Iris Dorbian
Architizer has raised $2 million in seed financing. The investors included Gaspar Global Ventures. In addition to the funding, Andy Gaspar has been added to the company's board. Based in New York City, Architizer is an online resource for architects.
Entertainment giant Wall Disney Company has teamed up with Techstars to launch Disney Accelerator, an LA-based three-month mentorship and seed-stage investment program. The initiative, which begins June 30, 2014, is looking for applicants with early-stage companies that have "innovative consumer media and entertainment product ideas." Each participant will receive $120,000 in funding to develop their ideas. They will also get mentor support from Disney executives that include Robert A. Iger, the company's chairman and CEO.
Arizona State University has received a $1 million grant from the Maricopa County Industrial Development Authority to launch a VC fund. The target is $10 million. According to ASU, the pool will focus on companies that have been aided by ASU-supported accelerator programs. The fund will make investments ranging from $50,000 to $250,000 in selected companies.
OTOY has received Series D funding. No financial terms were disclosed. Yuri Milner led the round with participation from former Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack, Autodesk, Taylor Frigon, George Gilder and The Roddenberry Trust. Based in Los Angeles, OTOY is a cloud graphics company.
Cybereason has closed $4.6 million in Series A funding. Charles River Ventures was the investor. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass. and with offices in Israel, Cybereason is a cyber security startup.
Amedica Corp launched its IPO after having priced its offering of 3.5 million shares at $5.75 per share. The stock began trading Thursday on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "AMDA." JMP Securities is the lead underwriter. Based in Salt Lake City, Amedica Corp is a provider of spinal and orthopedic implants. Its backers include GE Capital and Creation Capital.
Infogr.am said Thursday that it has received 1.34 million euros in funding. The investors were Point Nine Capital, Connect Ventures and HackFwd. In addition to the financing, Christoph Janz of Point Nine Capital and Pietro Bezza of Connect Ventures have joined the company's board. Based in Riga, Latvia, Infogr.am is a provider of data visualization solutions.
Curious.com said Thursday that it has secured $15 million in Series B funding. GSV Capital led the round with participation from return backers Redpoint Ventures, Bill Campbell and Jesse Rogers. Concurrent with the funding, Michael Moe, chairman and CEO of GSV, will join Curious.com's board of directors. Based in Menlo Park, Calif., Curious.com is a learning marketplace.
Fuel 3D Technologies Ltd. has closed $2.6 million in financing. Ben Gill of Chimera Partners led the round. According to the company, the funding will be used to develop its Fuel3D scanner technology. With offices in the U.S. and the UK, Fuel 3D Technologies is a maker of 3D scanning solutions.
RiseSmart said Thursday that it has raised $11 million in growth equity financing. Accel-KKR led the round with participation from previous backer Norwest Venture Partners. According to the company, the capital infusion will be used for sales and marketing expansion. Also, Greg Williams, managing director of Accel-KKR, will join RiseSmart's board of directors. Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., RiseSmart is a provider of enterprise career management solutions.