Transport

Michelin Ventures is in the process of closing its fourth investment and hopes to invest between $28.5m and $34m per year.

Two large and important deals above the $1bn mark in the e-commerce and e-retail space in East Asia appeared in the news last week. Both deals involved telecoms group SoftBank as a corporate backer.

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

Leap Motor has received $288m in a round co-led by Shanghai Electric and CRRC as it prepares to launch its smart electric sports car early next year.

The seed funding will support CMU spinout RoadBotics’ automated road inspection platform already used by 78 clients in the US and Australia.

The number of flotations of companies that have previously received corporate backing has been growing over the past couple years. More interestingly, it has been companies from the life sciences sector that beat other sectors in going public.

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

Supply chain management software provider Airspace Technologies took its total funding to $28m in a round featuring existing investor Qualcomm Ventures.

The autonomous driving technology developer plans to expand globally after landing funding from Sungwoo Hitech as part of a larger round.

The transportation services provider is eyeing mobility startups with $100m corporate venturing fund ComfortDelGro Capital Partners.

Nikola Corporation has doubled the size of a Nel-backed round to $210m, valuing it at $1.3bn post-money as it gears up to launch its hydrogen-powered semi-truck.