In case you missed it, Salesforce Tower Chicago is coming
Last Friday, Salesforce announced it will open a new Chicago headquarters in 2023. Salesforce Tower Chicago will be located just south of the Merchandise Mart on Wolf Point, stand 57 stories tall and occupy around 500,000 square feet of space. The company said the new HQ will create 1,000 jobs, although it didn’t specify what roles or departments it’d be hiring for. Construction is set to begin in early 2020. [Built In Chicago]
ErisX raises $27.5M Series B
Cryptocurrency marketplace ErisX successfully raised a Series B worth $27.5 million this week, with investments provided by Bitmain, ConsenSys, Fidelity Investments, Nasdaq Ventures and Monex Group. The company specializes in allowing individuals and institutions buy and sell cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, and its funding will be used to further the platform. Next year, the company will expand its team and is expecting to launch following regulatory approval. [Built In Chicago]
Uptake partners with Rolls-Royce to optimize plane engine data
Rolls-Royce – the aviation-focused company, not the luxury car manufacturer – has formed a partnership with Uptake to further optimize them. Uptake will provide Rolls-Royce with data and analytics tools that will be implemented into the company’s TotalCare service — a system for airlines to manage and monitor their engines. “With industrial AI and machine learning techniques, we can increase the uptime of our engines and help customers extend the life and value of their critical assets,” said Tom Palmer, senior vice president of services for Rolls-Royce’s civil aerospace business, in a press release. [Press release]
Chicago tech makes a big mark on Crain’s 2018 40 Under 40
Chicago tech executives, venture capitalists and founders accounted for over a quarter of the names — 11 spots exactly — on the Crain’s 2018 40 Under 40 List. The founders who made the list were: Rosie Afriyie (co-founder of mRelief), Haven Allen and Bill Fienup (co-founders of mHub), Robin Harris (founder of Model Atelier), Allison Robinson (founder of The Mom Project), Luke Saunders (founder of Farmer’s Fridge) and Jason VandeBoom (founder of ActiveCampaign). The executives and VCs that made the list were Stephanie Klein (CEO of Braviant Holdings), Irina Novoselsky (CEO of CareerBuilder), Ann Yeung (head of technology at Morningstar) and Saurabh Sharma (partner at Jump Capital). [Crain’s]
project44 goes to Denmark for an acquisition
Logistics technology company project44 has acquired GateHouse Logistics, which is based in Nørresundby, Denmark. The company’s software is designed to make sharing data across supply chains safer and easier. 2018 has been a big year for project44. In addition to this acquisition, the company has raised $80 million in new capital this year. [AP News]
Groupon launches partnership with AMC Theatres
Groupon recently announced a distribution partnership with AMC Theatres, the largest movie theater company in the world with either a leading or second-place market share of 22 of the 25 largest metropolitan areas in America. While specific details of the alliance are scant, it will ultimately grant Groupon users greater access to films shown in AMC locations, and is expected to launch before fall of 2019. Grab your popcorn. [Press release]
New CMO arrives at tastytrade
Financial media network tastytrade recently appointed Michelle Moore as its new chief marketing officer. Moore most recently served as the marketing manager at CME Group and led the company’s retail investment strategy, content direction and engagement. She will lend her 15 years of financial services marketing experience to help tastytrade’s clients make sound investing strategies.
“Michelle’s unique marketing expertise with retail investors will support our ongoing momentum and our passion for helping the self-directed investor community,” said Kristi Ross, co-CEO, in a press release. [Press release]
