Whether it's a $500,000 seed round or an $8 million Series B, new funding marks a milestone for any startup. And it's definitely cause for celebration. So what's the appropriate way to party when the big check rolls in? Of course, every startup's culture is different—and their celebration styles reflect that.
From casual brews at the local watering hole to classy dinners and elaborate skiing trips, here's how five Boston startups opted to honor the momentous occasion.
HourlyNerd
Since HourlyNerd’s recent $7.8 million funding announcement coincided with the company’s second birthday, they had a multi-part celebration. First they ordered two ice cream cakes from JP Licks, which read “Happy 2nd Birthday HourlyNerd” and “Get Nerdy.” Then the team went on a ski trip to celebrate the company’s second anniversary and had a small shindig at the Matterhorn in Stowe. Worth noting: One employee guest-starred on the tambourine (see below) with the house band.
Fancred
Back in August, Fancred announced that it raised a $3 million funding round led by some of its original investors. But before that, the team made a pact that if they banked a second round of funding, they’d allow founder and CEO Kash Razzaghi to give every guy in the office a mohawk (ladies weren’t able to be convinced to participate). So when the news came, Kash turned the office into a barbershop and ‘hawked the heads of all willing participants.
“It was meant to be a fun way to celebrate a huge milestone for the company,” Fancred’s director of communications, Jennifer Graybeal, told me. “Plus, the mohawks were great conversation starters and gave the crew another reason to brag about Fancred and its cool company culture."
See the before and after Vine below of Landon Howell, head of strategy and content:
Dunwello
Founder Matt Lauzon told me that Dunwello already has a tradition for big milestones like raising funding: A feast at South Street Diner.
“They are a bit like our team…not too fancy, focused on making their customers smile, always available and a little bit quirky,” he explained.
So when the startup raised its recent round, the team gathered at their favorite spot and ordered a mix of cheeseburgers, brews and basically every appetizer on the menu.
Pro tip from Lauzon: If you look under the toy pony outside the diner, you can turn it on for free.
AppCues
As this startup’s funding process took place over several months, Appcues' team had a lot of small celebrations along the way as opposed to one big bash. Still, there’s one night that stands out in co-founder Jackson Noel's mind. When the big check rolled in late last year, AppCues only consisted of Noel and his co-founder, Jonathan Kim, so the duo hit up Lucky's Lounge for dirty martinis, Harpoon beers and greasy bar food.
“Since there were just two of us at the time, it wasn't too crazy of a night–but certainly will forever be etched in our memories,” Noel said.
Mavrck
After raising $2.5 million in funding, Mavrck had not one, but two celebrations. The team took a weekend trip to a lakehouse in Maine, where they went fishing, played cornhole and had numerous dance parties. But back in Boston, they also had a classy dinner at Stephanie’s followed by cocktails at Lolita in Back Bay.
