Chicago-area tech and startup companies brought in a significant amount of money in November, making for what should be a strong close to the year. Collectively, area tech and startup companies raised at least $184 million, based on public announcements, SEC filings and additional data provided to Chicago Inno by VC database Pitchbook. That's a jump from October, when Chicago tech companies raised about $94 million.
The bulk of the funding was raised by Uptake, which announced a $117 million investment right at the end of the month.
Here’s the tech companies and organizations that received funding in November:
AES Compassionate Care: The company, which grows and processes medical cannabis, raised $3.4 million, according to PitchBook data. The company was founded in 2016 and has additional offices in Maryland, Nevada and Pennsylvania, according to Bloomberg.
CFX Markets: The fintech startup, which supplies an open and secure trading platform for alternative assets, raised $2.2 million in a funding round led by West Loop Ventures, M25 Group and Origami Capital Partners.
Charlie: The company, which makes Detective, an app-based tool that helps salespeople streamline their research efforts, raised $1.6 million from Silicon Valley-based GoAhead Ventures, Crain’s reported in November.
Cooler Screens: The new company, which puts digital screens on grocery store freezer doors, raised $700,000, according to an SEC filing. The investors were not disclosed. Cooler Screens was founded by Livongo Health CEO Glen Tullman, Argo Tea Founder Arsen Avakian and former Walgreens CEO Greg Wasson.
Exicure: The Northwestern University biotech spinout that’s developing gene-regulating therapies for inflammation raised $11.2 million, according to Crain’s, bringing their total funding to nearly $72 million, according to Crunchbase. Investors included Chinese drug maker Luye Pharma Group.
Fast Radius: Founded by Rick Smith and Mitch Free, the startup, which provides quotes for on-demand manufacturing needs, raised $8.8 million, according to an SEC filing.
Monopar Therapeutics: The biopharmaceutical company in Northbrook, Ill., which develops cancer drugs, raised $9.7 million, according to PitchBook data. Investors were not disclosed.
Phyter Food: The food startup, which makes a vegetable-based nutrition bar, raised $1 million in a round led by the Sustainable Local Food Investment Group, a cohort of angel investors that give money to Chicago-area food companies. Phyter said they will use the money to purchase kitchen equipment and launch a marketing program. Their product is being sold in retailers like Whole Foods.
Quicket Solutions: The startup, which specializes in managing sensitive government workloads using a cloud platform, raised $2.5 million in a seed round, according to PitchBook data. It was founded in 2013 by Akshay Singh and Christiaan Burner. Quicket's cloud platform includes records and case management, mobile reporting, payment processing, advanced data analytics, and more. It currently serves law enforcement, code enforcement, finance departments and municipal courts.
Snapsheet: The tech-insurance company, founded by Brad Weisberg and CJ Przybyl, received $4 million in funding in a Series D funding round, according to an SEC filing. Investors included Tola Capital and the United Services Automobile Association, according to PitchBook data.
Target Data: In a Series A funding round, the startup, which helps companies use data to create marketing campaigns, raised $1.1 million, bringing the company’s total funding to $5.4 million, according to PitchBook data. Investors were not disclosed.
Uptake: The fast-growing predictive analytics startup raised $117 million in a Series D round, led by UK Venture fund Baillie Gifford. Uptake’s other existing investors, like Revolution Growth and GreatPoint Ventures, also participated. The company’s total funding is now at about $260 million.
Vital Proteins: The collagen supplement maker raised $19 million in a round led by CAVU Venture Partners, according to Crunchbase.
And a number of Chicago tech non-profits will benefit from a $2 million grant from JPMorgan that the bank announced this month. The grants are part of the bank’s $40 million commitment to foster economic growth on Chicago’s South and West side. Among the list of grant recipients are 1871, Illinois Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Blue1647, Women’s Business Development Center, World Business Chicago and Sunshine Enterprises.
