Visa is to acquire one of its portfolio companies, financial data network operator Plaid, in multi-billion-dollar transaction, which comes only four months after its latest commitment to the company along with its peer Mastercard.

Each Friday the Global Corporate Venturing Deal Net rounds up the week’s smaller deals and tracks the emerging companies accessing corporate funds.

Mobile payment technology provider Lydia took its total funding to $73m in a $44.5m round that also attracted CNP Assurances, with the cash to fund European expansion.

Hearst Ventures joined existing investors MassMutual Ventures and Nationwide Ventures as the insurance comparison platform took its total funding to nearly $30m.

Ping An's financial technology spinoff, which also counts SoftBank Vision Fund and SBI as shareholders, has sold an additional $35.2m in shares in the offering.

Martha Notaras, previously a partner at XL Innovate, has teamed up with former New York Life Investments executive John Kim at fintech and insurtech-oriented VC fund Brewer Lane Ventures.

Visa is buying Plaid four months after investing in it, at a price that doubles the financial data technology provider's 2018 valuation.

The payment automation software provider, which counts Mastercard and several banks among its investors, has bagged another $130m.

Proceeds from the Telstra Ventures-led series B round will allow Corvus to accelerate insurance technology development and build tools to improve its risk management.

Salesforce Ventures-backed financial customer communication platform Practifi has raised $16.3m for recruitment and product development.