BigCommerce raises $64M
E-commerce SaaS leader BigCommerce raised $64 million in funding this week, led by Goldman Sachs. Existing investors General Catalyst, GGV Capital and Tenaya Capital
also participated in the round, which will be used toward BigCommerce's shopping platform, technology and hiring initiatives. Since its 2009 launch, BigCommerce has now raised over $200 million in funding. [Built In Austin]
Veros Systems secures $4.3M Series B
In last week's roundup, we reported that Veros Systems raised nearly $3 million in funding from an undisclosed five investors. This week, we learned that the funding is part of the machine learning company's $4.3 million Series B, which closed this week. Veros develops AI tools that measure electrical signals to predict industrial machine performance and outages. [Built In Austin]
Home Depot plans big hiring moves in Austin
The Home Depot announced last week its plans to bring up to 500 tech jobs to its technology center located in North Austin. The move is part of the company’s $11.1 billion investment strategy to enhance its omnichannel shopping experience. Specifically, The Home Depot will be looking to add developers, UX designers and product managers to head advancements on its e-commerce and delivery platforms. [Built In Austin]
DroneSense collects funding from FLIR
FLIR Systems, a developer of thermal imaging solutions, announced last week that it has completed a strategic investment of an undisclosed amount in Austin-based DroneSense. In March, DroneSense raised $4.9 million from seven investors without issuing a statement. The Austin startup develops software for public safety organizations that use drones. Through this investment, the companies plan to collaborate on operating, management and reporting programs for unmanned aircraft systems. [Press Release]
Kwaddle co-founder nominated for Austin’s Woman’s Way Business Awards
Brooke Turner, co-founder of Kwaddle, has been named a 2018 finalist for this year’s Woman’s Way Business Awards for product innovation. The news comes after Kwaddle recently launched its platform, which helps parents locate camps, classes and educational and enrichment activities for their children outside of school. Kwaddle is also a member of Texas Venture Labs spring 2018 cohort. [ATX Woman]
2 Austin startups have been selected for WeWork Creator Awards Regional Semi-Finals
WeWork announced on Tuesday the finalists for this year’s WeWork Creator Awards Regional Semi-Finals on May 10 in San Francisco. Two Austin companies have been selected: Elite Sweets and Advanced Scanners. The local musician Naala was also nominated for the performing arts awards. WeWork’s Semi-Finals will reward more than $600,000 in funding to recognize and reward creators from across the Western United States and British Columbia. [Press Release]
WayBlazer announces first chief product officer
Travel tech startup WayBlazer recently welcomed Adam Prishtina as the company's first chief product officer. The executive announcement comes as WayBlazer plans to increase its Austin employee headcount by 25 percent. Prior to WayBlazer, Prishtina led in product management roles at PayPal, Yahoo!, AOL, Netscape and BigCommerce. [Press Release]
