Project44 Raised $202M, oak9 Got $5.9M, and More Chicago Tech News

June 7, 2021
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photo: project44

Tech is changing the way we do things on a regular basis, even how we order a cheeseburger. Find out what these companies are up to with last week’s developments. This is the Built In Chicago weekly refresh.

Project44 raised $202MProviding companies with tracking and real-time predictability for their packages, this logistics company is working to reduce mishaps along the supply chain. Project44 closed its Series E round, led by Goldman Sachs and Emergence Capital, that now values it at $1.2 billion. With the cash, the new unicorn is planning to expand its coverage into China, further its tech and hire new team members. [Built In Chicago]

McDonalds is automating its drive-thrusIn an ongoing test at 10 Chicago locations, McDonald’s is using AI technology to take down orders from customers in the drive-thru lane. The company acquired the tech via Apprente back in 2019, and so far it’s recorded an 85 percent rate of order accuracy. Even if the test is successful, this tech won’t be rolled out for the next couple years or so. [CNBC]

Chicago Tech Quote of the Week

“Our oak9 platform is focused on helping developers secure their infrastructure as a code. Essentially our focused goal is to bridge the divide between security and developer organizations and to ensure that all of the applications they create in the cloud [are] secure.” —Raj Datta, CEO of oak9

Oak9 got $5.9MThe company offers security for enterprise developers throughout their cloud-based app-building journey. Oak9 raised a seed funding round to invest in research and development for its software that integrates with apps during development to keep tabs on security gaps. It’s also funding marketing and customer success as it looks to build out its team of 40. [Built In Chicago]

SDI Presence welcomed a new execThe IT consultancy and managed services provider appointed Hardik Bhatt, local and state government cloud executive, as president and chief growth officer. With two decades of experience in government tech, Bhatt anticipates helping SDI’s clients modernize their IT environments. Previously, he was in charge of AWS’s public sector startups business, where he launched accelerators and incubators worldwide. [PR Newswire]

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