A half-dozen Bay Area startups announced early stage funding during the last 24 hours. They include a business specializing in anti-hacking technology for mobile devices, a gastrointestinal-focused pharmaceutical company, and an app that brings a valet to you. The details are here:
—Mobile-defense company Zimperium took in $12 million of Series B funding to build out its customer base and operations and to further develop its product, which battles cybercrime on mobile devices. Targeting anyone with a cell phone, including companies who are trying to keep corporate data secure, Zimperium gives customers “continuous, on-device protection against WiFi, cellular and host-based cyberattacks,” the company said in a statement. The funding was led by one of its customers, Australian telecommunications and information services firm Telstra. TOYO Corporation, Sierra Ventures, Lazarus Israel Opportunities Fund, and Samsung also participated.
—Branch Metrics, a startup that aims to make searching in apps more like searching on the Internet, has received a $15 million Series A led by New Enterprise Associates, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company’s linking technology lets users who are searching for information about an app see content in that app before deciding to download it, according to the Journal. The company, based in Palo Alto, was founded in 2012. Cowboy Ventures, Pejman Mar Ventures, and TriplePoint Capital also participated in the financing.
— Lyric Pharmaceuticals, a company focused on therapeutics for gastrointestinal ailments that in-licensed its first drug candidate in September, closed a $20.4 million Series A. The funding was led by RiverVest Venture Partners, Sante Ventures, and Third Point Ventures. Aperture Venture Partners also contributed. The South San Francisco company was founded in 2013 by David Wurtman and M. Scott Harris. RiverVest led a $825,000 seed round last year.
—Opendoor Labs received $20 million of Series B funding, bringing its total raised to $30 million, for its tool meant to help homeowners sell their properties, according to The Wall Street Journal. The company was launched in Phoenix two months ago, and plans to expand to Portland, OR, and Dallas this year. The funding was led by GGV Capital along with Khosla Ventures, which provided the original seed funding.
—Chefs Feed, which provides user recommendations on where to dine from well-known chefs, received a $4 million Series A round. The San Francisco company, which operates a website and mobile app, is using the money to further develop new products, make new hires, and expand to new cities, it said in a statement. The round was led by ARTIS Ventures, and also included Structure Capital, Haas Portman, and Subtraction Capital.
—Luxe, a San Francisco-based app that allows users to hail a valet to come pick up their car and park it, received Series A funding of $20 million led by Redpoint Ventures and Venrock Partners, according to TechCrunch, which cited anonymous sources. When users are ready to get their car back, they use the app to mark where they would like the car to be returned, according to the website.
