to boost its technology and staff.
Thursday, March 10: Icertis secures $15 million to centralize contracting
Management software builder Icertis has raised $15 million in new funding, the Seattle Times reported. Icertis seeks to centralize a slew of small transactions within a business with its contracting software, which allows staffers to make business-related purchases without contacting departments directly in charge of those payments. Icertis co-founder and CEO Samir Bodas told TechCrunch his company will use the funding to open offices in two new cities and expand marketing efforts across the Atlantic. Ignition Partners, based in Seattle, led the round.
Joseph Zappa is a Street Fight contributor.