Illustration: Rebecca Zisser/Axios
Venture Capital
• Softbank is in talks to acquire a majority stake in 1X, a humanoid robotics maker, at a $6b valuation, per The Information. Go deeper
⚡️ Cyclic Materials, a Canadian rare-earths recycler, raised $75m. T. Rowe Price led, joined by ERI. Go deeper
🚑 Metriport, a Sunnyvale, Calif.-based patient data retrieval startup, raised a $26m Series A round led by Matrix and joined by ARTIS and YC. Go deeper
🌎 Vitalfluid, a Dutch developer of plasma fungicide for crops, raised €17.2m led by Invest-NL and Alder Tree Investments, joined by insiders Horticoop, Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM), Future Food Fund, Graduate Ventures, Innovation Industries, VDL Groep and Goeie Grutten Impact Fonds. Go deeper
• Atoire, an LA-based fashion marketplace, raised a $9.5m seed from a16z Speedrun, Night Capital, and Lightspeed Ventures' Jeremy Liew. Go deeper
🌎 Maash, a Belgian alt proteins developer, raised €5.9m from Ambra Capital, InvestPro, Bpifrance, Amorçage Industriel, Nordzucker and Tereos. Go deeper
🌎 Neocrete, a New Zealand-based developer of sustainable cement alternatives, raised US$3.5m led by Wavemaker Ventures, joined by Icehouse Ventures and Temasek Trust's Catalytic Capital for Climate and Health. Go deeper
• ArcSpace, a French developer of in-orbit satellite repair tech, raised €2m led by DEPO Ventures, joined by SCE Freiraum Ventures, IRDI Capital Investissement, and a French Business Angels network. Go deeper
Private Equity
• Authentic Brands bought a majority stake in the IP of OVO, a Canadian lifestyle brand co-founded by Drake, who will retain a stake. Vince Holding Corp (Nasdaq: VNCE) bought OVO's operating business. Go deeper
• FTV Capital invested in wealth manager Kingsview Partners. Go deeper
🚑 Imagenet, backed by BV Investment Partners, bought Analytica Consulting, a California-based data consulting firm. Go deeper
• Inspirit Equity acquired Valiant O&M, the operations and maintenance division of Valiant Integrated Defense Services. Go deeper
• Mubadala Capital agreed to buy a majority stake in Arrive Logistics, a truckload brokerage whose backers include ATL Partners and Lead Edge Capital. Go deeper
• TRG, a Gemspring Capital portfolio company, acquired Reverse IT, a Dutch provider of mobile device management. Go deeper
• WSB, a GHK Capital Partners portfolio company, acquired Austin, Texas-based Foresight Planning & Engineering Services. Go deeper
M&A
• Unilever is selling its Colman's mustard brand to allay competition concerns amid the merger of its wider food business with McCormick, per Sky News. Go deeper
🌎 Viably, a Denver-based recycling equipment supplier, acquired Harp Renewables, an Irish developer of organic waste processing tech. Go deeper
• Behnke Dedicated & Logistics acquired Piedmont, S.C.-based trucking carrier Ag Freight, per Trucking Dive. Go deeper
• Sonic Automotive (NYSE: SAH), an automotive and powersports retailer, bought Walnut Creek, Calif.-based Porsche Walnut Creek from Fletcher Jones Automotive. Go deeper
Public Offerings
• Vista Global Holding, a UAE-based private aviation group backed by RRJ Capital, is considering a $1b-plus European IPO at a more than $10b valuation, per Bloomberg. Go deeper
Fundraising
• Javelin Venture Partners is raising up to $200m for its sixth fund, per an SEC filing.
🌎 Redstone, a German early-stage VC firm, raised €25m in a first close of its Redstone Blue fund targeting ocean-tech startups. Backers include Aboa Advest, Adamo Capital, Argong Investment, Ab Kelonia, LähiTapiola, Meriaura Invest, Rausanne, and the City of Turku in Finland. Go deeper
Odds & Ends
• Aurora Towers, a CVC portco, will buy American Tower's Canadian telecommunications tower business, which includes 255 wireless communication sites. Go deeper
It's Personnel
• Julia White joined Cooley as a capital markets partner in SF. She was previously at Goodwin Procter. Go deeper
