February closed with a total of €18.99 million invested in a total of 15 public operations, a rather low figure if we compare it with the first month of the year (January closed with €48.47 million invested in startups). For yet another year it is one of the weakest months of the year as was the case in 2019, when February closed with €12 million invested in startups in a total of seven public operations.
The accumulated amounts of the last two years are very similar since the €67.46M obtained in these two months of the beginning of 2020 are not far from the €73.63M of January and February 2019. Among the main rounds of the month, the Andalusian startup Genially stands out, which has closed its first big round of investment of €4.4 million and its objective is to continue its expansion this time through the United States. The second most important round of the month was the €2.1 million Cobee deal led by European investment funds Speedinvest and Target Global and by international business angel Chris Bouwer.
INVESTMENT ROUNDS
Genial.ly: the technological platform for the creation of interactive content, has closed a funding round of €4.4 million. This round was led by the funds JME Ventures, GP Bullhound, Market One Capital, Athos Capital Fund, FJ Labs and private investors such as Felix Ruiz. The investment will be used for growth in key markets such as the USA, where they already have an office in New York, as well as for the expansion of the team and the continuous improvement of the product.
Cobee: the Spanish employee benefits management startup has closed a Pre-Series A round worth €2.1 million. The operation was led by the European investment funds Speedinvest and Target Global and by the international business angel Chris Bouwer (co-founder of Adyen). Encomenda Smart Capital, Sabadell VC (Banco Sabadell), Lanai Partners and Abac Nest have also renewed their commitment.
Loyal Guru: the Loyalty Marketing Platform founded in 2016 has completed a €2 million financing round led by the private equity firm Greycroft. The company, which recently landed in LATAM, will use this financing to continue developing its international expansion. The company’s objective is to become one of the world’s leading technology startups in the retail sector for end consumer development and loyalty.
Woonivers: the 100% digital application that manages VAT refund requests from non-EU tourists, has closed its second round of financing worth €1.6 million and led by OneRagtime, the French startup investment platform. The Spanish investment fund Encomenda also participated in the operation, as well as Mexican private investment funds and public capital.
Sego Finance: the digital investment platform, which enables retail and institutional investors to access equity and debt products, has closed a financing round for an amount close to €1.5 million. The operation has allowed the entry into the shareholding of the holding GVC Gaesco as the main strategic partner, as well as other private investors and family offices. This completes the expansion started by its partners’ own contributions in September last year.
Baula: specialized in the development and commercialization of ecological and sustainable products for the cleaning sector. The company has closed a capital increase for an amount of €1.3 million, in which business angels and national and international family offices have participated, as well as the current shareholders. After this capital injection, the startup is already focused on attracting new talent that will contribute to the expansion of the company.
Tropicfeel: the travel equipment company has closed a capital increase of 1.2 million through the Crowdcube investment platform, in which more than 800 investors from 66 countries invested. The startup will use the funds for its international expansion plan and the launch of new products.
Aragon: Tim Draper, an American investor, has invested one million dollars in the blockchain startup Aragon. The project aims to promote the creation and management of autonomous, decentralized organizations. Its so-called “judicial system” handles “subjective disputes that require the judgment of human juries,” according to the company.
Schaman: Inveready has invested one million Euro in Schaman, a company that has developed a tool that rethinks traditional technical service processes. This allows telecommunications companies to offer a personalized, dynamic and multi-channel experience. The operation has been carried out under the umbrella of MASVentures, MásMóvil’s corporate acceleration program, in which the company has participated in its first edition.
Miller & Marc: has closed a financing round of €750,000 led by the Mazzucchelli family, which has covered 95% of the funds raised, while the remaining 5% was invested by current partners. With the recent injection, the ecommerce that was created in 2016 bets on reinforcing its expansion and growth strategy with the opening of five more points of sale for 2020.
Melio: carried out its first round of funding worth €600,000 thanks to British investors who are experts in the world of health and consumer products. Among them, Beaumont Capital, an Oxford investment fund led by Andrew Johnson and with great experience in the world of technology and investment, and Gi Fernando, one of the first investors in Sleepio and Citymapper and founder of Freeformers.
Catevering: the global provider of business catering, has closed a funding round of €500,000. The company offers its clients a platform where they can compare, choose and book catering for their events online, while giving its partners the possibility of digitizing their product on a state-of-the-art platform that is specifically adapted to the corporate environment.
Arengu: closed a financing round of €500,000 led by K Fund. The business group Lanai Partners and the investor Rafael Garrido also participated in the operation. The company was founded in 2018 by Jacobo Vidal, Sergio Regueira and Pablo Castro, three Spanish entrepreneurs under 30. It allows the creation and management of online forms from any device, facilitating access and simplifying user registration thanks to its innovative SaaS solution.
Red Helmet: the company dedicated to the creation and development of virtual reality video games, raised €300,000 in an operation led by Enisa and the ICEC, with contributions of €150,000 each. The operation was advised by the independent financial consultant UpBizor and allows the technological startup to open its second premises in Barcelona, next to Sants station.
Mr Noow: the app that allows you to pre-order food in nearby restaurants from your mobile phone, has closed a round of €240,000 through Crowdcube and with a total of 169 investors. In the last 16 months, Mr Noow has managed increase its monthly orders by twelve, exceeding 3,000 orders in November 2019. With the capital raised, the startup will be able to consolidate its leadership position in Barcelona and expand in Madrid, as well as launch in Valencia, where it plans to land in the second half of the year.