This is our roundup of Chicago tech and startup companies that received venture capital investments during the last month. If we missed one, let us know at info@chicagoinno.com.
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Chicago tech and startup companies raised at least $148 million in venture capital throughout the month of July, according to data compiled by Chicago Inno.
The month’s fundings were led by AMP Americas, which raised $75 million, and Built In and Pyxis Oncology, which both raised $22 million.
July’s venture capital fundings are an increase from June, when Chicago tech and startups only raised about $110 million in venture capital.
Below are eight Chicago tech and startup companies that raised money in July.
Aegis AI: Aegis AI, a Chicago startup that uses artificial intelligence to identify firearms in security camera video feeds, raised $2.2 million in new funding. The capital comes from Bling Capital, Upside Partnership and Tensility Venture Partners. Also included in the round was $155,000 it won in June after placing third at the University of Chicago New Venture Challenge.
AMP Americas: AMP Americas raised $75 million in a round led by EIV Capital, a Houston firm that invests in energy businesses. The company has now raised more than $130 million to date. It last raised a $47 million round in 2017. The startup has developed a solution to turn cow waste into renewable natural gas for trucking fleets.
Built In: Built In, a Chicago-based tech-recruiting platform, raised $22 million in a Series C round led by Updata Partners, a venture capital firm in Washington, D.C. Chicago-based MATH Venture Partners also participated in the round, as it has been a consistent investor in Built In since 2015. With this latest financing, Built In has now raised nearly $30 million in total, according to data from Crunchbase. And according to Pitchbook, Built In’s Series C round is the second-largest round of funding raised by a Chicago tech company led by a woman CEO.
Inventables: Inventables, a Chicago-based company founded by Zach Kaplan that provides 3D carving tools and software to help companies make products, raised $11.5 million in a Series C round led by Cue Ball, a Boston-based venture capital firm. Other backers in the round include True Ventures, Greycroft, Pipeline Capital, Draper Associates, Relativity CEO Mike Gamson and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner.
Jammber: Jammber, a music-tech startup that creates workflow tools to help artists receive proper credit and payment for their work, raised $2.2 million in new funding. Backers include Revolution's Rise of the Rest fund. Jammber says it has more than 600 customers using its software to create and properly credit projects, and it’s been used during sessions from Paul McCartney, U2 and One Republic.
Mobile Doorman: Mobile Doorman, a Chicago-based custom-app developer for the apartment industry, raised $6.5 million in a round led by Reimagined Ventures, the Chicago-based investment arm of the Litowitz Family Office. The fund is co-managed by Alec Litowitz, the founder and CEO of Magnetar Capital, a hedge fund company that manages $12.6 billion for clients.
NanoGraf: Northwestern University spinout NanoGraf landed $7.5 million from the U.S. Advanced Battery Consortium. The company, which was previously named Sinode Systems, was founded by Samir Mayekar, who is now a deputy mayor of Chicago.
Pyxis Oncology:Pyxis Oncology, an immuno-oncology startup, officially launched in July with the help of a $22 million Series A round led by Leaps by Bayer. The company was founded by professors and researchers from the University of Chicago. It will be based in Boston going forward, but a small team will continue to work in Chicago.
