CAC, Bandai Namco and Sega all took part in the round as new investors, helping the WPP-backed emotion recognition software company boost its total funding to $34m.
US-based emotion recognition software developer Affectiva has raised $14m in new funding from investors including IT services provider CAC Holdings, and video game producers Bandai Namco and Sega Sammy Holdings.
The round was led by Fenox Venture Capital, the US-based venture capital firm that counts CAC, Bandai Namco and Sega as limited partners. It increased Affectiva’s overall funding to $34m.
Spun out of MIT Media Lab in 2009, Affectiva is working on software that can sense and analyse facial expressions to identify which emotions are being expressed.
The company will use the funding to beef up its research team with machine learning, computer vision and emotion science experts, and to expand globally.
Kantar, the consumer insight division of marketing firm WPP, led Affectiva’s $5.7m series B round in 2011, investing together with Myrian Capital, before both were joined by Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Peder Wallenberg Charitable Trust for a $12m round the following year.
– This story first appeared on our sister site Global Corporate Venturing.
