Vantage | June 2020

Here are the latest updates on the portfolio companies across the Vertex network. Get connected with us today – sign up for our monthly newsletter here.

Investments

• Linsi Micro (CN) raises pre-A funding round led by Vertex Ventures China (article in Chinese)
• M17 (SEAI & Growth) raises USD26.5M in Series D round led by Vertex Growth
• Nium (SEAI & Growth) lands investment from Visa
• Validus (SEAI & Growth) secures USD20M in Series B round to strengthen SEA presence, co-led by Vertex Growth
• Watchful (IL) comes out of stealth, raises USD3M from Vertex Ventures Israel

Partnership

• Desktop Metal (US) partners with Cetim on its shop system; named as IDC Innovators
• Grab (SEAI), BRI launch soft-loan program for drivers, merchants
• Housejoy (SEAI) joins hands with SRL Diagnostics to launch mobile health clinic vans in Bengaluru
• LeaseLock (US) partners with relief foundation to help renters affected by COVID-19, eliminates deposits with Goodman Real Estate

Growth

• Binance (CN & SEAI) invested in a regulated bitcoin exchange in Indonesia
• Bicycle Therapeutics (HC & Growth) announces publication of BT5528 mechanism of action
• Boundless Bio (HC) presents data at the 2020 ASCO Virtual Annual Meeting
• Hasura (US) schedules first user conference as it pushes the boundaries of GraphQL
• Housejoy (SEAI) appoints senior vice president of growth and strategy
• Licious (SEAI & Growth) and other e-grocery start-ups witness a surge in demand amidst crisis
• Obsidian Therapeutics (HC) develops safe workplace productivity solution in response to Covid-19
• ScyllaDB (IL) announces 4.0 release of its open source NoSQL database
• Twentyeight-seven (HC) CEO shares ideas for coping with Coronavirus
• Geek+ (CN & Growth) brings warehouse robots to US via Conveyco partnership; reaches new heights with world's first Extended-Depth Bin-to-Person robot
• HappyFresh (SEAI) hits profit milestone as industry rides pandemic’s swell
• Kryon (IL) provides RPA solution with instantaneous processing of COVID-19 test results data
• NIUM (SEAI & Growth) expands remittance routes for Kasikornbank customers
• Olympic Ophthalmics (HC) receives FDA clearance for iTEAR100® neurostimulator
• PerimeterX (US & Growth) shares how it can help with the shadow code issue
• Sokowatch (US) helps the vulnerable access essential goods
• Tabit (IL) offers restaurants its channel program and COVID-19 relief offer for its cloud-based service
• Very Good Security (US) named as technology partner in the Amazon Web Services partner network

Recognition

• Atidot (IL) CEO shared views on the digital tools insurers need to implement today:
• Semidrive (CN) CEO shares views on challenges domestic startups face in deploying automotive chips (article in Chinese)
• SmartX (CN) selected for Forrester Global Hyper-Convergence "Now Tech" report (article in Chinese)
• Xuebajun (CN) CEO recognized as one of Top 100 entrepreneurs in 2019 in China (article in Chinese)
• Cylus (IL) CEO shares how the lack of cybersecurity exposes rail freight to attacks
• Geek+ (CN & Growth) obtained the first ETL certification in China's mobile robot industry (article in Chinese)
• Julive (CN) talks about how China's real estate industry will drive growth and increase efficiency through technology innovation (article in Chinese)
• Kissht (SEAI) CEO talks about lending in the time of COVID-19 in this podcast