Geez, go away for a few days and a bunch of news blows up in Boston. Here are a few of the local technology deals we’re catching up on this week. (I’m not even touching the recent developments with HubSpot, Quanttus, or Tom Brady and the NFL yet.)
—CashStar, a company that makes digital gift cards and commerce software, has raised a $15 million Series D funding round led by FTV Capital, with Mosaik Partners also participating (along with previous investors). The Portland, ME, company works with retailers and restaurants and has now raised $50 million to date.
—Ditto Labs, an image-recognition startup, has raised $4 million from investors including Stage 1 Ventures and MDC Partners. The Cambridge, MA-based company uses computer-vision software to help brand marketers and ad agencies find leads in photos on social media.
—This one is unconfirmed: Re/code reported that data-storage giant EMC is considering being acquired by VMware, 80 percent of which is owned by… EMC. The deal structure and politics would be complicated, but it sounds like the companies are exploring a few options, including a “downstream merger.” EMC’s market cap is just north of $50 billion, while VMware’s is about $36 billion—but its shares have a higher valuation relative to earnings than EMC’s.
—Social robotics startup Jibo is back in the news with some extra cash. The company has raised $11 million from Asian investors including Acer, Dentsu Ventures, and NetPosa. The money is an extension of a $25.3 million Series A round the startup raised in January. Jibo is designed to be a family companion for the connected home. Just don’t make it hitchhike through Philly.
