#26: (10/7/24) Early & Growth Stage Tech Startup Funding Recap!
Check Out This Week's Venture Capital Investment Summary Spanning Early & Growth-Stage US Based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software Startups!
Every Monday, the team here at Bearhug Recruiting aggregates, researches, and publishes a recap of the prior week's fundraising activity within the early and growth-stage Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startup ecosystem.
This research not only allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of the markets we serve, but also benefits others who, like us, enjoy analyzing the latest trends that signal investor confidence AND startup growth within what we believe are the most exciting and impactful segments!
We also hope the people and companies we feature enjoy both a virtual fist bump from the team at Bearhug, plus benefit from some additional free market exposure to amplify their mission. Make sure you reach out to any that are interesting/relevant that you might be able to help!
Here’s this week’s startup funding recap:
Neeve, led by Nitesh Trikha, has raised a $15 million Series A funding round. Neeve provides a cloud platform-as-a-service (PaaS) designed to manage smart buildings and spaces. The company partners with owners, occupiers, operators, and integrators to integrate its edge and cloud technology with both new and existing operations technology (OT) networks. Neeve’s platform is currently deployed in over 650 buildings globally, offering scalable and adaptable solutions for enhancing operational efficiency in smart infrastructure. Neeve originated as View Inc.'s Smart Building Cloud and now operates as a separate entity. The funds will be used to drive global expansion, accelerate sustainability initiatives, and enhance cybersecurity measures. The round was led by Cantor Fitzgerald (Howard Lutnick) and RXR (Scott Rechler). [Link] #PropTech #Real Estate Tech #Smart Building Software #Artificial Intelligence #Edge Computing #Internet of Things #Security Operations Center #Environmental Technology
3Laws Robotics, led by Andrew Singletary, has raised a $4.1 million Seed funding round. 3Laws Robotics specializes in providing dynamic safety solutions for autonomous and remotely operated systems. The company’s core product, Supervisor, enhances safety and performance optimization by offering real-time guardrails for AI-driven machines. Supervisor is flexible and scalable, capable of integrating with existing autonomy stacks without the need for structural modifications. 3Laws’ solutions are applicable across various robotic systems, including industrial manipulators, racing drones, mobile robots, and intelligent boats. The funds will be used to expand operations and extend the company’s business reach. The round was led by TenOneTen (David Waxman, Gil Elbaz), with participation from the Amazon Industrial Innovation Fund (Franziska Bossart). [Link] #Autonomous Systems #Robotic Process Automation #Robotics #Artificial Intelligence #Environmental Technology #Warehouse Robotics Solutions
Ensemble, led by Alex Reneau, has raised a $3.3 million Seed funding round. Ensemble is an enterprise machine learning startup that enables organizations to train accurate ML models on limited, sparse, and high-dimensional data. The company’s proprietary representation learning algorithm approximates hidden relationships in data, producing embeddings that distill signal from noise. Their flagship product, Dark Matter, improves ML model performance by feeding learned, statistically optimal features for tasks, enhancing accuracy and freeing up teams to focus on experimentation and innovation. The funds will be used to expand operations and further develop the company's platform. The round was led by Salesforce Ventures, with participation from M13 (Karl Alomar, Morgan Blumberg), Motivate (Lauren DeLuca, David Wieland), and Amplo (Sheel Tyle). [Link] #AI Infrastructure #Artificial Intelligence #ML Ops #DevTools #AI Model Training #Generative AI #AI Model Inference #AI Platform
Wispr, led by Tanay Kothari, has raised a $12 million Venture funding round. Wispr is building a voice-first productivity tool called Wispr Flow, designed to revolutionize how users interact with technology. The tool offers features like blazing-fast dictation, auto-edits, smart formatting, command mode, and native integrations across applications. Flow supports over 100 languages and is designed for hands-free interaction, allowing users to dictate and interact with text and commands seamlessly. Wispr Flow is part of the AWS Generative AI accelerator, enhancing how users manage and engage with digital content. The funds will be used to launch Wispr Flow across additional platforms. The round was led by Matt Kraning, with participation from existing investors NEA and 8VC (Alex Kolicich), along with Tim Junio (CEO, Expanse) and Alumni Ventures. Kudos to Neo (Ali Partovi), MVP Ventures (Andre de Baubigny, Cecilia Ng), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Natural Language Processing #Generative AI #Artificial Intelligence #Voice Productivity Software
Augmodo, led by Ross Finman, has raised a $5.3 million Seed funding round. Augmodo provides a real-time inventory and task tracking system using wearable SmartBadges™ to create live 3D store maps. Its spatial AI assistant automates shelf inventory management and planogram creation, updating dozens of times daily. The system enhances retail operations by offering real-time visibility into store conditions through its analytics platform, SpatialView™, giving retail executives and brand partners valuable insights to optimize performance and reduce costs. The funds will be used to support pilot programs with both brands and retailers in 2024 and continue building the business. The round was led by Lerer Hippeau (Isabelle Phelps, Tanaz Mody), with participation from Dunnhumby Ventures, NewFare Partners, and Simple Food Ventures. [Link] #Retail Tech #Spatial Analytics #Spatial Computing #Generative AI #Artificial Intelligence #Environmental Technology #Inventory & Price Optimization Software
AirOps, led by Alex Halliday, has raised a $15.5 million Series A funding round. AirOps provides an AI-powered platform that helps marketers build and scale growth workflows. By integrating data, AI models, and human creativity, AirOps enables companies to execute go-to-market strategies efficiently, producing high-quality content at scale. The platform is used by brands across industries to streamline workflows, enhance content creation, and drive growth strategies. Companies like Anne Klein, Informa, and Toys”R”Us are already using AirOps to scale complex marketing playbooks and achieve significant outcomes. The funds will be used to expand AirOps' platform and provide marketers with tools to build and scale AI-driven growth workflows. The round was led by Unusual VC, with participation from Wing VC (Zachary DeWitt, Jake Flomenberg, Sunil Chokshi), Founder Collective (Micah Rosenbloom, David Frankel, Eric Paley), XFund (Patrick Chung, Brandon Farwell), Alt Capital, Lauryn Motamedi, David Rogier, and JD Ross. [Link] #MarTech #Generative AI #Artificial Intelligence #Marketing Ops Tech #SEO Tech
Billables, led by Arvind Sujeeth, has raised a $3.9 million Seed funding round. Billables AI offers an AI platform for professional service providers, automating billable time tracking and report generation. Through integrations with tools like Microsoft 365, Google, and Zoom, Billables AI securely captures user activity in real-time, automatically generating client-ready billable entries. These entries are customized to match each attorney's or service provider's style, reducing operational overhead and allowing professionals to focus on their work while the system handles time tracking and billing processes. The funds will be used to invest in advanced machine learning, further personalizing time reports and building productivity tools for professional service providers. The round was led by Wing VC (Tanay Jaipuria, Sunil Chokshi), with participation from f7 Ventures (Kelly Graziadei, Joanna Lee Shevelenko), SignalFire, Darkmode, Alumni Ventures, including angel investors from Google, Stanford, SambaNova, and more. [Link] #LegalTech #AI Legal Assistant #AI Agent #Artificial Intelligence #Generative AI
Valdera, led by Sruti Arulmani, has raised a $15 million Series A funding round. Valdera provides an AI-driven sourcing platform for chemicals and raw materials. The platform uses data science and machine learning to automate tasks like supplier discovery, qualification, and engagement, helping manufacturers diversify supply chains, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability. Valdera partners with manufacturers, including companies in the CPG and beauty industries, to lower costs, drive supply chain resiliency, and improve time-to-market by leveraging market intelligence. The funds will be used to expand operations and grow the company's business reach. The round was led by Index Ventures (Georgia Stevenson), with participation from Susa Ventures (Courtney Buie Lipkin, Seth Berman, Shannon Mooney), Lerer Hippeau, BoxGroup (David Tisch, Nimi Katragadda), and current and former executives from Procter & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Unilever, Nestle, Bayer, Henkel, Polycoat, and SAP Ariba. [Link] #Manufacturing Tech #Supplier Sourcing Platform #Supply Chain Tech #Material Science Tech #Artificial Intelligence #Data Science #Machine Learning #Environmental Technology
Pallet, led by Sushanth Raman, has raised an $18 million Series A funding round. Pallet provides an AI-powered transportation and warehouse management system. The platform unifies operations, replacing disjointed point solutions and automating repetitive workflows, such as order entry, dispatching, invoicing, and billing. Pallet enables real-time tracking of shipment statuses and provides notifications to improve customer service. Since launching in April 2023, the company has partnered with leading trucking companies like BLK Out Logistics and Victory Final Mile to enhance transportation operations across the U.S. The funds will be used to expand the team, scale operations, and invest in new enterprise product capabilities. The round was led by Bain Capital Ventures (Kevin Zhang), with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, Activant Capital, and angel investors including Zach Frankel, Aman Narang, Steve Fredette, Tim Barash, Manuel Kadre, and John Curtius. Kudos to Cedar Capital (John Curtius), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Transportation Tech #Warehouse Management System #Logistics Software #Artificial Intelligence #Environmental Technology
Numa, led by Tasso Roumeliotis, has raised a $32 million Series B funding round. Numa is an AI platform designed for auto dealerships, automating tasks to improve customer service and team productivity. The platform integrates AI agents into various operations, such as managing customer calls, voicemails, and reducing resolution times to enhance customer satisfaction. Numa serves over 600 dealerships across the U.S. and Canada, helping dealerships improve revenue generation and accountability. The funds will be used to expand Numa’s AI engineering team and accelerate product development. The round was led by Touring Capital and Mitsui & Co., Ltd., with participation from existing investors Costanoa Ventures (Mark Selcow, Katy Wiley), Threshold (Andreas Stavropoulos, Jen Kodner), and Gradient Ventures. [Link] #Generative AI #Automotive Tech #Retail Tech #Artificial Intelligence #SalesTech #Sales Acceleration Software #Environmental Technology
Vieu, led by Simon Skaria, has raised an $11 million Seed funding round. Vieu is an AI-powered platform designed to help B2B sales teams generate a qualified pipeline by facilitating warm introductions to decision-makers. Its graph platform indexes billions of relationships and industry-specific data sets to uncover deep social connections and account intelligence. This enables sales teams to build trust with potential customers from the first interaction, improving the chances of successful business relationships. The funds will be used to expand operations and further develop the platform. The round was led by Trilogy Equity Partners, with participation from Incubate Fund, Vela Partners (Yiğit Ihlamur), and angel investors. [Link] #SalesTech #MarTech #Generative AI #Artificial Intelligence #Sales Acceleration Software #Sales Automation Software
Artisan, led by Jaspar Carmichael-Jack, has raised a $7.3 million Seed funding round. Artisan develops AI-powered virtual employees, starting with its AI Sales Agent, Ava. The Artisan Sales platform consolidates multiple outbound sales tools into one, automating personalized email writing and dynamic email playbooks that emulate the style of a human BDR. Artisan plans to expand with additional AI employees, including Liam, the Marketing Artisan, and James, the Customer Success Artisan. This suite of AI employees streamlines operations and increases efficiency for sales teams. The funds will be used to expand operations, develop new products, and scale business reach. The round was led by Oliver Jung, with participation from Sequoia Scout, Y Combinator (Pete Koomen), Soma Capital (Aneel Ranadive, Mir Faiyaz), BOND Capital, Anu Hariharan, Paul Daversa, Fellows Fund (Alex Ren, Jianchang Mao), Mento VC, and others. Kudos to Day One Ventures (Masha Bucher), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Generative AI #AI Agent #SalesTech #MarTech #Sales Acceleration Software #Sales Automation Software #Sales Productivity Software
MarqVision, led by Mark Lee, has raised an additional $16 million in Series A funding. MarqVision specializes in online brand protection, helping global brands identify and remove counterfeits from thousands of platforms and rogue websites across 118 countries. The company’s Marq AI product suite leverages generative AI to enhance detection accuracy and efficiency. Features include conversational AI for gathering evidence of counterfeits, interactive dashboards for detailed insights, and automated workflows to streamline copyright enforcement. MarqVision’s AI models continuously improve with user feedback, ensuring effective and targeted counterfeit detection. The funds will be used to scale operations as demand for MarqVision’s services grows worldwide. The round was led by Altos Ventures, Y Combinator (Michael Seibel), and Quantum Light. [Link] #IP Rights Enforcement #Online Brand Protection #LegalTech #Artificial Intelligence
Crescendo, led by Matt Price, has raised a $50 million Venture funding round. Crescendo provides an augmented-AI customer experience (CX) platform that combines artificial intelligence with human expertise to deliver results for fast-growing, digitally-native enterprises. The platform optimizes both frontline and back-office operations, enabling companies to create meaningful, personalized customer experiences at scale. Crescendo has already expanded its operations to six continents, aided by the acquisition of PartnerHero, a customer operations outsourcing provider, positioning itself as a leader in the CX space. The funds will be used to expand operations and further develop the platform. The round was led by General Catalyst, with participation from Celesta Capital (Sriram Viswanathan, Michael Marks, Nicholas Brathwaite), Alorica, and strategic angels. [Link] #CX Tech #CX Support Engine #Artificial Intelligence #Generative AI #AI Agent #AI Assistants
Loti, led by Luke Arrigoni, has raised a $6.65 million Seed funding round. Loti AI specializes in likeness protection technology, using advanced AI to detect and remove unauthorized content online. The company’s flagship products, Loti Watchtower and Loti Enforce, help identify and eliminate unauthorized content like deepfakes, impersonations, and voice simulations. Loti partners with major talent agencies, including WME, to protect celebrities' digital identities, ensuring that unlicensed content is swiftly removed and that digital likenesses are secured. The funds will be used to expand operations and advance the development of the company's AI technology. The round was led by FUSE (Brendan Wales) and Bling Capital, with participation from K5 Tokyo Black, Ensemble, and AlphaEdison, along with additional undisclosed investment from Khosla Ventures (Jon Chu). [Link] #NIL Tech #Privacy Infringement Tech #Privacy & Security Tech #Generative AI
DocJuris, led by Henal Patel, has raised an $8 million Series A funding round. DocJuris offers AI-powered contract review and negotiation software that automates key tasks during the contract review process, including redlining and negotiation. The platform helps legal teams streamline contract management tasks, improving efficiency and reducing errors. DocJuris is used by several Fortune 500 companies, including Siemens, Dell, FedEx, Toyota, and Duke Energy, to handle their contract review processes, making it a trusted solution for enterprises. The funds will be used to expand operations and continue enhancing the platform’s development. The round was led by Silverton Partners (Mike Dodd, Kip McClanahan, Morgan Flager), with participation from Watertower Ventures (Derek Norton), Surface Ventures, and Seed Round Capital. [Link] #LegalTech #Document Management Tech #SalesTech #Procurement Software #Artificial Intelligence #Generative AI
*Note: The companies we feature in our weekly recap are a very small subset of a much larger batch, carefully chosen based on our team's assessment of how each company aligns with our GTM search practice. It’s worth noting that most startups raise funding rounds privately, often long before the news is announced publicly!
