#32: (11/18/24) Early & Growth Stage Tech Startup Funding Recap!
Check Out This Week's Venture Capital Investment Summary ($257.3 million raised across 11 featured companies) 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:
General Galactic, led by Halen Mattison, has raised an $8 million Seed funding round. General Galactic develops fossil-free fuel generation technology, transforming industrial CO2 waste streams into carbon-neutral natural gas. Its Genesis system supports high-density energy usage for industries like maritime shipping, agriculture, and heavy industry while drastically reducing global emissions. The company has a proven pilot system producing 2,000 liters of methane daily and plans to deploy commercial Genesis modules by 2025 to address long-term energy needs. The company plans to expand its engineering team and accelerate the development and deployment of its Genesis technology. The round was co-led by Harpoon Ventures and Refactor Capital (Zal Bilimoria), with participation from Pathbreaker, BoxGroup, Seraphim, Plug and Play, Impact First, and Climate Capital. [Link] #Energy Tech #Renewable Energy #Clean Energy #ClimateTech #Sustainability Tech #Environmental Technology #Energy Generation Tech
Outbuild, led by Franco Giaquinto, has raised an $11 million Series A funding round. Outbuild provides scheduling and planning software for the construction industry, streamlining workflows with an integrated platform that supports schedules, lookaheads, and weekly work plans. Using Last Planner® principles, it improves collaboration, reduces delays, and provides real-time analytics through customizable dashboards. The platform is currently deployed on over 4,000 projects across 10 countries, empowering construction teams to optimize efficiency and project management. The company plans to expand its team and advance its product roadmap with AI-driven features. The round was led by Sway Capital (Brian Nugent, Ken Denman) with participation from Hilti Venture, Trimble Ventures, BGV, and Zacua Ventures. Kudos to Insight Partners (Nikitas Koutoupes), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #Construction Software #ConTech #Pre-Construction Software #Project Quality Assurance Tech #Environmental Technology #Artificial Intelligence #PropTech
Vaulted Deep, led by Julia Reichelstein, has raised a $32.3 million Series A funding round. Vaulted Deep specializes in biomass carbon removal and storage (BiCRS), geologically sequestering organic wastes to eliminate methane emissions, reduce waterborne illnesses, and prevent pollution. Its technology processes pathogenic and contaminated organic waste, bypassing expensive carbon capture infrastructure to deliver scalable, permanent carbon dioxide removal. The company has already issued over 7,000 tonnes of CDR, contributing to global sustainability efforts through innovative waste management solutions. The company plans to expand its operations and further develop its biomass carbon removal technology. The round was led by Prelude Ventures (Matt Eggers) with participation from Lowercarbon Capital (Ryan Orbuch), Earthshot Ventures, WovenEarth Ventures, Fall Line Capital, and Rethink Impact. [Link] #Carbon Capture #ClimateTech #Environmental Technology #Sustainability Tech #Methane Emissions Monitoring #Circular Economy #Renewable Materials
SwiftConnect, led by Chip Kruger and Matt Kopel, has raised a $37 million Series B funding round. SwiftConnect provides an access network platform enabling seamless connections to places and spaces using digital passes on phones, watches, and other devices. The platform integrates with mobile technologies, credential systems, and business tools, offering centralized access management for enterprises across industries. Currently live in hundreds of millions of square feet, SwiftConnect’s customers represent over a billion square feet of office space and two million users worldwide. The company plans to expand its access network, scale operations, drive geographic expansion, and support new product initiatives. The round was led by Quadri Ventures, with participation from HID, Egis Capital Partners, Klingenstein Fields Advisors, and returning investors Crow Holdings, JLL Spark (Laurent Grill, Raj Singh), Navitas Capital, Tanzola Corp., and Spring Rock Capital. [Link] #PropTech #Smart Building Software #Access Control Platform #Customer Experience Software #Internet of Things #Environmental Technology #Sustainability Tech
Accelsius, led by Josh Claman, has raised a $24 million Series A funding round. Accelsius develops advanced cooling systems that empower data center and edge operators to achieve business, financial, and sustainability goals. Its NeuCool platform provides two-phase, direct-to-chip liquid cooling with superior thermal efficiency, using sustainable dielectric fluid and intelligent monitoring. The company’s US-based manufacturing ensures scalable solutions for single racks to entire data centers, enabling operators to enhance performance, maintain uptime, and adopt sustainable cooling technologies confidently. The company plans to expand internationally, grow shipments and revenue in the U.S., and enhance its engineering, R&D, sales, marketing, and manufacturing teams. Funding for this round has been provided from and privately raised by Innventure (Bill Haskell) (NASDAQ), who founded Accelsius in June 2022. [Link] #Data Center Automation #Cloud Infrastructure #Energy Efficiency Tech #Sustainability Tech #Environmental Technology #Smart Grid Tech #Edge Computing
Serenity, led by Peter Oneppo, has raised a $5.5 million Series A funding round. Serenity provides AI-powered Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) software that delivers ready-to-use, flexible solutions for businesses of all sizes. Its software supports EHS initiatives both within and beyond the ServiceNow ecosystem, enabling organizations to enhance compliance, streamline processes, and improve workplace safety. Serenity’s AI-driven approach ensures scalability and adaptability for diverse business environments. The company plans to accelerate product development, expand its team, and drive sales and marketing efforts. The round was led by Allegion Ventures, with follow-on participation from existing investor Base10 Partners (Rexhep Dollaku, Adeyemi Ajao, TJ Nahigian). [Link] #Environmental Technology #Compliance Software #AI Agent #Sustainability Tech #Artificial Intelligence #Data Monitoring Platform #Health Tech
Zengines, led by Caitlyn Truong, has raised a $9 million Venture funding round. Zengines provides an AI-based data management platform that automates data migration, reducing time, cost, and risk for enterprises, software vendors, and consultants. Its platform includes the Zengines Analyzer for data discovery, the Zengines Mapper for AI-driven transformation, and the Zengines Loader for seamless data migration and validation. The solution addresses complex data challenges across multiple industries, enabling efficient and accurate migrations. The company plans to accelerate product development and expand its market presence. The round was led by Hyde Park Venture Partners (Greg Barnes). [Link] #DataOps Software #AI Agent #Artificial Intelligence #Data Integration Platform #Data Transformation Tech #Machine Learning #Data Analytics Platform
11x, led by Hasan Sukkar, has raised a $50 million Series B funding round. 11x develops AI-powered digital workers that automate Go-to-Market workflows, replacing traditional software to increase efficiency and reduce costs. Its digital workers include Alice, an AI SDR for lead generation and outreach, and Jordan, a multilingual AI phone representative handling over 30 languages. The company plans to expand its suite of AI agents, empowering revenue teams to enhance productivity and streamline operations. The company plans to expand operations, launch new AI agents, and drive revenue growth through key hiring initiatives. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz. Kudos to Benchmark (Sarah Tavel), for participating in prior funding rounds as well. [Link] #AI Agent #SalesTech #GTM Platform #Artificial Intelligence #Sales Automation Software #Conversational AI #Customer Engagement Software
ScaleOps, led by Yodar Shafrir, has raised a $58 million Series B funding round. ScaleOps offers a real-time automated cloud resource management platform powered by AI. The platform automates resource allocation by considering application needs and cluster status, eliminating friction between application owners and DevOps teams. Key features include predictive horizontal pod auto-scaling, which forecasts application loads to ensure peak performance, and intelligent pod placement, which optimizes resource use to reduce active nodes. ScaleOps supports Fortune 100 companies and industry leaders across diverse environments, including cloud, on-premise, and air-gapped systems. The company plans to expand operations and its development efforts. The round was led by Lightspeed Venture Partners (David Gussarsky), with participation from returning investors NFX and Glilot Capital Partners, and new investor Picture Capital. [Link] #DevOps #Cloud Infrastructure #AI Agent #Predictive Analytics #DataOps Software #Sustainability Tech #IT Ops
PointFive, led by Alon Arvatz, has raised a $20 million Series A funding round. PointFive specializes in cloud cost optimization, using its proprietary DeepWaste™ Detection Engine to identify inefficiencies and provide actionable insights. The platform covers cloud services like DynamoDB, EKS, VPC networking, EC2, RDS, and S3, enabling comprehensive cost savings across databases, storage, and networking. Serving tech leaders like Fanatics and Elastic, PointFive delivers advanced AI-driven solutions to reduce waste and manage cloud infrastructure efficiently. The company plans to expand into multi-cloud environments, enhance GCP and Azure capabilities, and scale its sales and marketing efforts in the U.S. The round was led by Salesforce Ventures, with participation from all existing investors including Index Ventures (Juriaan Duizendstraal), Entree Capital, Sheva VC, and Vesey Ventures. Investors also included angel investors such as Assaf Rappaport, Mickey Boodaei, Tamar Yehoshua, Yasmin Lukatz, Amiram Shachar, Dean Sysman, Raanan Raz and Kfir Tishbi. [Link] #Cloud Infrastructure #DataOps Software #IT Ops #Predictive Analytics #Sustainability Tech #Artificial Intelligence #DevOps
SocialCrowd, led by Raphael Akinsipe, has raised a $2.5 million Seed funding round. SocialCrowd provides a workforce performance platform that tracks employee progress, reminds them of tasks, and rewards achievements instantly. By automating progress tracking and rewards, the platform saves time and enhances focus for teams, fostering productivity and efficiency across organizations. The company plans to expand its team and business reach. The round was led by Bread and Butter Ventures (Mary Grove, Brett Brohl) and Augment Ventures, with participation from VC 414, Serac Ventures, and FullCircle. [Link] #Workforce Management Software #Productivity Tools #Employee Scheduling Software #AI Agent #HRTech #Customer Engagement Software #Artificial Intelligence
*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!
