Local investment firms are buying into a Houston-area technology startup.
Rivalry Tech, a creator of mobile-ordering platforms for high-volume venues, on Nov. 7 announced a $3.5 million raise, led by Houston-based venture capital firm Sightcast Capital Partners.
Rivalry Tech CEO Aaron Knape said funding will be put toward building out the company's myEATz platform expansion into health care, leisure and business dining. That includes an unspecified amount of hiring. Rivalry Tech will also use some of the funding to continue supporting its sports and entertainment platform, sEATz.
Other investors named in the announcement include the the Rice University’s Valhalla Investment Group and Softeq Venture Studio, Houston-based technology firm Softeq Development Corp.'s accelerator program.
"As we begin scaling our customer base, Softeq was the perfect choice as both an investment and development partner,” Knape said. “With their focus on innovation combined with their extensive experience in enterprise software and hardware, we believe they can strategically elevate us to the next level."
In October, Softeq announced it accepted sEATz as one of 22 startups in its latest Softeq Venture Studio cohort, and the company's new Softeq Venture Fund added sEATz co-founder Craig Ceccanti as an investor.
Rivalry Tech was founded in 2018 and launched sEATz to allow customers to order concessions without leaving their seats. Partnered sports teams include the Houston Texans and the University of Houston Cougars, as well as the New York Mets and the Boston Red Sox.
In April 2022, Rivalry Tech launched myEATz at the Houston Methodist campus in The Woodlands to target staff, patients and guests picking up mobile orders in health care, leisure and business settings.
