Financial deals, mergers and acquisitions in the tech ecosystem are mentioned daily in the Atlanta Inno Beat newsletter, along with insights on how personnel moves may impact a startup’s future. Sign up for the Beat to get it each day in your inbox.
Check out the most important mergers, acquisitions, partnerships and investments from Atlanta technology companies from September 2018. Know of a name that’s missing from this list? Email mhogan@americaninno.com
StartBox, a medtech startup based in Atlanta, raised about $1 million of a $2.2 million round, according to a filing with the SEC.
Wee Blessing, a Georgia-based clothing subscription service for families, announced a partnership with Compassion International, a Christian humanitarian organization, that will begin at the end of December. According to a news release, Compassion International helps more than 1 million kids in 26 countries. For every new sign up, Wee Blessing will give a portion to the organization.
The Georgia Aquarium is partnering up with New York-based Satisfi Labs to develop an artificial intelligence-based answer engine to enhance your visit to the world’s largest aquarium. According to a news release, the platform will launch by the end of the year on the aquarium’s website, Facebook Messenger and through an Alexa flash briefing. This AI platform will give 24-hour automated, virtual information about the exhibits to visitors.
Kobiton, an Atlanta-based mobile app management company, raised $3 million in funding, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. The startup aims to help improve mobile app quality, lower app abandonment and improve customer experience.
Pandora is still set to expand in Atlanta. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the company still plans to follow through with its expansion in Atlanta announced in January despite the announcement of a $3.5 billion deal to acquire SiriusXM. The music streaming company plans to set its Southeast headquarters in the Campanile building in Midtown with plans for at least 250 software development and engineering jobs.
Atlanta’s Airbus Aerial, an aerial imaging division of Airbus, has officially partnered with Hartsfield-Jackson International to conduct runway mapping and assess the benefits of using the aerial service for future critical runway inspections.
Demand Driven Technologies, an Atlanta-based supply chain software company, raised $1.05 million, according to a filing with the SEC. The company previously raised $1.6 million, according to Crunchbase, and has recently been chosen as a Venture Atlanta presenting company.
GroundFloor, a real estate investment platform based in Atlanta, announced it has raised $4.2 million in crowdfunding. This recent round has brought GroundFloor’s total capital raised to $13.8 million. Meanwhile, the company reports it has reached a 64 percent increase in year-over-year-revenue.
Atlanta fintech startup EVO Payments announced it will sell more than 6 million shares, according to a filing with the SEC. The company intends to grant the underwriter a 30-day option to purchase up to 903,300 additional shares of Class A common stock. EVO Payments made a mark on the fintech scene earlier this summer with its IPO of $244 million.
Ternio, an Alpharetta-based startup providing a scalable and decentralized blockchain framework, is raising a series A round of $10 million shortly following its initial coin offering. San Francisco private financial group US Capital Global has partnered with Ternio to support the firm’s capital formation needs, according to a news release. Ian Kane, founder and COO of Ternio, said the funding would be used to build out the team and continue to focus heavily on R&D and marketing.
Marizyme Inc., a biotech company in Woodstock, raised $14.5 million in a funding round, according to a filing with the SEC.
KyckGlobal Inc., an Atlanta fintech startup founded earlier this year, raised $8 million from angel investors and local VC firm TechOperators. The funding will be used to launch a payments platform that makes it easier for companies to pay their contract workforces, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. Chairman of Paysafe Stuart Harvey, CEO of Global Payments Paul Garcia, Managing Director of the Merchant Banking Group at Piper Jaffray Robert Rinek and CFO of Cox Enterprises Dallas Clement also participated in the round.
The Georgia Public Service Commission has given the green-light to funding for Georgia Power to construct a one-megawatt solar array on a patch of right-of-way along The Ray-an 18-mile interstate dedicated to testing automotive innovation. Georgia will be the third state in the nation to utilize interstate right-of-way to generate solar energy. This project will pilot the use of native flowering plants as ground cover in test plots within the solar array, making Georgia the first in the nation to lead a pollinator-friendly, right-of-way solar.
IVOX, Inc., an Atlanta-based agency providing predictive driver risk management services, raised $125,000 of a $3 million funding round, according to a filing with the SEC.
Attis Industries, a tech company based in Milton focused on biomass innovation and healthcare technologies, raised $10.6 million in a recent funding raise, according to a filing with the SEC.
Bomgar, a Johns Creek-based remote support solution for technicians and portfolio company of Francisco Partners, will buy a Phoenix-based provider of access management solutions, BeyondTrust, from Veritas Capital.
HowStuffWorks, a podcast network based in Atlanta, and its parent company Stuff Media were acquired by iHeartMedia, a San Antonio-based mass media company. Though an original press release did not disclose the price, the Wall Street Journal reports the company was purchased for $55 million. iHeartMedia is the second-biggest podcast company, while Stuff Media is the fifth-largest podcast company, according to the report.
GreyOrange, a global tech startup designing AI-powered robotics systems for flexible automation for supply chains, raised $140 million in Series C funding, marking it the largest round ever raised by an industrial robotics company. This round of funding was led by Mithril Capital, co-founded by Ajay Royan and Peter Thiel, which included Binny Bansal and other existing investors including Blume Ventures. They join Mitsubishi, Flipkart and the Project Verte as investors in the company. The company recently announced a U.S. expansion and the opening of a headquarters and manufacturing facility in Atlanta.
Atlanta-based global cybersecurity management software startup Apptega has raised a round of $700,000, according to a news release. The round was led by Circadian Group to fund Apptega’s continued growth and expansion. Additional investors include TiE Atlanta Angels, Ascent Capital, Triton Claims Management LLC and family offices.
Lawrenceville-based Mobile Communications America, a Motorola Solutions Channel Partner and portfolio company of WJ Partners, acquired Gately Communication, a Hampton, Va.-based provider of wireless and two-way radio communications solutions.
Inbox Pros, an Atlanta-based email marketing company, was acquired by Trendline Interactive, an Austin email marketing agency, according to a news release. Trendline Interactive acquired Inbox Pros with financial support from Growth Catalyst Partners, a lower-middle market private equity firm that invests in information, marketing and tech-enabled services businesses.
RapidFire Tools, an Atlanta-based threat assessment and compliance tool company, was acquired by Kaseya, a provider of IT infrastructure management solutions for managed service providers and internal IT organizations. RapidFire Tools provides a suite of IT assessment, internal threat detection and compliance products, according to a news release. The company will continue to operate as a stand-alone, independent business-unit under Kaseya.
Kennesaw-based CAN Capital, Inc., a technology-driven small business specialty finance company, announced that it has agreed to a financing transaction of up to $287 million to enhance its capital capacity with New York-based alternative asset manager Varadero Capital, L.P. CAN Capital will use the funds to support its continued growth, make additional investments in talent and technology, and enhance customer experience, according to a news release. This is the second facility provided by Varadero. Since its founding in 1998, CAN Capital has helped over 81,000 small business owners open new locations, invest in new equipment and hire employees.
