Digital education provider Yogome, tutoring platform Yuanfudao and EV-car sharing platform Yibuyongche were among the more notable deals this past week.
Nearly $25 million was raised among the three startups. Online tutoring Yuanfudao has raised nearly $120 million in total. All three are based overseas.
Long Vs ShortBicycle Therapeutics – develops a proprietary platform for bicyclic peptides, compounds that help deliver cancer therapy through the membranes of cells. Raised £40 million in Series B funding. Based in Cambridge in the UK, with offices now in Boston, Massachusetts.
Lung Therapeutics – develops drug indications and therapy for lung injury and disease, like fibrosis. The four-year old startup is focused currently on pleural effusion, a painful, debilitating condition that causes severe breathing difficulties due to fluid buildup in the cavities around the lungs. Raised $14.3 million in Series B funding. Based in Austin, Texas.
Mera Gao Power – builds and operates village-based solar micro grids to provide electricity to rural, off-grid households in Uttar Pradesh, India, a remote area of about 200 million people. Raised $2.5 million to help it expand solar power to 5,000 more such villages.
Monteris Medical – develops laser systems for ablation, or electrical inactivation technology, to help treat brain lesions. Raised $26.6 million in Series C funding. Based in Plymouth, Minnesota.
Neuronetics – develops transcranial, non-invasive, magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapies to help treat psychiatric and neurological disorders, a market worth more than $18.5 billion by 2025, according to research the company has cited. Raised $15 million in Series G funding. Based in Malvern, Pennsylvania.
Yibuyongche – enables users to lease an electric vehicle (EV) via a mobile app and return it at any of its leasing locations (like Zipcar for EVs). The payment is made via WeChat Pay or Alipay. Raised $19 million in Series A funding. Based in China.
Yogome – this week’s spotlight, Yogome is a digital education provider of fun ways to teach children about various topics including recycling, climate change and the environment. Raised $6.6 million in Series A funding. Based in San Francisco and Mexico. See their other fun video below on recycling glass and metal trash.
Yuanfudao– an online live tutoring platform that claims to be the largest in China with a paying user base of over 1 million. Raised $120 million in equity funding. Based in Beijing China.
Other Relevant News of Interest
EU agrees to more support for venture capital and social enterprises. Timely, given news of a more optimistic environment for investing in Europe.
Two high school students launch a program to teach schools and teens about race.
National Geographic commits $50 million of its $1.2 billion endowment to impact investing. The program will be managed by Cambridge Associates.
An iPad in every hospital, as Apple prepares to release its latest tablet and crack a rather large $3 trillion market.
June 5 was world environment day.
Advanced solar cooker that cooks and heats five times faster than conventional.
Sources: Crunchbase, TechCrunch, Reuters
