Fueling the Future: Fintech in Nashville, R&D in Pittsburgh, & the future of mobility.

Nashville fintech startup

AltoIRA, a Nashville-based fintech startup that allows investors to use their individual retirement accounts to invest in startups, real estate, digital currencies and private companies has raised a $2.89 million round of funding.

Investment in U.S. I&T Center in Pittsburgh

Petrochemical company Braskem has invested $10 million to expand its U.S. Innovation and Technology (I&T) Center located in Pittsburgh. The expansion will add eight research and development laboratories to foster technologies that support catalysis, recycling, and 3D printing.

Iowa’s Pear Deck acquired

Iowa City-based company Pear Deck, which helps teachers plan and build interactive lessons directly from Google Drive that promote active learning in the classroom, has been acquired by GoGuardian, an education technology company based in Los Angeles, California. Pear Deck was co-founded in 2015 by Riley Eynon-Lynch and Michal Eynon-Lynch.

Ford invests in Michigan Central

The Ford Motor Company has unveiled design plans for Michigan Central, a neighborhood-anchoring 30-acre redevelopment in Detroit that will be transformed into the mixed-use centerpiece of the new district. The walkable community is part of Ford’s plan to reshape the future of global mobility.