Tulsa VC launches angel investing program | Wizest closes on $1.7M

412 Angels to increase number of early-stage startups

TULSA, OK–Venture capital firm Atento Capital has launched an angel investing program called 412 Angels. Its goal is to help educate new investors and increase the number of early-stage startups in the U.S. Highway 412 corridor connecting Tulsa and Northwest Arkansas. Partnering on the effort is the Northwest Arkansas Council, the George Kaiser Family Foundation in Tulsa, and the Walton Family Foundation in Bentonville.

Klearly lands $4M

DURHAM, NC–Startup Klearly, which makes software for marketing and sales professionals, has raised $4 million in funding from lead investor York IE as well as IDEA Fund Partners and the Triangle Tweener Fund. Klearly, run by alums of some of the Triangle’s largest tech companies, offers software that uses machine learning to guide sales and marketing on how to manage client relationships.

Wizest closes on $1.7M seed investment

CLEVELAND, OH–Fintech startup Wizest closed a $1.7 million seed investment round with participation from local investors that include North Coast Ventures and JumpStart. The funding round was led by Aperture Venture Capital, the Philadelphia-based seed-stage fintech fund and corporate partner network that invests in diverse founders. Wizest plans to use the new capital for product development and customer acquisition.

Platform Benny secures $1 million

MADISON, WI–Benny, provider of a platform that helps employees at companies like Salesforce and Microsoft build wealth with their benefits, secured $1 million in pre-seed funding from Matchstick Ventures. They also received $20,000 from TechStars. Benny plans to use the money for customer acquisition, product development and recruiting efforts, according to a company press release.

Electric utility company gets $1M in funding

KEARNEY, NE–Snappy Workflow, a startup that helps electric utility companies automate thermal and visual inspections of power lines using AI and computer vision, has landed more than $1 million in funding from Invest Nebraska, Nelnet, Nebraska Angels, the Husker Venture Fund, and other private individuals. The money will enable the startup to manage its supply chain challenges.