Grubhub expands its reach with Eat24 acquisition
Last week, Grubhub announced it was buying Eat24 from Yelp for $287.5 million. The move came shortly after the Chicago company announced that it was joining forces with Groupon to power its food delivery service. With the Eat24 deal, Grubhub’s reach will extend from 55,000 restaurants to around 75,000. The deal also features a five-year agreement that allows Yelp users to order food from Grubhub while browsing restaurant listings on the app. [Chicago Tribune]
Uber Freight expands to Chicago
Uber Freight, which is designed to streamline the trucking industry by cutting out the middleman, expanded into Chicago last week. Companies post loads to the app, with each job priced upfront. Payment is handled by Uber, which promises payouts in days, as opposed to weeks. In addition to Chicago, Uber Freight has also begun operations in Arizona, California, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. [TechCrunch]
PartySlate tacks on additional investors
Chicago events marketplace startup PartySlate revealed on Wednesday that three LA VC firms had joined its slate of investors, which already included Hyde Park Venture Partners, Hyde Park Angels and InvestHER Ventures. Hyde Park Venture partners led the seed round, which brought PartySlate's total funding to $3 million.
Machinio continues growing, celebrates German incorporation
Machinio is preparing to hire more employees in both its Chicago and Berlin offices to staff up its business development and account management teams. The used machinery and equipment marketplace did not reveal how much its headcount would grow. The hiring push comes hot on the heels of the Chicago startup officially incorporating in Germany as Machinio GmbH.
School lunch subscription service Pak’d rebrands
Pak’d, the startup that delivers pre-made school lunches to homes, officially rebranded itself as Wise Apple on Tuesday. Along with the naming and branding changes come revised menu offerings, a new website and eco-friendly packaging. Currently, Wise Apple’s customizable lunch plans are only available to parents in the Midwest, but there are plans to expand come 2018.
Codifyd opens second international office
On Wednesday, Codifyd announced it was opening a new office in Mumbai, India. The new office is the company's third after its Chicago and London locations. In addition to client work in the Asia Pacific region, the Mumbai office will also support the development of the company's A.I. platform, Codifyd BRIDGE.
Wilson Sporting Goods debuts first online tennis racket configurator
The Wilson Custom Racket Shop launched on Monday. Designed by Wilson LABS, the company’s innovation outfit, the configurator lets tennis players design their own custom rackets. Users pick from three Wilson racket types and are then able to spec everything from frame colors to logos and grips. [PR Newswire]
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