Sector Updates

A bidding war seems on the cards over remittances service MoneyGram as Kansas-based electronic payments firm Euronet Worldwide attempts to swoop in on Ant Financial $880m acquisition.

Credit card benefits and reimbursement startup Sift has raised $1.5m in a seed round from Liquid 2 Ventures and Plug and Play.

London-based property transaction platform Goodlord has raised £7.2m in a Series A round led by German startup builder Rocket Internet's Global Founders Capital fund.

Farming-focused lender ProducePay has secured $77m in equity and debt funding to provide cash-flow solutions to farmers of perishable goods.

Stockbroking app Freetrade has smashed through its latest crowdfunding target on Crowdcube to secure £1.1m in just 12 days.

Ghent, Belgium-based accounting platform Silverfin has scooped up $4.5m in a Series A round. Index Ventures led the investment with existing backers also participating.

German banking platform solarisBank has raised €26.3m in a Series A funding round after just a year in business. Arvato Financial Solutions and Japanese banking firm SBI Group led the round.

Canadian financial software-provider DH Corp (D+H) is being taken private through an acquisition by private equity group Vista Equity Partners.

Users and employee verification company ID.me has raised $19m in a Series B round from FTV Capital.

SME accounting and payments software provider Autobooks has picked up $5.5m in a Series A venture round. Draper Triangle Ventures led the investment.