Financial

Sister publication Global University Venturing’s analysis of the second quarter of 2019 shows increased investment activity as the year progresses and record-breaking amounts generated through exits.

The developing digital health sector has had to wait almost three years for the public markets to open up to it, but when they did, it was corporate venturing portfolio companies that were first through the flotation exit doors.

Sector review: Telecoms

“WeWork’s Bonkers IPO,” said Fortune’s daily newsletter. “The Weirdness of WeWork’s IPO Filing”, sister publication CEO Daily called it, adding: “If a recession is coming, the WeWork IPO filing… will be a fitting capstone for the peak.”

PDDai and Bertelsmann Asia Investments invested as part of a round bringing the online insurance consultancy’s overall funding to more than $41m.

Corporates Ping An and Raisin have invested in Joonko, a financial services comparison portal launched by Ping An portfolio company Finleap.

Mastercard and Visa have provided an undisclosed amount for Plaid, which was valued at $2.65bn as of a $250m round in December.

Peer-to-peer lending platform Terafunding has revealed a series B round closed last month backed by Woomi Construction, Hana Ventures, and IBK Industrial Bank.

September started out with news on several life sciences companies about to go public as well as a large acquisition deal of another one of them. This space enjoyed a great number of exits last year and the trend appears on a path to be continued through 2019.

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

The advertising agency has set up Zoomworks Ventures to back marketing and advertising technology startups and has already made its first three investments.