Xiaomi, the fast-growing Chinese smartphone maker, is making its first US investment, as part of a $40m fundraising for internet-of-things start-up Misfit.
发展迅速的中国智能手机制造商小米(Xiaomi)正做出其在美国的首笔投资,参与物联网初创企业Misfit 规模4000万美元的融资。
The latest funding round for Misfit, which makes the Shine and Flash activity trackers and has plans to launch more wearable and smart-home products over the next year, has been led by GGV Capital, a venture fund with offices in Silicon Valley and Shanghai.
Misfit的最新一轮融资由风险基金纪源资本(GGV Capital)领投,后者在硅谷和上海设有办事处。Misfit是运动跟踪设备Shine和Flash的制造商,计划明年推出更多可穿戴和智能家居产品。
Alongside Xiaomi, the fundraising included JD.com, the Chinese commerce company, and Shunwai, the China-focused fund led by Xiaomi founder Jun Lei. Existing investors such as Horizons Ventures, Li Ka-shing’s investment arm, and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, also took part in the round, which brings Misfit’s total funding to $63m.
除了小米,参与此轮融资的还有中国电商企业京东(JD.com),以及小米创始人雷军创立的专注中国的顺为基金。李嘉诚旗下投资机构Horizons Ventures和皮特•泰尔(Peter Thiel)的Founders Fund等现有投资者也参加了此轮融资,这令Misfit的总融资额达到6300万美元。
The Silicon Valley-based company, whose devices are sold in Apple stores and compete with the likes of Fitbit and Jawbone, was founded in 2011 by Sonny Vu and John Sculley, former chief executive of Apple.
Misfit总部位于硅谷,其设备在苹果(Apple)商店销售,与Fitbit和Jawbone等产品竞争。该公司于2011年由桑尼•乌(Sonny Vu)和苹果前首席执行官约翰•斯卡利(John Sculley)联手创建。
“Xiaomi is really going to help accelerate product development,” Mr Vu, Misfit’s CEO, told the Financial Times.
乌告诉英国《金融时报》:“小米确实将帮助(我们)加快产品开发。”
Misfit’s devices have proven successful in part thanks to a sleek disc-shaped design that allows them to be incorporated into jewellery such as pendants.
Misfit生产的设备一直很成功,这在一定程度上源于其时尚的圆盘状设计,可以与吊饰等珠宝搭配在一起。
Xiaomi is the latest big Chinese technology company to invest in Silicon Valley start-ups. Tencent has a stake in a number of companies including Snapchat, the messaging app, Fab.com, the struggling ecommerce site, and Riot Games, maker of the hugely popular online multiplayer game League of Legends, which the Chinese company later acquired.
小米是最新一家投资硅谷初创企业的中国大型科技公司。腾讯(Tencent)持有多家硅谷企业的股权,例如信息应用Snapchat、处境艰难的电商网站Fab.com,以及大受欢迎的在线多人游戏《英雄联盟》(League of Legends)开发商Riot Games(腾讯后来收购了这家公司)。