Funding Daily: The misfits

Was there a theme in funding news today? If there was, it sure didn’t jump out at us.

Yet just the band The Misfits proved that horror punk could inspire and rock the masses, so this ragtag group of announcements prove that venture capital is still alive and well in the technology industry. Or something.

Here are the day’s tech funding deals, in no particular order:

Aviary takes AMD money for Windows domination

Aviary took an undisclosed amount of investment money from chipmaker AMD to improve its photo-editing software on Windows 8 PCs and tablets. The companies said the concentrated effort has already led t 16x speed improvements in the app’s performance. Read the full story on VentureBeat.

Banned from Kickstarter, Chumba World gets legit investors

Chumba World is a massively multiplayer online casino game that was recently kicked off Kickstarter for its gambling-themed content. The team bounced back, however, announcing a $2.6 million round from venture capital investors. Read the full story on VentureBeat.

Vasona Networks raises $12M to fix mobile data congestion

The Santa Clara, Calif.-based Vasona Networks only came out of stealth mode in January, but it’s already scooped up a $12 million funding round. The company’s focus is on developing devices and software that enables mobile network operators (like AT&T and Verizon Wireless) to fine-tune all the traffic happening on their networks, down to each cell. Read the full story on VentureBeat.

Former Googler gets $1.9M from Google Ventures

Gabor Cselle used to work at Google. Then, he created a little app called DrawChat, which he quickly auctioned off. Now, he’s back with a new idea and a new chunk of change, led by the investors of Google Ventures. Read the full story on VentureBeat.

AppNeta nets $16M in fresh cash

AppNeta has raised $16 million to expand its suite of software that supports IT performance management. The company’s approach is to build technology that focuses on end-user experience. Its solutions include real time monitoring of the full-stack of applications and a management service called PathView Cloud that provides visibility into network performance. Bain Capital, Egan-Managed Capital, JMI Equity, and Business Development Bank of Canada contributed to this third round of funding. Read the press release.

Internet bigwigs start new investment fund

Rocket Internet chief Oliver Samwer, his brother Marc, and former Delivery Hero co-CEO Fabian Siegel have teamed up to start the Munich-based Global Founders Capital: a new €150 million ($194 million) fund for high-potential Internet businesses. Read the full story on VentureBeat.

Divshot gets $1.1M seed round

Divshot is a mobile designer’s dream. Its software includes a drag-and-drop visual builder for responsive web applications. Today, the company announced it’s closed a $1.1 million seed funding round led by Rincon Venture Partners with participation from 500 Startups, Floodlight Ventures, and others. Read the full story on VentureBeat.

LA gets a new incubator with $6M to burn

Be Great Partners is Los Angeles’ newest technology incubator. Located in the famous Variety Building on Wilshire, the accelerator said it’s already created 50 new jobs and is helping to build out LA’s tech infrastructure. More details coming soon, so stay tuned!

Hispanic search engine YaSabe raises $2.7M

YaSabe, a search hub catering to the Hispanic community in the U.S., has just announced a great, big $2.7 million seed round. Players in the deal include 500 Startups, CIT, and NEA’s Frank Bonsal. The search engine serves up bilingual results with a focus on the Latino communities. The company also provides a human-powered social concierge service that people can use to find specific information.

BackupAgent nabs $2M from Russia, with love

BackupAgent is a Dutch company that makes a cloud backup platform for SMBs. Today, the startup told the world it’s taken a $2 million round of funding led by Russian firm Runa Capital. Read the press release.

Cloud IT company takes home huge $16M check

AppNeta, a provider of cloud services for IT performance management, has raised $16 million. This is the company’s third institutional round of funding and was led by Bain Capital Ventures with participation from Egan-Managed Capital, JMI Equity, and Business Development Bank of Canada. The startup said its ultimate goal is “to transform IT performance management by bringing end-user experience monitoring and network insight to traditional application performance management.”

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