Energy

Innovative region: Brazil

Sector report: Oil and gas

For many of the attendees at the Global Corporate Venturing and Innovation Summit 2021 held late last month in Monterey, California, the conference was their first in-real life (IRL) event since the pandemic effectively stopped them in the first quarter last year after the previous summit.

Corporate-backed communications monetisation technology developer Matrixx Software raised $50m from Francisco Partners while cancer drug developer Abalos took the same in a BIVF-backed round.

SoftBank Vision Fund 2 provided all the capital in an extension to the rooftop solar system installer's latest round, at a $1.1bn valuation.

Bond trading platform developer Trumid raised its latest round, featuring Singapore Exchange, at a $2.4bn valuation. This is one of the latest examples of such multi-million dollar deals from the roaring fintech space.

Solar wafer technology developer NexWafe bagged $45m in a Reliance Industries-led round while BDMI helped hike collectibles marketplace Rally's series B to the same size.

Neurological disease drug developer Axial raised $37.3m from investors including Taiho Ventures while Best Buy is purchasing OSF and Legal & General-backed remote healthcare technology provider Current Health.

Orbia, Koura, Hitachi, JLR, TDK, Doral and Trumpf took part in a second $70m round to be announced by the battery recycling service provider in under a month.

Mobiliar took part in a $35m round for medicine transportation system developer SkyCell while Nice Investment co-led wealth management software provider Fount's $33.4m series C.

Lithium mining process developer Lilac completed its series B round, which received backing from a several corporates. A sizeable round like this has been somewhat rare to see from the mining space, which has been so far somewhat neglected by corporates.