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VC Funding Update: 21 Startups Raise Over $480M in February

Health care and food tech companies gained most capital


Funding
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February might be the shortest month of the year, but that didn't dampen the funding environment in the Boston startup land.

There were a handful of multimillion-dollar rounds: Jobcase, a platform dedicated to assisting people to find work, raised $100 million, biotechnology major Ginkgo Bioworks debuted its food ingredients startup Motif Ingredients that launched with $90 million in Series A. French-born Mirakl, a startup that provides technology to launch an e-commerce marketplace, raised $70 million. 

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Image Courtesy: Infogram

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Below are the 21 startups that raised capital in February:

Artificial Intelligence

Lightmatter, a Boston startup that makes light-powered AI chips, raised $22 million in Series A-1 funding led by Google Ventures. Existing investors Matrix Partners and Spark Capital also participated in the round.

Cannabis

Athol, Mass.-based Ascend Wellness, a company that cultivates and processes marijuana, raised $55 million in a new round of funding to support its rapid expansion in the east coast. The fund split comes with $37 million in a bridge round of preferred equity and $18 million in a senior note. The round was led by Shire Capital, Three Bays Capital, and JM10 Partners. Existing investors Poseidon Asset Management and Salveo Capital also participated.

Civic Tech

Cambridge-based startup Polis raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round led by Haystack VC, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based VC and PE firm that invested in DoorDash and Instacart. The company, which was part of Techstars Boston spring cohort in 2016, is a provider of data and analytics software for both door-to-door political campaigns and commercial sales.

Cloud Storage

Nasuni, a provider of cloud storage and file sharing services based in the Seaport District, received $25 million in growth equity funding. The round was led by Telstra Ventures, the venture capital arm of Telstra, one of Australia’s largest telecommunications companies.

Consumer Electronics

Eversound, a Boston-based startup that has developed a wireless headphone system that allows seniors at living communities to tune into specific audio sources happening around them, raised $5 million in a Series A round led by Ron Feinstein, former CEO at Lifeline Systems, with participation from Shelter Group, Red Bear Angels and 10X Ventures.

Enterprise Software

Evisort, an artificial intelligence contract management company, announced that it raised $4.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by Village Global and Amity Ventures with participation from Serra Ventures, as well as industry executives from Accenture, Ropes & Gray, SAP and Walt Disney.

Fintech/Cryptocurrency

Coin Metrics, a Cambridge-based provider of crypto asset market and network data, closed a $1.9 million seed round of venture funding. Castle Island Ventures led the financing round, with participation from Fidelity Investments, Highland Capital Partners and Dragonfly Capital.

Fitness

Harvard Square-based Hydrow, a maker of connected rowers that allow users to digitally row with professionals, announced that it has raised $20 million in funding from L Catterton, a private equity firm that has also backed Peleton and other fitness companies, such as Equinox, CorePower Yoga and Bodytech.

Food/Beverage Tech

Boston-based Smart Lunches, a startup that delivers healthy lunches to school kids, sold shares worth $1.5 million of its $2 million equity funding round, according to a new Form D filing.

Motif Ingredients, a startup that’s a subsidiary of biotechnology major Ginkgo Bioworks, launched with $90 million Series A in its pocket to make alternative proteins.

Gaming

Modulate, a Cambridge-based startup producing voice features for digital characters in video games and other online experiences, raised a $2 million seed financing round co-led by 2Enable Partners and Hyperplane Venture Capital.

Health Care

1upHealth, a platform for patients, providers, and app developers to aggregate and share medical data and wearable device metrics, announced the close of a $2.38 million seed round. The funding was co-led by Eniac Ventures, Meridian Street Capital and Social Leverage.

Sudbury, Mass.-based ThinkGenetic, a startup that makes AI-powered tools for genetic condition diagnosis, raised $1.5 million in an angel round of funding. The startup was accepted into the Accelerate South accelerator program in Lafayette, Louisiana, in 2018.

HR Tech

Jobcase, a platform dedicated to assisting people find work, received $100 million in growth equity funding. The round was led by Providence Strategic Growth, which is an affiliate of Providence Equity Partners L.L.C., a global private equity and credit investment firm.

InsureTech

Hi Marley, a Boston-based insurance industry’s intelligent conversation platform, raised $8.7 million in an equity round, according to a new Form D filing.

Marketing

Boston-based startup Crayon, which sells market intelligence software and is based in Fort Point, raised $6 million in a Series A round led by San Francisco-based Bedrock Capital. Existing investors including Baseline Ventures, Converge, Box Group also participated in the round. The round brings the company’s total funding to $16 million.

Mobile/Wireless Technology

Virtualized mobile networks provider Affirmed Networks raised $38 million in a strategic round of funding led by Centerview Capital Technology. The round includes wireless industry leader Qualcomm Ventures LLC, Eastward Capital Partners as well as Affirmed’s largest existing investors. Affirmed Networks is based in Acton, Mass.

Manufacturing Analytics

Tulip, a Somerville-based manufacturing app platform, announced an $18.4 million Series B financing led by Vertex Ventures US and backed by NEA as well as Pitango Ventures. The company will use the new financing to grow its product, engineering, and sales teams.

News/Media

Cortico, a nonprofit organization that works with MIT Media Lab with the mission of fostering constructive public conversation in communities and the media, raised $2 million in funding from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

Real Estate

Boston-based Reggora, a startup that provides an online appraisal platform for mortgage lenders and appraisers, raised $4 million in a new round of equity funding, according to a Form D filing.

Retail

French-born Mirakl, a startup that provides technology to launch an e-commerce marketplace for brands like Urban Outfitters, J. Crew and Office Depot, raised $70 million led by Bain Capital Ventures. Bain Capital Ventures Partner Scott Friend led the round whose previous investments include Jet.com and Rent the Runway. Existing investors 83North, Felix Capital and Elaia Partners also participated in the round.


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