Two entertainment veterans launched a gaming TV network. Ben Kusin and Ariel Horn, formerly of Vivendi Games and Riot Games, respectively, raised $17 million to launch VENN. It's a gaming network featuring e-sports events and streaming content with higher production values. It will be available on Hulu TV, YouTube and Twitch in 2020, with live studios in New York and LA. [Built In NYC]
One Drop raised $40 million to help users improve their health by changing their habits. Bayer, a behemoth in the pharmaceutical industry, led the round, which will be used to expand One Drop’s AI-based coaching technology to applications beyond its current core focus: diabetes. [Press release]
Alloy raised $12 million to help banks automate their users' identification verification. The fintech company increased its customer base by 800 percent in the last year. It will use the Series A funding to hire more engineers and data scientists. [Forbes]
NexHealth secured $4 million to open a West Coast office and enhance its platform. NexHealth helps doctors find and keep patients amid rising competition by offering an end-to-end platform where patients can make appointments, pay bills and follow up. With this funding, the company plans to open a San Francisco office and make continued improvements to its software. [Press release]
Shopin added retail and fashion veteran Randy Shifrin as VP of revenue. Shifrin served as CEO of Chernin's shoe brands from 2002 to 2013. He'll join the team as Shopin tries to build an AI-driven approach to consumer targeting for smaller online retailers using shopper profiles built on blockchain. Shoppers can choose to share their data with companies in exchange for "cash back"-style token credits. [Press release]
Voro, a social network for healthcare, brought in $2.5 million. Users can go on Voro to share doctor recommendations. The platform has tens of thousands of users, largely in New York City, the company said. The funding round was led by Floodgate, an early investor in Twitter, Lyft and Twitch. [Press release]
