Funding news in the LegalTech space. New marketplace and CPG startups launching in the region.
After a busy week when many people in the ecosystem gathered at the Venture Atlanta conference, we’re recapping the stories and headlines that caught our attention this week. Here is what you need to know:
Funding News
* Charleston, South Carolina-based Case Status, an AI-powered startup and platform for law firms, announced a $19.7 million Series B funding round this week. Southeast investors in the round include Tampa-based Topmark Partners, Atlanta-based BIP Ventures, and Raleigh-based Front Porch Venture. Press release on the fund raise can be found here. You can read about Case Status’ origin story in this previous Hypepotamus article.
* Atlanta-based Document Crunch, an AI platform at the intersection of the construction and legal industries, raised a $21.5 million Series B round. Read what the round means for the startup here.
* EnergyX, a Florida-based clean technology company that optimizes the lithium extraction process, raised $75 million in venture funding, according to Crunchbase.
* Atlanta-based Query, a startup that previously went through the Engage program in the city, announced they received a strategic investment from enterprise technology giant Cisco. Read more and meet the CEO here.
Movers & Shakers
* Edible Brands® (formerly Edible Arrangements) just announced Somia Farid Silber as its first new CEO. Hypepotamus spoke to Silber last year as the iconic brand looked for news ways to connect with audiences and customers.
* Dan London—previously a marketing executive with Red Hat, VP of Revenue Marketing at Bandwidth and Global Data Consortium, was just announced as the CEO at North Carolina-based Adwerx. Triangle Inno has the scoop.
* CareYaya Health Technologies, a LinkedIn Top 50 Startup and a leader in developing artificial intelligence innovations for the aging population, announced today QuikTok, an AI-based phone companion designed to combat loneliness and social isolation, improving the lives of older adults. QuikTokTM is available free of charge to individuals through partnerships with the AgeTech Collaborative from AARP and the Johns Hopkins Artificial Intelligence & Technology Collaboratory. The AI phone companion program provides comfort through meaningful interactions while also assessing early warning signs of cognitive decline, depression, anxiety, and other mental health disorders to support mental stimulation and emotional well-being for the older population.
* Florida-based entrepreneur Michael Otis announced that he has a new startup. This time, he’s looking to tackle rising food costs that restaurants owners across the country are dealing with. Find out more here.
* The Big Launch Challenge, a competition targeting the best startups in the country, is a unique opportunity to see 10 leading early stage companies (listed below) compete for $15,000 in prize money from The Launch Place in North Carolina. Over the past eleven years of hosting this competition, The Launch Place has awarded over $200,000 to 21 companies. Get to know the selected companies for this year here.
* VinoBarrel, the first of its kind “barrel-to-glass” wine preservation and automated pouring system, announced it received approval for its patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) relating to the VinoBarrel™ portable self-service wine dispenser.
* Epicenter, Memphis’ leading destination for entrepreneurs, startups and corporate innovators, has selected five medtech startups to participate in the ZeroTo510 Accelerator, a nationally-recognized program that supports early-stage medtech founders looking to accelerate toward commercialization. The 13-week go-to-market program is specifically designed to support medtech startups through essential business development stages. Participating companies receive a $25,000 investment. The Fall 2024 cohort was chosen from a diverse pool of applicants spanning 15 states and prominent universities such as Cornell, Brown, Emory, University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, Stanford and Harvard, includes:
