Monday, March 28, 2011

Mass. tech companies report $125.8M invested in one week

By Galen Moore

Thirteen Massachusetts technology companies raised a total of $125.8 million last week, according to filings with federal regulators. The filings show fundraises for software, biotech, health-care IT, mobile, Internet and device technology companies.

Gemvara Inc. reported Friday it has raised $15 million in a new round of equity financing. The Lexington custom jewelry e-tailer brought in new investor Balderton Capital for the round. Gemvara had previously raised at least $11 million with Highland Capital Partners and Canaan Partners, who returned to participate in the current round.

LocaModa Inc.  reported Friday it has added $1.5 million to an existing round of debt and equity financing. The Cambridge-based maker of place-based social media software had previously raised $6.2 million in 2007 from investors including Dace Ventures of Waltham. The current round is now worth $1.7 million, it reports.

Access Northeast Inc.  reported Thursday it has raised $1 million in a new round of equity financing.  The Marlborough regional data center, cloud, managed services and wide area network provider had earlier, in 2009, reported raising $2 million in a previous round.

Cyalume Technologies Holdings inc. reported Thursday it has raised $4 million in a new round of equity financing. The West Springfield holding company owns Cyalume Technologies Inc.,  a maker of chemical lighting technology.  

BL Healthcare Inc.  reported Thursday it has added $2 million to a planned $5.9 million mixed round of equity and debt.  The Foxborough maker of connected-health technology first reported the current round of financing in 2009, with a $2.9 million initial fundraise. 

Clovr Media Inc.  reported Wednesday it has raised $8.3 million in a new round of equity financing.  The Waltham company makes payment software for discount and special-offer marketers. New investors Bain Capital Ventures and angel investor Mark Wright joined the new financing, with existing backers Kepha Partners and Common Angels. Clovr raised $1.5 million with Kepha and Common Angels last October.

Viewfinity Inc.  reported Tuesday it has raised $1.9 million in a new round of debt financing.  The virtualization software maker based in Waltham raised $10 million last February, backed by Longworth Venture Partners, JK&B Capital and Giza Venture Capital. The filing notes the company is raising an additional $1.1 million from sources outside the U.S.

SensAble Technologies Inc. reported Tuesday it has raised $2 million of a planned $6 million equity round.  The Wilmington-based haptics technology maker raised $8 million last March with Acer Technology Ventures, North Bridge Venture Partners and HLM Venture Partners.

Harvest Power Inc.  reported Tuesday it has taken in $47.7 million of a planned $60 million equity round.  The Waltham company, which produces energy and fertilizer from organic waste, said in a March 16 press release the funding round was led by London-based Generation Investment Management, with participation from new investors DAG Ventures and Keating Capital, and included existing investors Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers, Waste Management, Munich Venture Partners and TriplePoint Capital. That press release pegged the round at $51.7 million.

Verax Biomedical  reported a $1.3 million equity fundraise.  The Worcester company is developing diagnostic technology to detect bacterial contamination in cells and tissues meant for use in transfusion and transplantation.

Salem energy consultant Groom Energy Solutions  reported a $500,000 fundraise last Tuesday, part of a planned $1.5 million round of equity financing. It’s the first fundraise reported by Groom, which was founded in 2005.

Lexington-based biotech Raindance Technologies Inc.  reported a $37.5 million equity fundraise last Monday.  The company reported in January that the financing was co-led by new investor Quaker BioVentures, of Philadelphia, and existing investor Mohr Davidow Ventures of Menlo Park, Calif. Existing investors Alloy Ventures of Palo Alto, Calif., and New York-based Acadia Woods Partners LLC also participated. Raindance makes microdroplet-based tools for single molecule and single cell analysis. The company had previously raised at least $36 million.

Rypos Inc. reported $3.1 million in a new round of equity financing last Monday.  The Holliston company makes filter technology designed to reduce diesel emissions. Founded in 1997, Rypos had previously raised $8 million in a Series A round in 2009 with Los Angeles cleantech investor Craton Equity Partners.