Daily fantasy sports website DraftKings has raised $300 million in new funding, led by 21st Century Fox’s Fox Sports. The funding round reportedly values DraftKings at $1.2 billion. Re/Code reports that Fox Sports will pay $150 million for 11% of the company, and the deal states that DraftKings will spend roughly $250 million on ads with the broadcaster as part of the deal. Investors included a range of companies such as Atlas Ventures, Major League Baseball, the National Hockey League and the Kraft Group.
Kabbage, a fintech provider, has raised $150 million at a valuation of around $875 million, according to a report from the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Santander Bank was joined by Indian and Chinese private equity firms in the Series E investment round, and existing backers BlueRun Ventures, Thomvest Ventures and UPS’ Strategic Enterprise Fund also participated. Kabbage provides short-term working capital to small and medium sized businesses, using automation and analytics. “There is a dearth of technology in small business funding,” Kabbage co-founder Kathryn Petralia told Atlanta Business Chronicle in June. “Automating the process is not only faster, it is less hassle.”
Secret Escapes, a London-based website offering flash sales on luxury travel, has raised $60 million in a funding round led by Google Ventures and Octopus Investments. Index Ventures and Atlas Ventures also participated in the Series C round. The company will use the funds for further international expansion. Secret Escapes already operates in 13 countries and boasts more than 19 million members.
ManageMySpa, a technology platform for the beauty and wellness industry, has raised $6 million in Series A funding from Accel Partners. The company will use the money for sales and marketing and will expand its mobile offering. ManageMySpa was founded in Hyderabad, India in 2010 but is now headquartered in Seattle. It offers a SaaS solution to spas and salons which manages operations such as online booking, appointment management and point-of-sale.