Some fundraising, acquisition, and board-member news from Boston-area tech companies big and small, old and new, from video games to surgical robots and beyond:
—Harmonix, the video game developer behind Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and Dance Central, is adding Foundry Group VC Brad Feld to its board. Feld notes he was an angel investor in Harmonix, sharing in a big return when the company sold to MTV for around $175 million in 2006 after raising a total of about $10 million. MTV and parent Viacom sold Harmonix in 2010, and the developer spun out. It’s still based in Cambridge, MA. It’s not clear how much Foundry invested in the company, or when.
—Medrobotics, a Raynham, MA-based developer of robotic technology meant to assist surgeons, has borrowed $10 million as it gets ready for a commercial rollout in the U.S. and Europe. The company says it secured the loan from Hercules Technology Growth Capital (NYSE: [[ticker:HTGC]]), a lender that specializes in tech-sector growth financing.
—Boston’s High Street Partners, a provider of business management software, says it has raised $8 million in new venture financing. The investment was led by Baird Capital and included participation from Sigma Partners and Gold Hill Capital. High Street Partners’ products are aimed at helping businesses manage tasks like bookkeeping, payroll, and vendor payments as they expand to international markets.
—KnowledgeVision, a Lincoln, MA-based seller of online video marketing software, has raised nearly $1.9 million in financing from a group of mostly unnamed investors. The startup, founded in 2010, did say that previous venture investor GrandBanks Capital participated in the round. In a release, CEO Michael Kolowich says the company’s “client and revenue base is now three times as large as it was at the beginning of last year.”
—Boston-based Mobiquity, a startup that creates mobile apps and services for business clients, says it has acquired Vertical Performance Partners, a small business software company based in Providence, RI. No terms of the deal were disclosed. Mobiquity says it will continue to offer VPP’s product, Velocity, which is used in corporate meetings and training sessions.
—CoachUp, a Boston startup and TechStars alum that is building an online service to help consumers find private sports coaches, is adding some big names to its roster: Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is joining the company’s advisory board, and Boston Bruins legend Cam Neely is joining the board of directors.
