FUELING THE FUTURE: $4M for Codelicious | Best Buy commits $10M to Brown Venture Group | ACT Tulsa
- CARMEL, IN—Indiana education software firm Codelicious closed on a nearly $4 million seed round backed by Indianapolis venture capital firm Allos Ventures and Boston-based EduLab Capital Partners. Codelicious, which specializes in computer science curriculum for K-12 schools, says the funding will help it respond to rapid growth.
- MINNEAPOLIS, MN—Brown Venture Group, a venture capital firm formed to fund Black, Latino and Indigenous technology entrepreneurs, announced that Best Buy has committed up to $10M to its inaugural fund.
- AMES, IA—Dryland Genetics, which employs advanced breeding technologies to create a more resilient and sustainable food supply, raised $3.8 million in venture funding in a round led by Next Level Ventures and Stine Seed Farm.
- KANSAS CITY, MO—eHawk Solutions, a startup that offers a smartphone-enabled alternative to ankle monitors, was chosen by the KCRise fund for it first lead investment. The eHawk platform managed large pre-trial, probation and parole populations.
- TULSA, OK—i2E, a private not-for-profit corporation focused on growing innovative small businesses in Oklahoma, helped launch the first cohort for the ACT Tulsa accelerator. Through partnerships, ACT Tulsa will invest $70,000 of non-dilutive capital into each startup participating in this inaugural cohort.
- DETROIT, MI—Investments in venture capital grew from $88 million to $316.5 million in the Detroit area, nearly quadrupling between the years 2014 and 2020. This is indicative of a strong venture base in the city, according to Patti Glaza, who is the senior vice president of Invest Detroit and managing director of Invest Detroit Ventures.
- GERMANTOWN, WI—CharismaQ is a startup that says its video-based platform blends tech, science and coaching to evaluate and teach charisma to sales teams and customer-facing employees. The company raised a $1 million seed round led by West Bend Mutual Insurance.