In covering the D.C. innovation economy comes the inevitable: funding news. Trust us, there's a lot of it floating around the D.C. metro area. Here's a roundup of all of the major funding news from the region in October:
Regalwood Global Energy
D.C.-based Regalwood Global Energy, which is a "black check company" that was formed by asset management giant Carlyle with the sole purpose of buying energy businesses, filed for a $300 million IPO on Oct. 3. The company was formed in 2017 and will trade under symbol RWGE.U.
Urgent.ly
Vienna, Virginia-based Urgent.ly, a leading digital roadside assistance platform, raised a $10 million Series B funding on Oct. 4 from American Tire Distributors, which is the largest tire distributor in the U.S., Verizon Ventures and Forte Ventures. Every month, Urgenty.ly says that it manages tens of thousands of roadside assistance events through its platform, eliminating approximately 250,000+ calls that would've flooded call centers.
Airside Mobile
Airside Mobile raised $6 million to expand on Oct. 5. The Arlington, Va.-based startup builds a suite of products to help international travelers quickly go through customs when they land in the U.S. Before this, Airside Mobile had raised just $1.5 million.
Senseware
Tysons-based Senseware is on its way to raising another $1 million, according to reports on Oct. 5. The company creates a universal sensor system for office buildings to make it easier to find the optimal temperature for an office space — ensuring you're never *too cold* while sitting at your desk again.
Wireless Registry
Wireless Registry, based in both D.C. and Denver, closed its $6 million Series A round, according to a company announcement on Oct. 3. Razor's Edge Ventures led the round, and Greylock Ventures, American Family Ventures, New Atlantic Ventures, PJC and Blazar Ventures all participated. The company plans to use the new funds to expand its team, particularly in engineering, data analytics and market development.
Mapbox
Mapbox, a D.C.-based startup, is one of the latest companies to secure an investment from SoftBank's Vision Fund. The mapping technology company today closed a $164 million Series C round led by SoftBank, with participation from Foundry Group, DFJ Growth, DBL Partners and Thrive Capital, on Oct. 10. The new investment brings Mapbox’s total funding to date to about $227 million, according to Crunchbase. Read more: Mapbox Closes $164M Round Led by SoftBank. Here’s Where It Stands Amongst D.C.’s Other Top Deals.
ICX Media
Michael Avon's ICX Media is raking in the cash. The company announced on Oct. 12 it closed a $6.6 million Series A funding round, led by D.C.-based Grotech Ventures. Richmond's NRV, Boston-based PJC and D.C.-based Avonlea Capital also participated. The funding will be used to fund ICX Media's sales, marketing, business development and technology growth. ICX Media aims to connect content creators with large companies through its content management platform. For independent creators, they can see how widespread their videos' and online content's reach is. For large companies, they receive access to young internet stars for potential advertising and branded content opportunities.
The Halifax
Washington, D.C.-based private equity firm The Halifax Group raised $650 million in its latest fund, Halifax Capital Partners IV LP. The target was $550 million, according to a press release on Oct. 19. Halifax's portfolio has included Papa John's and Meineke Car Care, and its most recent fund had closed $393 million in 2012.
FS Card
Washington, D.C.-based FS Card has closed a $150 million credit facility, according to a recent press release on Oct. 23. The new funding will be used to maintain FS Card's current portfolio. FS Card offers products for people with not-so-great credit who are looking for a second chance. We profiled the company back in June, and over the summer, the company landed $30 million in equity funding.
Stardog
Arlington, Va.-based data analytics Stardog has landed a $6 million Series A funding round, according to a press release on Oct. 24. The round was led by Grotech Ventures, with participation from existing investors Core Capital and Boulder Ventures. Stardog last closed a seed round in July 2016, and according to the release, they have since tripled revenue and secured more recognizable Fortune 500 companies as customers.
Floreo
D.C.-based Floreo closed a $2.1 million seed round on Oct. 30 from investors such as Presence Capital, GC VR Tracker Fund, Mixi's i-Mercury Fund and more. The virtual reality firm designs technology for children with autism, and the funding follows a $1.7 million grant from the National Institute of Health.
Rise of the Rest
Steve Case and the team at Rise of the Rest are raising $100 million for a new seed fund, a Securities and Exchange Commission filing from Oct. 27 shows. According to the Form D filing, the fund has yet to bring in outside investors and the minimum investment is $250,000. Case is listed as the fund’s general partner and a member of the Rise of the Rest investment committee. Revolution could not comment on the filing. Read more: Steve Case and Revolution Raising $100M for Rise of the Rest Seed Fund
