The final days of October brought us new hires, new funding rounds, and some acquisition headlines from across the Southeast startup world. We have a round up of the biggest headlines you need to know from the week that was:
Funding News
Charlotte-based Petfolk, a startup provider of veterinary and urgent care through its network of “connected care” clinics, received a $36 million Series C investment. The round was led by Deerfield Management (“Deerfield”) with existing investors Movendo Capital, White Star Capital, Cutting Horse VC, Idea Farm Ventures, and Parkview International also joining the round. More details can be found here.
Homee, a Tampa, FL-based provider of an AI-driven direct repair network for the Property and Casualty insurance industry, raised $12M in Series C funding. The startup, which was founded in 2016, has raised $75 million in capital. More details in this press release.
Innovate Alabama is investing in Johnson Energy Storage (JES), which is out of Atlanta, along with NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson, Cleveland Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett and Southern Company Electrotechnologies. The investment will catalyze JES operations in Tuskegee, AL.
Charlotte, Abra is an AI-powered platform that turns sales promises into measurable performance, joined the North Carolina-based Primordial portfolio this week. Details can be found up on the firm’s blog.
Startup M&A News
Carta, the popular financial platform used by startups, announced this week it has acquired North Carolina-based Tactyc. The fund forecasting and portfolio construction platform is described as the first software to bring forecasting and planning to private funds. Details up on Carta’s blog.
People on the Move
The Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) announced that Ryan Marshall, president and CEO of PulteGroup, will serve as the 2025 MAC Board Chair, and Rich McKay, CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment and CEO of Atlanta Falcons, will step into the role for 2026. Chris Womack, president and CEO of Southern Company and 2024 MAC Board Chair, will formally hand over the role to Ryan Marshall at MAC’s 2024 annual meeting on November 21.
In Other News
Atlanta-based Presso announced a new strategic collaboration with WASH Multifamily Laundry Systems, LLC. The strategic collaboration will bring the Presso® machine to WASH’s current customers at certain WASH Laundry Route Services locations. Presso’s on-demand technology offers a fast and eco-friendly solution that presses and refreshes garments in as little as five minutes. You can read all about the new collaboration in the company’s press release.
Softensity’s Chief Strategy Officer Monika Mueller Honored as 2024 Women of the Year by Women in Technology (WIT). This annual event, held in Atlanta, recognizes leading women across STEAM industries who drive transformative impact, innovation, and inclusive growth.
In partnership with the Center for Black Entrepreneurship (CBE), the University of Georgia’s Innovation Gateway is one of 49 grant recipients in 2024, receiving $200,000 to support proposals for Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grants, which are awarded to startup businesses engaged in developing advanced technologies. More details can be found on UGA’s website here.
Atlanta-headquartered GreyOran
FinQuery, a leading provider of AI-powered solutions built to efficiently manage companies’ largest areas of spend, today announced the launch of FinQuery Contract Management (FCM) with Prepaids and Accruals. The company says this will empower businesses to automate accounting for prepaid and accrued expenses stemming from contracts such as software, services, utilities, insurance and short-term leases, in addition to streamlining contract management for finance and accounting teams.
