[Updated 10/17/17, 9:54 am. See below.] It’s time to catch up on the latest venture capital investments and other funding news from the Boston tech scene:
—XFactor Ventures announced its first eight investments. The $3 million fund—formed by Flybridge Capital Partners and a group of women entrepreneurs in Boston, New York, and the Bay Area—plans to invest $100,000 in 30 early-stage companies with at least one woman founder.
—Boston-based AirFox said it raised $15 million through an initial coin offering (ICO), a sale of digital tokens. The company said the money will be used to fund development of its blockchain-based software platform. The software enables mobile phone users in emerging markets to share their device data and responses to ads with advertisers and lenders; in return, consumers earn “AirTokens”—digital tokens that can be converted into mobile air time, AirFox says.
—Renew Energy Partners announced it raised $40 million in capital. Rollins Capital led the investment, and was joined by Proficio Capital Partners and a group of Renew’s original angel investors.
Boston-based Renew designs, finances, constructs, and manages projects that retrofit buildings with technologies aimed at reducing energy usage and lowering operational costs—think installing more efficient heating systems and light bulbs. In exchange for funding the upfront investment in the projects, Renew takes a cut of the money that building owners save over time from reduced utility bills. Renew said more than $11 million of the new capital will fund projects in New York and Massachusetts, including retrofits of multi-family housing complexes, factories, and hospitals. [This announcement added.—Eds.]
—Vestmark secured $11.65 million from investors, according to an SEC filing. The Wakefield, MA-based company provides wealth management software and related services.
—Boston-based CloudZero announced it received $5 million in a Series A funding round led by Matrix Partners and Underscore VC. The one-year-old startup provides tools for securing and managing cloud-based software systems.
—Groupize, a Beverly, MA-based company whose software helps companies book meeting rooms and overnight stays at hotels, said it raised $3.25 million from investors, an expansion of its Series A funding round. The company’s new backers include Wayfare Ventures, NTX Ventures, and the Ace Fund. Groupize’s other investors include Thayer Ventures, which led the round, Golden Seeds, and Launchpad Venture Group.
—Boston-based SidelineSwap said it snagged $2 million in an extension of its seed funding round. (Technically, it raised about $1.8 million, per an SEC filing.) The money comes from a group of investors, including former Etsy CEO Maria Thomas and The Players’ Impact, a group of Olympians and professional athletes.
SidelineSwap previously raised just under $1.7 million in debt financing and other securities, SEC filings show. The company, originally based in New York, runs an online sports gear marketplace.
—MultiSensor Scientific raised $1.5 million from investors, an SEC filing shows. The Somerville, MA-based company developed imaging technology for detecting and assessing gas leaks.
