Funding for Chicago tech companies bounced back in June after a fairly lackluster May.
When all was said and done, Chicago’s tech companies raised over $273 million in the past month. The high total was largely driven by huge rounds from SMS Assist, Vibes and Signal — the former gaining unicorn status along the way.
In fact, this month saw so many sizable rounds that Procured Health and ShipBob, who raised $10 million and $4 million, respectively, didn’t even make our top 5 list. Here are the rounds that did. (Update: Procured Health is now Lumere.)
5. Hireology, $12 million, June 9
Earlier this month, HR software maker Hireology announced that it will soon be doing some hiring of its own. With a $12 million round from Baird Capital, the company will be adding to its sales team and expand into new markets.
4. SpringCM, $17.5 million, June 27
At the tail end of the month, Contract management solution provider SpringCM raised $17 million to accelerate its product development, aiming to release six new products this year. SpringCM, which has raised $67 million to date, expanded to London in May and added former Salesforce executive Dan Dal Degan to its board in the beginning of June.
3. Signal, $30 million, June 7
Signal got a boost with $30 million in new funding. The company wants to use the round to expand its team and bring its cross-channel marketing platform to new markets in Europe and Asia.
2. Vibes, $45 million, June 1
Mobile marketing startup Vibes kicked the month off strong by raising $45 million to expand its operations to global markets. The investment came from Syniverse, a global provider of telecommunications technology and services, in exchange for a minority stake in the company.
1. SMS Assist, $150 million, June 7
Did someone say unicorn? Oh wait, we did. A provider of cloud-based property management software, SMS Assist may be unassuming. But investors at Goldman Sachs were impressed with SMS’ business fundamentals (and profits), offering the company a $150 million round at a $1 billion valuation.
Images via Shutterstock and listed companies.
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