KEY Concierge raises $3M
According to an SEC filing with the state, travel tech startup KEY Concierge raised $3 million in funding from 16 investors this week. The company provides hyper-local experiences coordinated by on-the-ground concierges and offered through rental and vacation properties located in 20 markets across the U.S. The company did not issue a statement regarding the uptick in capital. [FormDs]
Blink Identity secures $1.5M in funding
Blink Identity, a new startup that builds facial recognition solutions, raised $1.5 million this week in a round led by Sinai Ventures. Founded by Mary Haskett and Alex Kilpatrick, Blink Identity is the maker of a biometric platform that can identify individuals walking at full speed. This fast and seamless process of ID’ing large crowds can provide convenient access control at live events while delivering personalized customer experiences at scale. Live Nation, Techstars and other live entertainment focused funds also participated in the seed round. [Press Release]
The Zebra announces new HQ with plans to double team
The Zebra, an Austin-born marketplace for auto insurance, will be moving to a new headquarters in East Austin next summer to make room for aggressive hiring plans. The new office, which will be constructed from the ground up and include 40,000 square-feet, will be located at 1801 East Sixth St, across from Whisler’s. The company has about 100 local employees currently and plans to double that number by the end of 2019. [Press Release]
IFetch takes home first place at pet convention
IFetch, an Austin-based company that develops tech-enabled dog toys, won first place for best new innovative dog product at SuperZoo, a national show for pet retailers. IFetch’s first product was an automatic ball launcher, which they released in 2014. It was the company's latest interactive dog digging toy, iDig, that earned the top spot at this year’s SuperZoo conference. [SuperZoo]
Tablet maker Xplore Technologies acquired for $90M
Zebra Technologies announced last week that it will acquire Austin-based Xplore Technologies for $90 million in cash. Zebra Technologies, of Illinois, develops handheld printers, tablets, laptops and more, while Xplore builds ruggedized PCs and tablets. The move will help Zebra enter new target groups that can benefit from ruggedized devices like government workers and public safety officials. [TechCrunch]
EverlyWell names first CTO
EverlyWell, the Austin startup delivering at-home health testing kits, welcomed Nick Parker to its executive team as its first CTO. Parker, who will head EverlyWell’s technology and product strategy, joins the team from uShip, where he held the role of CTO for 13 years. [Press Release]
SolarWinds acquires cybersecurity firm
On Tuesday, SolarWinds announced that it has acquired Trusted Metrics, a threat prevention software provider based out of North Carolina. The deal will help SolarWinds expand its suite of IT solutions to include automated security monitoring. Details of the acquisition were not disclosed. [Press Release]
