Trussle, an online matchmaking service for mortgage seekers, has closed a $1.6m round led by Robin and Saul Klein’s new VC firm, Localglobe. Money transfer service WorldRemit has landed $45m in new funding from TriplePoint Venture Growth, BDC Corp and Silicon Valley Bank. Cybersecurity startup Digital Shadows has closed a $14m series B round. Digital Shadows provides cyber situational awareness which helps profile attackers and potential threats. And for the top investment this week, Student.com, a marketplace for international student accommodation, has closed a $60m round led by VY Capital.
In Other News…
Karma Ventures has announced the launch of a €40m fund for European early-stage tech startups. The fund will be based in Luxembourg and is looking for 25 startups with a certain focus on the Internet of Things (IoT), FinTech, HealthTech and EdTech. Tech City UK has released its Tech Nation report showing 32% faster growth in tech compared to the rest of the economy and £161 billion in turnover for digital tech companies in 2014.
Tech City News Update
Startups, its that time of year again, our Elevator Pitch Competition kicks off and applications are now open. Head to the website for your chance to win and boost your profile. To date Elevator Pitch winners have raised over $100m and include the likes of Yplan, Hassle.com and Import.io.
The next issue of our print magazine is out on the 22nd February, make sure you subscribe to get your free copy. We have a special report on cyber security, an exclusive interview with Dr. Sue Black and a feature on the up and coming tech hub of Amsterdam.
And if that wasn’t enough, this week we’ve released The Scale Up Guide to Amsterdam video. We talk to big names Booking.Com, Adyen and The Next Web. For more check out our YouTube channel.
Our Download of the week
Our download of the week is Quiqup. Quiqup promises to bring you anything, anywhere in London from a takeaway to the latest iphone. The app will do your errands for you.
And finally, Google has managed to convince the US government that the tech company’s computers – rather than humans – should be defined as the “drivers” of their self driving cars. Although the transport authority said it agreed the software WAS the driver in a Google car, it also said it had no test to evaluate whether the software was a good one.