News on the Chicago tech scene was relatively slow last week but several local startups made moves. From the launch of a Web3 proptech startup to a company winning a pitch competition, here’s a recap of the news you might have missed last week. This is the Built In Chicago Weekly Refresh.
LiquidProp launched. Chicago-based LiquidProp merges real-world assets with decentralized finance with its real estate investment platform built on the Solana blockchain. The startup allows users to invest as little at $100 in Midwest real estate, allowing users to become fractional owners of rental properties. LiquidProp manages the properties and distributes the profits back to investors. LiquidProp aims to make investing in real estate more efficient and accessible. [Email]
Chicago Tech Quote of the Week
“VentureCat was such an amazing experience. It’s so great to get to work with other founders, to be able to support one another and get that recognition in front of potential investors and users and be honored for the work we’ve done while being full-time students. It’s definitely a lot of work, and it feels really rewarding to go through the program.” — Charlotte Oxnam, CEO and founder of Cue the Curves
Cue the Curves won $150,000. Cue the Curves is a shopping app for plus-size consumers. The startup won the grand prize at this year’s VentureCat, Northwestern University’s annual pitch startup competition. Cue the Curves, which was a semifinalist in this competition last year, said this win will allow the company to bring on full-time employees. The startup also participated in the 2022 Techstars Chicago’s Demo Day. [Email]
These local companies raised the most funding in May. The five largest rounds raised in May pulled in a collective $100.7 million last month. This capital was secured by prayer app Hallow, insurtech startup Obie, healthtech business Stella, product recommendation platform Logik.io and Mycocycle, a startup using mushrooms to remove toxins from waste. [Built In Chicago]
