Tempus’ $110M Series E brings valuation past $2B
On Wednesday, Tempus announced it has raised a $110 million Series E, which pushes its total funding to $320 million and its valuation to over $2 billion. Tempus was founded in 2015 by serial entrepreneur Eric Lefkofsky to improve cancer patient outcomes using software and data-driven insights. Even before Wednesday’s round, Tempus was one of Chicago’s fastest-growing tech companies. The company has raised $260 million in the past year alone, which includes an $80-million round announced in March. [Built In Chicago]
Waze and SpotHero partner to streamline multi-level street navigation
The on-demand parking provider SpotHero has partnered with Waze and the City of Chicago to improve navigation on lower-level streets in the city using 400 Bluetooth-enabled devices known as Waze Beacons. The initiative begins this weekend, and is intended to prevent internet connections from failing as drivers navigate subterranean throughways. The technology is not limited strictly to Waze users, but open to compatible location-based services. [Press release]
Swap Motors opens brick-and-mortar location where users can meet up
Swap Motors, an online marketplace connecting used vehicle buyers and sellers directly, opened the doors to an official meeting place for users. The Swap Center, located in Skokie, will allow prospective buyers and sellers to organize and efficiently conduct a final sale, all under the guidance and supervision of a Swap Motors professional, who can assist with paperwork and answer questions. The center is the first of five planned locations coming to Chicagoland over the next year. [Press release]
Chicago-based Designation acquired by New York’s Flatiron School
Designation, a UX and UI digital design school, was acquired by Flatiron School, a software engineering and data science learning institution. The New York City-based Flatiron will keep Designation’s Chicago facilities in full operation as the company uses Flatiron’s resources to reach more students and provide them with career development opportunities. [Flatiron School blog]
ChangEd nickels and dimes its way to $1M in student loans repaid
ChangEd, a digital tool that helps users pay student loan debt by rounding purchases up to the nearest dollar, just announced its users have paid off $1 million in student loans, collectively. The Chicago-based company has been busy since its summer 2017 launch bolstered by University of Chicago’s Polsky Center and startup incubator 1871. The company received backing from billionaire entrepreneur and Mark Cuban on a January episode of ABC’s Shark Tank. [Press release]
DialogTech, a provider of call analytics solutions, named David Rush as its new chief of revenue. Rush was most recently co-founder and CEO of the social media analytics SaaS company Earshot and has a quarter-century worth of entrepreneurial and sales experience, successfully scaling and exiting multiple companies. At DialogTech, he will be in charge managing the company’s comprehensive revenue drivers, including new business, business development and customer success. [Press release]
Asif Ahmed was appointed vice president of analytics at Infutor Data Solutions, a firm providing companies with actionable data related to new and potential customers. Ahmed will develop the company’s analytic strategies to give more insight to marketers at partner companies, improving their outreach abilities. Ahmed was vice president of product management at analytics company Aginity Inc. He has experience in developing enterprise solutions for areas including data warehousing, big data, e-commerce and other solutions to market. [Press release]
Maestro Health, a provider of user-friendly solutions for staff to manage their health and benefits options, announced Florian Bezault as its new chief financial officer. Formerly the head of care coordination at AXA Mexico, Bezault will use his experience in corporate finance, investor relations and risk management to oversee Maestro Health’s financial planning, analysis and forecasting. [Business Wire]
