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Chicago's new unicorn: $325M Series E values Avant at over $1B
Avant, the Chicago-based online loan provider, announced a Series E funding round this week which came in at $325 million. The transaction is set to close sometime in October. That influx of capital has officially ushered Avant into the billion-dollar ‘unicorn’ club, with sources like the Wall Street Journal scoring that valuation closer to $2 billion. Global equity firm General Atlantic — which has formerly invested in tech A-listers like Uber and Airbnb, led the round. J.P. Morgan, Balyasny Asset Management, Tiger Global, and August Capital also contributed, bringing its total funding raised to $1.7 billion. [Built In Chicago]
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Sittercity.com unveils new on-demand sitter app
This week, Chicago-based Sitterycity.com announced the new name of their new on-demand sitter app, Chime. With Chime, users can quickly and painlessly discover, hire, and even pay babysitters directly through the app. And sitters are thoroughly screened — from interviews and background checks to social media scrapes — meaning you can remove the hassle from finding the perfect sitter. The app is already available in Chicago, New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C., and the flat rate for its sitters in Chicago is $14/hour.
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Dolly picks up $8M Series A to help expand to other cities
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Chicago-based PinpointCare rakes in $11M in funding
This week, Chicago-based healthcare startup PinpointCare’s secured $11 million in funding. The company’s platform-as-a-service application helps streamline the coordination of care for healthcare providers and patients. PinpointCare bundles payment and care coordination technology, enabling each member of a care team to communicate in real-time to ensure quality healthcare. The funds, raised for its enterprise solution, came from private investors and existing customers. [Read the press release here]
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MSDSonline rebrands, emerges as chic and shiny VelocityEHS
MSDSonline, a leading provider of environmental, health, and safety (EHS) solutions in the cloud, announced this week the company, alongside its subsidiary, Knowledge Management Innovations (KMI), will now operate under a new brand identity: VelocityEHS. MSDSonline and KMI will gradually incorporate the new identity over the next couple of months, updating offices, products, and services with new branding — although the MSDSonline name will remain in use as a product name under the larger VelocityEHS brand. [Built In Chicago]
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Green Key Technologies has busy week with suite of new announcements
Green Key Technologies, the maker of voice collaboration software specifically for brokers and traders, announced a whole slew of impressive announcements this week, including: a patent for their cloud-based “soft turret” functionality; an exclusive partnership with RANSquawk, provider of real-time audio news for financial markets; the addition of Chicago-based trading firms DRW and Eagle Seven as equity owners; and the appointment of Donald Wilson, Jr., DRW’s founder and CEO, to Green Key’s advisory board.
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Mobile Doorman secures Seed round just shy of $1M
Mobile Doorman’s app makes living in apartments easier for both the tenant and the landlord. With the app, tenants can pay rent, submit maintenance requests, and streamline the check-in process for guests. The company recently secured a $750,000 seed round, led by KGC Capital. [New Money: These Chicago Startups Raised Funding This Week: Chicago Inno]
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Chicago’s Dabble wins Silicon Valley’s Incubate 2015
Last week, Chicago-based Dabble CEO Jay Swoboda pitched at the #Incubate2015 conference in Silicon Valley and was recognized as the co-winner of the pitch competition. Incubate — an annual networking and education event for early-stage founders and investors — hosts a variety of events and speakers that cater toward that specific audience. [Built In Chicago]
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