Funding rounds and investment arent just the lifeblood that keeps technology firms alive and growing. Theyre also fantastic indicators of which ideas and technologies are catching the interest of the business world and have the potential to impact the mobile marketing industry as a whole.

Investment Round is our weekly update on which firms have secured new funding, which areas are seeing the most financing, and who is putting up the cash that enables these firms to pushing the capabilities of mobile marketing further.

Dick Kramlich Launches New $130m Green Bay Ventures Fund
Chairman and co-founder of New Enterprise Associates (NEA) Dick Kramlich has announced a new $130m (£104.2m) early-stage fund, Green Bay Ventures, which he has launched with partner Anthony Schiller.

The fund will invest in Series B and earlier startups, with a focus on applied artificial intelligence in areas like energy, transportation, logistics and manufacturing, and a similar philosophy to NEA, backing buzz-worthy founders early on.

Kramlich was an early investor in Apple alongside several other high-profile companies through his role in NEA, and is a hugely respected figure in Silicon Valley, so the prospect of him opening a new fund will no doubt be exciting for startups operating in the areas concerned.

For the past five years, Kramlich and Schiller have invested out of Green Bay Advisors, and have supported firms including Dropbox, Lyft, Xiaomi and Spotify. Casey Tatham, also of Green Bay Advisors, will act as the new funds operations partner.

Mobile Shoe Retailer GOAT Raises $25m with Accel
Venture capital firm Accel has led the latest round of funding for mobile trainer marketplace GOAT, pooling with existing investors Matrix Partners, Upfront Ventures and Webb Investment Network to bring in $25m fro the company. As part of the funding round, Ryan Sweeney of Accel will join GOATs board of directors.

GOAT uses a ship-to-verify marketplace, with sellers listing on the mobile app then shipping to the company for verification once their trainers have sold. The model has helped to eliminate counterfeit products from the multi-billion dollar trainer resale market, and protects both buyers and sellers.

“While we werent looking to raise another round, we were excited about the opportunity to work with Ryan and Accel,” said Eddy Lu, co-founder and CEO of GOAT. “Ryan is an exceptional investor with a very successful track record. Hes also a sneaker enthusiast, so he understands our market well.”

The new funding will be used to accelerate the companys domestic and international growth, expanding the firms team in Los Angeles with key hires in engineering, operations, product and marketing, as well as opening additional facilities for logistics and operations.

Utahs Fastest Growing Startup Closes $11.5m Series B Round
Chatbooks, a subscription-based serviced that automatically turns digital photos into photo books, has secured a Series B investment round of $11.5m, led by Aries Capital Partners, alongside previous investors Signal Peak Ventures and BYU Cougar Capital.

The company has raised over $20m to date from a number of investors including CEOs Aaron Skonnard and Jeremy Andrus, both from the firms native Utah. Chatbooks has credited its location as a significant contributor to its success, and was recently named the fastest growing startup in the state.

“Theres an incredible venture capital and startup ecosystem in Utah that just keeps getting stronger,” said Nate Quigley, CEO of Chatbooks. “Weve raised angel, seed, Series A, and Series B capital right here in state. You dont have to compromise between working with experienced and sophisticated investors and having a partner right down the road.”

With a recurring revenue model already in place, the Series B funding will be used to expand sales and marketing efforts and create new products, as well as fueling growth in new international markets.

London-based VoxSmart Completes $7m Investment Round
Telecommunications software provider VoxSmart has closed a $7m Series A round of investment, led by Deepbridge Capital and a number of senior capital markets executives from across Europe.

The firms proprietary software VSmart helps businesses record mobile communications including phone calls, SMS, voice mail and OTT messaging, achieving regulatory compliance and aiding in customer service.

“We understand our clients need one global solution to not only manage risk but also to ensure their users can maximise [revenues] through uninhibited mobility,” said Oliver Blower, CEO of VoxSmart. “We have a number of large financial institutions rolling out VSmart.”

The funding will be used to extend the companys global infrastructure in preparation for global regulatory deadlines which are due to come into force in early 2018. The firm is expecting a substantial growth in clients as companys seek to prepare themselves ahead of time.