Retail video analytics investment defies market trend with Vsblty raise, March acquisition

A biometrics company, Vsblty Groupe, has pulled in what likely is one of the last rounds of funding in North America this year. It is a small third tranche, but it is private equity when many other companies would take anything. Other funding sources are stumbling.

Vsblty makes retail video screens capable of integrating with a camera, sensors and AI algorithms.

The gross proceeds are valued at about $520,000. The tranche consisted of 1.73 million units at 30 cents per unit. Adding this to the two previous rounds, Vsblty has pulled in $3.9 million in private placements this year.

The buyer or buyers were not named.

The company is using the opportunity to settle up with debtholders. They will be given 1.5 million shares to close out the $452,000 in corporate debt that they had collectively held.

An equally faint trend today – buyouts at year-end, has other biometrics executives feeling good.

Executives at video analytics-software maker March Networks felt last month that they had made a critical investment on their way to a cloud-based video future that includes video products beyond security systems.

In October, it bought the Focus Business Analytics platform from DoIT Software in Poland. March says the deal helps with its transition to delivering its software from the cloud. The platform will be integrated with March’s Searchlight software.

March itself had been purchased (from Infinova) last year by Delta Electronics, a Taiwanese power and thermal management firm, as part of larger market strategy for Delta’s own.

In an interview with the Ottawa Business Journal, March CEO Peter Strom sounds like a kid released from early detention. Infinova apparently did not like feeling the wind in its hair and so, moved with caution.

Article Topics

acquisitions  |  biometrics  |  investment  |  retail biometrics  |  video analytics  |  video surveillance  |  VSBLTY