Austin tech companies made several exciting announcements last week, including a new initiative to revive extinct animals. Keep reading to learn about Austin’s newest healthtech company and find out about Colossal Biosciences’ plan to bring back the Dodo bird. This is the Built In Austin Weekly Refresh.
Colossal raised $150M. Based in Dallas with offices in Austin, Colossal Biosciences is a de-extinction company working to revive the woolly mammoth and Tasmanian tiger. Last week the company raised $150 million in a round led by the United States Innovative Technology Fund. With the capital, Colossal will work to revive the Dodo bird. [Built In Austin]
Frontrow Health launched with $3M. Founded last year by a former Everly Health employee, Frontrow Health is a medical marketplace where patients can consult with medical providers to find and purchase supplements, vitamins, medical devices and more. The company officially launched last week and announced it raised a $3 million seed round from Next Coast Ventures, NextGen Venture Partners and others. With the capital, Frontrow will scale its platform. [Business Wire]
Austin Tech Quote of the Week
“The fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning have seen unprecedented growth over the last 10 years. Our goal is to ensure that every qualified student can access a premier education in AI, one that is keeping pace with this rapidly evolving field.” — Adam Klivans, UT Austin professor of computer science
UT Austin announced an AI master’s program. The University of Texas at Austin will launch an artificial intelligence master’s program in 2024 where students will learn about machine learning, natural language processing, deep learning and more. Tuition for the program is priced at around $10,000 and classes will be online. The program will accept about 2,000 students per year. [Built In Austin]
These five Austin tech companies raised the largest funding rounds in January. Last month five Austin tech companies raised a combined $106.4 million. ThriveCart, an e-commerce software company, topped the chart by raising $35 million. RapidDeploy got $34 million, Method Financial raised a $16 million Series A, Ranch Rider Spirtis got $11.4 million and Nexus raised $10 million. Several companies have plans to hire local talent following these rounds. [Built In Austin]
Eventus launched an anti-money laundering solution. The financial regulation technology company is branching out into a new sector of surveillance with the launch of a new product. Validus AML is a SaaS solution that helps firms combat financial crimes by combining transaction monitoring, behavioral analytics and sanctions monitoring. Eventus is currently hiring for 10 roles on Built In. [Eventus]
