Although the weather was nice, the Chicago tech scene didn’t take the week off. Here’s the tech news you may have missed from Built In Chicago’s weekly refresh.
Shopflix launches its digital shopping network. Shopflix was founded by Chicago entrepreneurs Matt Matros, who started the Protein Bar and Kitchen restaurant franchise and the Limitless caffeinated beverage brand, as well as Lindsey Kilbride, who is a former Trunk Club VP and one of the company’s first 10 employees. Shopflix streams original brand-sponsored video content 24 hours a day in order to help brands tell their stories and help customers discover new products. [Built In Chicago]
Germin8 Ventures details its $20M fund. This money will be invested in startups that are in the food and agriculture tech space. For example, Chicago-based Germin8 has already invested in Bushel, a startup building software for grain growers and sellers, as well as Fieldin, an AI farming platform. The VC expects to invest in one or two companies a year, and leave money in the fund for follow-up investments. [Chicago Inno]
CHICAGO TECH QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Rise Science officially launched its RISE app. The startup was founded in order to make people feel better during the day by managing their sleep. It does this by focusing on sleep debt (how many hours of sleep you get versus what you need) and circadian rhythm (the biological clock that manages your sleep/wake cycle). Rise Science started years ago by working with professional athletes to increase their performance, but the app brings the company’s expertise to the masses. The company has raised a total of $15.5 million to date. [Built In Chicago]
P33 and World Business Chicago hosted ThinkChicago Advanced Degree Exchange 2021. The three-day virtual event featured keynote speakers and networking opportunities that were designed to get more graduate students and Ph.D. holders working for Chicago tech companies. Both P33 and WBC align in their goal to convince tech talent that Chicago is the place to be. [Built In Chicago]
United Airlines launched its own corporate venture fund. This new fund will allow the airline to invest in small to medium-sized businesses that have the potential to change the way people travel. Part of this involves backing companies focused on sustainability, in order to help United reach its goal of zero carbon emissions by 2050. [United]
