Get details below on deals from the past week, when three companies announced more than $28 million in fundings and contracts.
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Austin- and Grand Rapids, Michigan-based real estate wire fraud protection startup CertifID Inc. said Sept. 12 it raised a $20 million series B funding round. It was led by Minneapolis-based Arthur Ventures, which invested in the company's $12 million series A round last year.
The company, led by CEO Tyler Adams, said it has doubled its customer base over the past year. It reported 2,106% revenue growth from 2019 to 2021, according to Inc.'s regional list of fastest growing companies.
A lot of startups have a moonshot idea. Cedar Park-based Firefly Aerospace Inc. actually has several literal moonshots. The company said Sept. 12 it was awarded an $18 million NASA commercial lunar payload contract. Under the deal, the company will conduct radio frequency calibration services from an orbiting vehicle to communicate with a lander that will touch down on the dark side of the moon.
Firefly said this is its third lunar payload services deal with NASA, and it brings the total under contract to $230 million. Its first mission to the moon will be in 2024, with another in 2026.
"Paired together, Firefly’s Blue Ghost lunar lander and Elytra orbital vehicle greatly expand our mission capabilities and provide robust payload services from Earth to the Moon and beyond," stated Jana Spruce, vice president of spacecraft. "Utilizing common components across all our product lines, our spacecraft are designed to be highly mobile, scalable, and customizable, serving the needs of NASA, international government agencies, and the broader commercial industry."
Firefly also last week launched a rocket for the U.S. Space Force with 24-hour notice, a demonstration of what the military calls "tactically responsive space capabilities."
Austin-based GovSide Inc. emerged from stealth mode last week with $100,000 in pre-seed funding and a mission to use artificial intelligence to help consumers better understand politics. It was not clear when the money was raised but the funding was led by Austin-based Berch Capital.
GovSide has built a nonpartisan app that helps people quickly learn about pending legislation, political candidates and political news. As users swipe through content, the app learns about their political leanings and the issues that matter most to them. Peter Khalil, Bryan Ellis and Barrett Wuerch founded the business after meeting at Austin-based Dosh, which was acquired in 2021.
An additional $350,000 in pre-seed funding is possible by the end of the year to complete the round.
For more local deals, check out another recent funding wrap. And subscribe to Austin Business Journal for startup resources such as lists of venture capital and private equity firms, incubators and accelerators, angel investors and coworking providers.
