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longmia@halifax.ca

Mobeewave, a Montréal-based contactless payment acceptance platform, has raised financing from Samsung Venture Investment Corp, the venture capital arm of South Korean technology giant Samsung Group. The deal adds to the Series B round secured by company in November, bringing the total to nearly $27 million (US$20 million). The round's first tranche was led by NewAlpha Asset Management, Mastercard and Forestay Capital. Mobeewave partnered with Samsung last year to make its technology available on Samsung devices in target markets. It said the additional funds raised will support R&D initiatives. Mobeewave was founded in 2012 by co-CEOs Benjamin du Haÿs and Maxime de Nanclas.
Montréal-based advertising technology provider district m has raised $12 million in financing, bringing its total funding to $20 million. The round was backed by new investor Investissement Québec, which committed $9 million, and existing investor Fonds de solidarité FTQ, which committed $3 million. Founded in 2013 and led by President and CEO Jean-François Côté, district m provides a marketplace for publishers and advertisers to connect and maximize digital advertising opportunities. It will use the funds raised for hiring staff, developing artificial intelligence capabilities, and expanding in North America and abroad.
DISCO, an Austin, Texas-based enterprise legal technology company, has raised US$83 million in its latest financing, bringing total funding to US$135 million. The round was led by Canadian growth equity firm Georgian Partners, with participation from existing investors. Georgian Partner Tyson Baber joined the board. Founded in 2012, DISCO applies artificial intelligence and cloud computing to legal problems to help lawyers improve outcomes for their clients. The funds raised will be used for scaling U.S. and global operations. The company plans to open several international offices over the next few years, including in Canada.
Ecofuel Fund, a seed fund affiliated with Canadian clean technology venture capital firm Cycle Capital Management, has secured $40.6 million in a second close. The fund raised an additional $10.6 million in commitments. Investors in the initial and second closes included BDC Capital, CRIBIQ, Desjardins Capital, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Fondaction and Investissement Québec. Ecofuel Fund, overseen by Managing Partners Richard Cloutier and Johanne Sévigny, will maintain its strategy of investing in clean technology startups located in Québec and Eastern Canada. Since 2017, it has backed 12 companies, including seven pre-seed deals as part of Ecofuel Accelerator.
Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec has invested an undisclosed amount in AddÉnergie Technologies, a Québec City-based provider of electric vehicle charging solutions. The Caisse, which was joined in the deal by the Québec government, partnered in a $12.8 million investment in the company in 2016. Founded in 2009 and led by President and CEO Louis Tremblay, AddÉnergie makes charging stations and develops network management software. It expects to have more than 100,000 stations in service within the next three years. AddÉnergie will use the funds raised to double production capacity at its Shawinigan plant, develop new products and pursue growth in the U.S. market.
BDC Capital said it will provide scholarships for Canadian venture capitalists attending the Kauffman Fellows Program, with a focus on female professionals. BDC is offering up to two partial scholarships annually for the Silicon Valley program, which each year engages 35 to 50 venture capitalists from around the world in skills training and network building. To date, only seven Fellows are active in the Canadian industry. One of the scholarships is earmarked for a female professional and will be funded by BDC's Women in Technology Venture Fund. To be considered, applicants must apply to Kauffman Fellows by February 22nd.
7shifts, a Saskatoon-based restaurant employee scheduling solution, has raised about $13.4 million (US$10 million) in a Series A financing. Napier Park Financial Partners, the private equity group of U.S. investor Napier Park Global Capital, led the round. It was joined by Teamworthy Ventures, existing backer Relay Ventures and former Snag CEO Peter Harrison. The funds raised will be used to accelerate the company's growth and enhance its product suite. Founded in 2014, 7shifts provides software to help restaurant operators and employees manage scheduling, team communication and shift feedback. The technology is used by more than 250,000 industry professionals worldwide.
Two Hat Security has acquired ImageVision, an Anna, Texas-based image recognition and visual search company. No financial terms were disclosed. Two Hat, the Kelowna, British Columbia-based creator of Community Sift, said the acquisition will enhance its all-in-one content moderation solution for social platforms. Founded in 2012 by CEO Chris Priebe, Two Hat's artificial intelligence-enabled technology helps online communities filter abuse, harassment, hate speech, adult content and other disruptive behavior. Two Hat is backed by Canadian early-stage venture capital firm iNovia Capital.
Natural Systems Utilities (NSU) has acquired Bennett Environmental Associates LLC, a Brewster, Massachusetts-based environmental and engineering services business. No financial terms were disclosed. NSU, a Hillsborough, New Jersey-based specialist in water reclamation and reuse innovation, said the deal facilitates its expansion into Cape Cod and the islands in Massachusetts. The company now operates more than 240 onsite systems in 10 states. NSU's backers include XPV Water Partners, a Canadian water-focused growth equity firm.
Zafin, a Toronto-based provider of financial services software, has raised about $22.9 million (US$17.2 million) in a Series B financing. The round was led by existing Canadian investors Vistara Capital Partners and Beedie Capital as well as Accenture Ventures, the venture capital arm of Irish professional services company Accenture. Vistara Managing Partner Randy Garg will join the board. Founded in 2002 by CEO Al Karim Somji, Zafin’s technology supports relationship pricing, bundling and rates management strategies for global financial institutions. It will use the funds raised for sales and marketing and product innovation. In December, Accenture agreed to acquire select assets of Zafin and back its growth.
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