The Briefing: Brandwatch Acquired For $450M, Bessemer Raises $3.3B In New Funds, And More

The first, $2.47 billion BVP XI, is a flagship fund that will focus on early-stage companies spanning across enterprise, consumer, health care and frontier technologies. Founded 35 years ago, Bessemer today has a leadership team of 21 partners and over 45 investors, advisers and platform operators, with a presence in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Seattle, Boston, New York, London, Tel Aviv, Bangalore and Beijing. The neobank, which is aiming to launch its service in the third quarter of 2021, provides up to two days early access to wages as well as saving features and financial education, and cash back for buying from Black-owned businesses. Meanwhile, agricultural technology company Terra Vera, developer of mindful crop management tools, closed on a $2 million seed round led by investors that include Gardener’s Supply Co. founder Will Raap. The Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company, which officially launched in January 2021, will use the funding to complete its transition to a commercial market rollout of its services and nontoxic crop management technologies.