TECH WINS: Fintech fund raises $250M | Virtual staffing solutions

DES MOINES, IA—Curql Collective, a venture capital fund that focuses on financial services tech companies in the credit union industry, announced that its Curql Fund I has officially closed to investors at just over $250 million. The fund was launched in 2020 by credit union partners of Members Development Company and Des Moines venture capital firm Next Level Ventures.

OVERLAND PARK, KS—Here’s a lesson for staying the course. Through his big corporate job at a bank in Oklahoma, Parker Graham had a front row seat to the challenges felt by the banking industry. With a couple of partners, he launched a fintech platform that he knew would solve some of those challenges. The trio moved to Kansas City to participate in nbkc’s fintech accelerator and was enticed to stay there. Last September, the company (rebranded as Finotta and with only Graham at the helm) got a $3 million investment and a deal with a large financial institution that will use the app in 2022. Here’s his startup story.

LOUISVILLE, KY—Net Results Group, a technology-focused consulting firm focused on improving MRO master data, is a finalist in the Software category for Plant Engineering magazine’s Product of the Year program. MRO3i 2.0 is a cloud-based technology suite that equips companies with workflow management solutions for MRO master data transformation and ongoing governance. The ballot for voting closes March 11, 2022, after which the winner will be announced.

MEMPHIS, TN—If you’re in the restaurant biz, then you know that staffing has been a big problem since COVID-19 made the scene. Could one answer be a virtual staff? Bite Ninja is a tech startup that combines remote teams, software, AI, and training to provide restaurants with virtual staffing and technology solutions. The company recently closed its seed funding round of $4 million, led by Owl Ventures.