RealWork Labs Lands $2.5 Million for its Software that Helps Home Service Providers Attract New Customers

While building a tiny home in Austin last March, Rusty Fincke turned to his neighbors and friends to find an electrician. “I was using Nextdoor and asking friends for referrals,” he said. That sparked the idea for RealWork Labs, which creates lead generation marketing software for the home services industry. Fincke joined with Pierce Birkhold, […]

Capstar Ventures Raises $41.3 Million Inaugural Fund to Invest in Innovative Consumer Companies

Capstar Ventures L.P., an early-stage venture capital firm, announced last week that it has closed on its $41.3 million inaugural fund. The Austin-based VC firm founded by Kathryn Cavanaugh in 2019, invests nationwide in innovative consumer companies. Capstar raised the fund from individuals, family offices, and institutions including Capital Creek Partners, Tiger Partners L.P., and […]

From a Cold Email to an IPO: DISCO, a Story of Domain Strength, Grit, Collaboration, and Serendipity

By Krishna Srinivasan, Chairman of the Board, DISCO and co-Founding Partner, LiveOak Venture Partners In October 2013, we received a cold email – it had all the elements on first glance that begged to be ignored.  The email came from a person named “CeCe” who talked about a founder called “Kiwi” and a company called “DISCO” […]

Austin-based Bandit Acquired by GoPuff

GoPuff, a Philadelphia-based snack, and beverage delivery company, has acquired Austin-based Bandit, the App-only coffee shop founded by early Uber employee Max Crowley. Bandit, founded in 2019, relocated its headquarters from New York to Austin in September of 2020 because it offered the startup an opportunity to experiment with curbside and drive-through technology in a […]

LitLingo Raises $7.5 Million for its AI-Powered Business Communications Platform

LitLingo, which makes specialized software that allows businesses to monitor and correct real-time communications, announced that it has raised $7.5 million. Breyer Capital led the Series A round of funding with participation from former IBM CEO Sam Palmisano and existing investors LiveOak Venture Partners, Clarke Nobiletti and James Marsico. To date, LitLingo has raised $9.5 […]

Tesla Energy, Brookfield, and Dacra Create the First Tesla Solar Neighborhood in Austin

Not only is Tesla building a $1.1 billion Gigafactory in Austin to make trucks and other vehicles, but Tesla Energy is also creating a solar-powered local neighborhood. Last week, Tesla Energy announced the first Tesla Solar neighborhood called SunHouse at Easton Park, 12 miles east of downtown Austin. Tesla is working with Brookfield Asset Management […]

Legal Tech Startup CS Disco Files to go Public

CS Disco, a legal tech startup, filed papers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of stock. The Austin-based company did not set a date to go public or a price for its shares, which will be traded under the stock ticker “LAW.” CS Disco plans to use the proceeds […]

Sana Partners with Proactive MD to Open a Health Care Clinic in Austin

Skyrocketing health care costs is a problem Sana, a health care startup, has set out to solve since its founding in 2017. Recently, the Austin-based company took another step in that direction by announcing a partnership with Proactive MD to open a primary health care center, Sana MD in Austin. With the center, Sana and […]

Homeward Raises $371 Million and Plans to Expand Into New Markets and More than Triple Employees to 1,000 by Next Year

Austin-based Homeward Raises $371 Million in Funding and Plans Major Expansion and Hiring Spree

Outdoorsy Raises $120 Million in Financing and Launches Roamly, its Insurance Division

Outdoorsy, an RV rental marketplace, raises $120 million and launches Roamly, an insurance technology product with plans to expand into Europe.