Here’s a list of today’s tech funding stories, updated as the day unfolds. Tip us here if you have a deal to share.
Scopely nabs $35M to build its mobile gaming ‘touchscreen entertainment network’
Scopely, the Los Angeles mobile-game publisher, has raised $35 million in a new round of funding. The company will use the money to build out its vision for a mobile-first, “touch-screen entertainment network.” The funding shows that investors are still bullish about mobile games. Market researcher Newzoo recently said it expects global mobile games to grow from $25 billion in revenue in 2014 to $30.3 billion in 2015, with the dollars eclipsing those generated by console games next year. That’s why you’re seeing deals like this, and it’s why Kentucky Derby owner Churchill Downs bought Big Fish Games, a casual mobile and online game publisher, for up to $885 million yesterday.
Indice Semiconductor raises $6M to launch energy-saving chips
Indice Semiconductor has raised $6 million to fund global rollout of its energy-saving chips. The company makes mixed signal power control chips and conversion integrated circuits. They are used in a wide range of applications, including light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, high-quality audio, and electric vehicles.
Metal Networks raises $5M
Metal Networks, a provider of software for buying and selling semi-finished industrial metal, announced it has raised $5 million in new funding, with S3 Ventures leading the round. The Texas-based company will use the new funds to continue growing and increase its sales.
Read more: Press release
Unshackled’s $3.5M fund could help immigrant entrepreneurs get a foot in the American door
Unshackled, a new $3.5 million fund, has a plan to help entrepreneurs who have great ideas but who need help securing work visas so they can remain in the U.S. to work on them. In addition to funding, Unshackled will sponsor these entrepreneurs’ visa applications, so they can leave their current employer — or graduate from college — without being deported.
Vero Analytics gets $550K to simplify prep work for visualizing data
Data scientists have better things to do than clean up data and get it ready to analyze in visualization software. Like a few other startups, Vero Analytics has observed that problem and has cooked up a solution. Now investors have given Vero a $550,000 seed round. Vero’s software provides a point-and-click interface to give non-technical types a new way to refine adata set into a form that data-visualization tools like Tableau and Qlik can work with.