Chicago tech companies kept busy last week. WorkedBox launched a venture capital fund, and Lyft partnered with SpotHero to help users find and reserve parking spots. Catch up on this and more with the Built In Chicago Weekly Refresh.
Five tech companies have opened their headquarters in Chicago this year. Last week, we released a round-up of some of the tech companies that have opened new headquarters in Chicago. Next Gen Foods, Clever Carnivor, FTX US, SHOWRUNNER and In Mind Cloud have all opened new headquarters in the Windy City this year. Although venture funding has slowed, this list shows Chicago is still a popular destination for tech startups. [Built In Chicago]
Lyft partnered with SpotHero. The partnership will allow Lyft users to find and reserve parking spaces via the Lyft app. Chicago-based SpotHero serves users in 300 cities, but it is unknown whether Lyft’s new parking features will be available in all 300 markets. [The Verge]
WorkBox launched a VC fund. Popular coworking space WorkBox, which we featured in our Future 5 series, has launched a VC fund titled Workbox Ventures. With the venture arm, the company hopes that it will be able to invest in several Chicago-based startups. WorkBox also recently expanded outside of Chicago and opened a coworking space in Minneapolis. [Chicago Inno]
Chicago Tech Quote of the Week
Market Wagon expanded to Chicago. Indianapolis-based Market Wagon enables farmers to sell directly to consumers via its platform. It also manages all logistics needs for farmers. The service expanded to the Chicago area last week. According to the company’s CEO, the Chicago market is growing and will hopefully continue to grow over the next years. [Chicago Business Journal]
Opportunity International secured a $2M grant. Opportunity International helps lift people from poverty by providing financial services and training. Last week it secured a grant from Visa Foundation that it will use to provide micro and small business loans and training for women-led small and micro businesses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Nigeria and Uganda. [Opportunity International]
Kalderos hired its first chief people officer. The Chicago-based healthtech company hired Lisa Bomrad as its first chief people officer. Bomrad has previously led human resources departments for Homethrive, Home Chef and others. Kalderos, which offers a drug discount management platform, also plans to grow its team by up to 35 percent and double its revenue this year. [PR Newswire]
