BMW backing brings blockchain startup Vendia’s total funding to £15 million

BMW i Ventures was among the investors to join Vendia’s series A funding round for its serverless SaaS (software as a service) blockchain solution, which raised $15.5 million (£11.2m) and brought their total funds raised to $20.6m (£15m).

The investment was led by Canvas Ventures, with participation from BMW i Ventures and Sorenson Ventures, who joined earlier seed round investors such as Neotribe Ventures, WestWave Capital, Firebolt Ventures, and more.

Vendia is...

11 February 2021 | Automotive

BitMart’s 2020 cryptos of the year report: LRC, EWT, INJ among tokens nominated

Digital assets trading platform provider BitMart has released its Cryptos of the Year 2020 report - and considered that while Bitcoin remains on top, altcoins will move forward in 2021.

The study, which reviewed all coins listed on the BitMart platform, cited 10 coins to consider based on popularity with investors, return rate, and potential ROI. The study also garnered opinions from the chief executives of each nominated company - which the press materials curiously cite as '10...

14 January 2021 | Bitcoin

Chainalysis secures $100m series C funding to scale with crypto surge

Chainalysis, a provider of blockchain data and analysis across multiple sectors, has raised $100 million (£74.9m) in series C funding - citing a 'surging' cryptocurrency market as key to future investment.

The funding round is the second for the New York-based company this year, having extended its series B to $49m in July.

"As institutional dollars flow into this newly regulated and increasingly mainstream asset class," the company wrote, on crypto, "Chainalysis will...

26 November 2020 | Cryptocurrency

PwC: Blockchain technologies could boost global economy to tune of $1.7 trillion by 2030

A new analysis from PwC estimates blockchain technologies could spark a $1.7 trillion boost in the global economy by 2030 - with the UK set to benefit to the tune of £57 billion ($72bn).

The findings come from a report which is part of a series exploring the economic impact and use cases for emerging technologies. PwC said its analysis 'showed the potential for blockchain to support organisations in how they rebuild and reconfigure their operations', particularly in the...

13 October 2020 | Banking

Bitpanda secures $52 million series A funding for further European expansion

Bitpanda, a financial marketplace for digital and blockchain-based assets, has secured $52 million (£40.1m) in series A funding to help scale and build its presence in new European markets.

The Austria-based platform provider, which offers brokerage for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin among others, has expanded to France, Spain and Turkey in 2020, looking further afield for this year and next. The company claims to be doubling revenue annually, with more than 1.3 million...

5 October 2020 | Banking

Blockchain-focused venture firm Electric Capital raises $110m in seed and series A fund

Electric Capital, an early stage venture firm which focuses on cryptocurrencies, blockchain and fintech, has secured a $110 million (£84.1m) seed and series A fund, focused on cryptonetworks and blockchain-enabled businesses.

The company, whose bets include Coinlist, CryptoKitties and Oasis Labs among others, said the capital raised - its second fund - will go into five specific areas. These are decentralised finance (DeFi), particularly around insurance and credit scoring;...

5 August 2020 | Applications

Howdoo becomes Hyprr, grabs Alpha Sigma Capital funding for blockchain social network

Meet Hyprr. The startup, based out of Los Angeles, is looking to utilise blockchain technology to create a social network which offers greater control to users and creators.

The company's platform is powered by UDOO, a utility token, whereby users and content creators can utilise paywall features. Users can also generate income through likes and shares - much as Medium and other publishers do with claps.

Hyprr was previously known as Howdoo, but earlier this week changed...

30 July 2020 | Applications

WEF article explores how blockchain could be key to ‘equitable’ Covid-19 vaccine distribution

Blockchain will be an 'essential' and 'integral' tool in distributing a potential Covid-19 vaccine, according to an article published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

In a note published by Punit Shukla and Amey Raiput, WEF project lead and fellow for blockchain and digital assets, alongside Sid Chakravarthy, CEO at supply chain technology provider StaTwig, success in global distribution will require leveraging tools and capabilities such as blockchain in a way 'never seen...

20 July 2020 | Funding

Wintermute raises $2.8 million in series A funding for crypto markets

Wintermute, a crypto market maker, has secured $2.8 million in a series A funding round to further its expansion into new liquidity products.

The company, which launched in 2017 and creates liquid and efficient markets for leading crypto exchanges and trading platforms, has the goal of being the 'invisible hand' of the market. Wintermute's proprietary tech stack focuses on high frequency trading, algorithmic trading and market making from traditional financial...

13 July 2020 | Cryptocurrency

European startups ready to capitalise on enterprise blockchain opportunity, says new report

The European blockchain startup market is catching up to its North American equivalent, with startups surveyed looking to raise €350 million (£314.9m) in the next 18 months, according to a new report.

The study, from Anglo-French venture capital firm LeadBlock Partners, aims to put a positive spin on the industry illustrated with more than 20 interviews and more than 9,000 datapoints.

A foreword from LeadBlock management Jean-Marc Puel, David Chreng-Messembourg and...

7 July 2020 | Enterprise