This is a 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 $30 million in venture capital during the month of November, according to data compiled by Chicago Inno.
November’s fundings were led by Upfront Healthcare, which raised $11.5 million, and NestEgg, which raised $7 million.
Local VC activity in November was significantly down from October, when Chicago startups raised more than $208 million.
Below are eight Chicago tech and startup companies that raised money in November.
Dimension Inx: The startup raised $3.2 million in a seed round led by KdT Ventures, an early-stage science VC firm, along with Better Ventures and Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund. Founded in 2017, Dimension Inx is a spinout from Northwestern University that's co-founded by Ramille Shah and Adam Jakus. It's led by CEO Caralynn Nowinski Collens, who previously led Chicago innovation accelerator UI LABS. The startup has developed a biofabrication process that creates 3D-printed implants that can repair human tissue and organs. Used primarily in reconstructive surgery, the startup's technology is first creating therapeutic implants for facial reconstruction.
EarlyBird: The startup raised $2.4 million in funding from backers that include Network Ventures, Chingona Ventures, Bridge Investments, Kairos Angels, Takoma Ventures and Subconscious Ventures. Founded in 2019, EarlyBird is a gifting platform that allows parents to set up custodial investment accounts for their children, and allows family and friends to easily contribute financial gifts to the account. The app also allows users to send a video message with each gift to add an extra layer of personalization to each gift.
Fluent Forever: The startup, which makes a language learning app, raised $5 million in a seed round, according to a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing. Investors included Stout Street Capital and Cultivation Capital.
Havoc Shield: The startup raised $1.45 million in a round led by Chicago-based Hyde Park Angels. Techstars, Active Capital, Lofty Ventures and individual angels also participated. Havoc Shield, founded in 2019, has built a fast and effective cyber security program specifically for startups. It provides startups an action plan that guides them step-by-step through a prioritized security program.
Hello Water: The maker of fiber-infused bottled water, Hello Water raised $250,000 in a seed round, according a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
NestEgg: The startup raised a $7 million Series A round led by Hyde Park Venture Partners. Other backers include Bonfire Ventures, BAM Ventures, Financial Venture Studios, Dreamit Ventures and Hyde Park Angels. Led by CEO Eachan Fletcher, the former CTO of Expedia, NestEgg's platform allows landlords to collect rent, manage maintenance requests, and streamline their mortgage and loan payments. The startup works with tenants to collect rent on their pay schedule, which helps landlords protect themselves from missed payments.
TrustClarity: The B2B SaaS startup closed a pre-seed funding round of $300,000 with participation from Baskar Puvanathasan, the co-founder of PagerDuty, Ninetwenty Capital, Sim Nation, Vel Investment Holdings and CRS Recycling Services. Founded in 2019, TrustClarity creates turnkey B2B storefronts to provide companies with a simplified, trusted and sustainable way to sell and buy new, refurbished and excess inventory.
Upfront Healthcare: The Chicago health care startup raised $11.5 million from investors. The Series B round was led by Baird Capital and LRVHealth. Other investors include Echo Health Ventures, Nashville Capital Network, Hyde Park Venture Partners and Martin Ventures. The funding brings Upfront’s total capital raised to more than $21 million.
Launched by Ben Albert and Carrie Kozlowski in 2016, Upfront’s software analyzes visits at health care facilities. Using data science, it helps providers generate scheduling and logistics improvements that can make them more efficient and profitable.
