Miller Lite announces fourth annual pitch contest for Chicago entrepreneurs 21 and over
Back in December, Future Founders brought Shark Tank panelist Daymond John to Chicago to hear pitches from collegiate entrepreneurs. In July, he’ll be back as a panelist on Miller Lite’s ‘Tap the Future’ pitch contest. Previous winners include Chicago’s Edovo — which provides inmates with educational content while in prison. Applications are open until April 8. Please pitch responsibly. [Chicago Inno]
Thirstie gulps up DrinkFly
On Wednesday, New York-based on-demand booze purveyor Thirstie announced it has acquired Chicago’s DrinkFly, which also operates in Minnesota’s Twin Cities as well as in Houston and New York. Together, the two are looking to shake up (not stir) the alcohol delivery vertical. [Chicago Inno]
American College of Cardiology brings Apervita cardiovascular disease predictor to doctors
Health analytics provider Apervita, Inc. announced a new partnership with the 52,000 member-strong American College of Cardiology (ACC) this week. Apervita will be distributing ACC’s cardiovascular disease prediction tool, which can be integrated within electronic health records to eliminate the need for manually entering patient data into the prediction model. According to ACC CIO Dino Damalas, the tool will make it easier for clinicians to receive decision support at the point of care. [PRNewswire]
3 Chicagoland companies announce new offices
Chicagoland tech companies announced big moves this week. Braintree is expanding its Merch Mart offices, Cars.com has a new West Loop HQ in the works and Anguleris is moving to downtown Elgin. [Built In Chicago]
Signal expands leadership team
Real-time marketing firm Signal announced on Tuesday that it has expanded its leadership team. Kathy Menis will be joining the team as senior vice president of marketing, while Sara Schroeder will be the company’s new vice president of human resources. “Kathy and Sara are seasoned leaders with impressive, proven track records for managing strategic functions and developing high-performance teams at successful global companies,” said Mike Sands, CEO in a statement.
And what a week for Chicago startup funding:
, $42 million
Sprout Social's social media tools help companies and brands manage their social media profiles. More on the funding here.
, $18 million
Maestro Health aids employers and employees alike in navigating the landscape of employee benefits.
, $6.5 million
Analyte Health uses technology to help people gain greater access to patient care and expert medical information.
, $6 million
One of Built In Chicago's 2016 50 startups to watch, Opternative lets you get an eye exam for a new prescription without stepping away from your desk. Read more about the funding here.
, $3.7 million
Health-tech startup PhysIQ’s technology learns the unique interplay between continuous physiological signals such as heart rate, respiration rate, oxymetry, blood pressure and any number of others, creating a dynamic multivariate baseline for each patient to identify clinically meaningful physiological deviations.
Edovo provides digital education tools for inmates.
, $500k
An 1871 Bunker Labs company, OpenAirplane's goal is to make renting an airplane as easy as renting a car. Read more about the funding here.
Images via Shutterstock, Miller, Braintree and Signal.
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