Startups

Company focus: Alibaba

First quarter analysis

Sector focus: Consumer

Statoil's newly formed $200m cleaner energy-focused fund will look to build up a portfolio of 15 to 25 companies in the next four to seven years, according to SEV managing director Gareth Burns.

The enterprise messaging company took its total funding to $540m, securing $200m at a $3.8bn valuation from backers including Alphabet and Comcast, showing there is still big late-stage money available for the right kind of company.

Discussion at Kyushu University, Japan, identifies that Fukuoka, under its youthful mayor Soichiro Takashima (he was elected in 2010 aged 36), is one region continuing to explore its options to be a growth centre.

All the VC deals (with named investors) on Friday had effectively corporate or government venture capital angles, including sole rounds by CVCs.

HNA Group has invested $185m in sports streaming platform Le Sports as part of a round that could end up topping $1bn, showing how online companies are helping China's media sector rapidly grow.

Thierry Heles, editor of Global University Venturing, takes an alternate look at one of last week's corporate venturing deals.