Messaging app Snapchat has raised $175 million in fresh funding at the same $16 billion valuation it had a year ago, according to reports from Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. The new funds are an extension of the Series F round which the company began raising last year. Fidelity Investments and other investors provided the backing. Snapchat is still the sixth highest valued venture-backed company in the world, tied with Didi Kuaidi, the Chinese ride-hailing app.
Photomapping platform Mapillary has announced an $8 million Series A funding round led by Atomico, with participation from Sequoia, LDV Capital and PlayFair. The Mapillary platform is community-based meaning anyone can contribute photos, and computer vision software extracts geographical location and blurs license plates and faces. “Mapillary is reinventing the way we map and navigate our world,” said Niklas Zennström, CEO and Founding Partner at Atomico. “Their ambition is to transform the way we plan our cities, develop transport networks, and understand all parts of the globe. We’re proud to invest in the next phase of their growth and we look forward to working alongside Jan Erik and his team as they advance their technology and scale the business.”
Africa Internet Group, the parent company of e-commerce platform Jumia, has secured $326 million in new funding led by existing investors including MTN and Rocket Internet, and new investor Goldman Sachs. “This investment is a recognition of the success that Jumia has already achieved and provides us with a strategic flexibility to further support our efforts to offer the best shopping experience to our customers,” said Sacha Poignonnec and Jeremy Hodara, founders and co-CEOs of Jumia and AIG. “We are delighted to welcome AXA and Goldman Sachs as new investors and are also grateful for the continued confidence from our existing shareholders. To us, it is a recognition of the quality of our operations across the African continent and an affirmation of the significant growth potential of Jumia.”
Digital video startup ICX Media has raised $2.5 million in seed financing. The company aims to build a content distribution and data platform for independent video creators, brands and media companies. “The next battlefront for video content extends across web, mobile and connected TV channels and apps such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and digital brand platforms such as Amazon, Vimeo, Vessel, Hulu and Netflix,” said Michael Avon, Chairman and CEO, ICX Media. “We are building technology and data-driven solutions to address the unique challenges and opportunities this evolving industry has for independent content creators. Our platform will also enable media companies and brands to find, license and distribute highly-desired digital content more seamlessly.”