China-based mobile app developer Apus Group secured $100m on Friday in a series B round co-led by Qiming Venture Partners, backed by numerous US universities and research institutions, according to Marbridge Daily.
Chengwei Ventures and SIG Ventures, the corporate venturing unit of technology and trading firm Susquehanna International Group, co-led the round, while Northern Light Venture Capital and Redpoint Ventures also participated. Qiming closed its $500m Fund IV in April 2014 after raising funds from medical practice Mayo Clinic as well as a range of universities, investment firms and trusts.
Apus raised $7m from a series A round last year that featured Northern Light Venture Capital and Redpoint Ventures.
The company has developed an app launcher for Android smartphones that automatically puts a user’s most utilised apps on the home screen while expending less battery power and memory than the default launcher. Apus has claims to have attracted 90 million users since the product’s launch in July 2014.
A version of this article first appeared on our sister site Global Corporate Venturing.
