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 2019. Did we miss a deal? Let me know at mhogan@americaninno.com.
onQ, an Atlanta-based digital communication and learning platform, and Jubi, an Alpharetta employee development platform, have merged. Together the companies will offer a change experience platform that combines Jubi’s cloud-based employee engagement software with onQ’s employee listening solutions.
Atlanta rapper 2 Chainz purchased a stake in A3C Festival and Conference, an annual festival combining music, culture, tech and innovation in the city. The festival is celebrating its 15th year and is set to kick off from Oct. 8-13. Paul Judge Media Group and The Gathering Spot acquired A3C earlier this year. Tech entrepreneur and investor Paul Judge has collaborated with 2 Chainz in the past on a tech startup. With his investment, 2 Chainz will be “a creative curator and business advisor involved with curating panels and artist lineups along with developing the overall experience of A3C.” He’ll serve as the closing keynote speaker on Oct. 12 in a fireside chat with Dapper Dan, the Harlem fashion designer.
Atlanta-based Gimme, an automated vending and inventory startup, and Tucker-based Southern Refreshment Services, now called Five Star Food Service following a recent acquisition, partnered up to keep Tech students fully stocked in the vending machines department. Georgia Tech vending machines will send information to Five Star Food Service so items stay stocked and replenished quicker.
Nview Health, an Atlanta-based behavioral health solutions company, has raised $4.65 million from local VC firm BIP Capital. Nview Health delivers online behavioral health solutions that help healthcare professionals and research organizations screen for and monitor mental disorders in children and adults.
Atlanta-based performance energy drink maker Kill Cliff reported raising $860,000 in equity funding. It appears to be the first funding filing for the company since last year when it brought in $3.5 million. Prior to that, it had logged a $13.5 million round in 2017 and about $10 million in funding before that. The company, founded by a former Navy Seal, has recently introduced drinks with CBD, a non-psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.
Cox Automotive, the automotive entity of Atlanta-based Cox Enterprises, invested $350 million into Rivian, a Michigan-based startup developing an all-electric pickup truck and SUV. Cox joined Ford and Amazon, which have also invested in the startup. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the companies will also explore partnerships in digital retailing, service operations and logistics. Following the investment, Cox Automotive added a representative to Rivian’s board.
Opendoor, an online real estate marketplace, acquired OS National, LLC , an Atlanta-based title and escrow company that has been one of Opendoor’s partners since 2016. OSN joined Opendoor as a wholly-owned subsidiary, according to a news release. The acquisition allowed Opendoor to integrate title, escrow and closings into its online buying and selling platform.
Presidio Investors made a $75 million private equity investment that merges 15 independent smart-home design-build firms across the country, including a few Atlanta firms, to Bravas LLC. Audio Intersection, a smart-home theater company based in Atlanta, and Digital Interiors, a smart home design/build company, were part of the 15 companies that merged into Bravas, according to a press release.
Ventiv Technology, an Atlanta-based provider of integrated risk management software for companies and government entities, was acquired by Tailwind Capital. According to a news release, the company was purchased from Symphony Technology Group. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Delta Air Lines partnered with Georgia Tech and Curiosity Labs to invest in autonomous vehicle research. According to the AJC, the Atlanta airliner is looking into the use of autonomous cars, trucks and buses at airports. The seed funding will go towards research on the 1.5-mile autonomous vehicle test track in Peachtree Corners.
AnalyticsIQ, an Atlanta-based marketing data and predictive analytics startup, has raised nearly $15 million in a Series A round from Boathouse Capital, a Pennsylvania-based private equity firm. AnalyticsIQ uses cognitive psychology and data science to help clients understand consumers and the decisions they make. AnalyticsIQ was founded 2007 by Dave Kelly, following the acquisition of his former company, Sigma Analytics. This round is the first funding raise for the startup, according to Crunchbase.
Decisionlink, an Atlanta-based software startup that has designed a customer value management platform, raised $1.3 million of a $2 million funding round, according to an SEC filing. The funding was provided by three investors.
TPG Capital, a San Francisco-based VC firm, has agreed to acquire Alpharetta-based dev-ops firm CollabNet for $500 million from Vector Capital. According to Fortune, TPG Capital will integrate CollabNet’s platform to cater to companies’ software needs.
510 Kardiac Devices, Inc., an Atlanta-based medical tech startup that designs cardiovascular devices cardiologists can use to perform procedures to targeted locations within the structures of the heart, raised nearly $3 million of a $3.5 million round, according to a filing with the SEC. The filing states 24 investors were involved in the round so far.
Kabbage, an Atlanta-based lending platform, has entered an agreement to acquire the assets of Radius Intelligence Inc., a San Francisco-based small business data platform. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the acquisition would provide Kabbage with insights from more than 20 million U.S. small businesses as it seeks to expand its platform. Kabbage’s automated lending platform is designed for small businesses. Following the completion of the acquisition, Radius’ 20 team members will be added to Kabbage’s San Francisco office. Radius CEO Joel Carusone will support the integration of the two companies and platforms.
