Austin named a best city for U.S. growth
Austin kept their spot on the Kauffman Foundation's list of Growth Entrepreneurship this year, coming in second again. They were bested only by the Washington D.C. area, and beat cities like San Francisco by five spots. [Kauffman Foundation]
PeopleAdmin buys Chicago’s TeacherMatch
PeopleAdmin, an Austin-based education talent management solutions provider, announced it has acquired TeacherMatch, a Chicago-based startup. TeacherMatch uses predictive analytics to help schools find and hire talented teachers, and support them throughout their careers. TeacherMatch’s customers include four of the country’s five largest school districts. [Austin Inno]
Digital Turbine scores Amazon contract
Austin-based mobile software company Digital Turbine announced it has landed a major contract with Amazon.com. The company will provide app distribution services for the Seattle titan’s shopping app in India and Mexico, leveraging its technology for preloading apps to help Amazon increase its market share abroad. [Digital Turbine]
Rocket Software launches Austin office
On Tuesday, Massachusetts-based Rocket Software announced the opening of an Austin office. Rocket, which also has offices in Japan and China, has long had a sizable contingent of Austin-based remote employees — including CTO Bryan Smith, who will be heading up the new office. The company’s new home will be in The Domain, sharing a building with Amazon across the street from IBM. [Silicon Hills]
Fasten is coming to Austin
How about all those ride hailing services? Boston-based Fasten, which has $9 million in funding from undisclosed investors, started picking up passengers in Austin on Wednesday. One of a number of new transportation startups entering Austin to fill the void after Uber and Lyft left town, Fasten does not have surge prices, and lets riders see their fares in real-time while underway to their destinations. [Austin Business Journal]
Google delivers (overnight)
On Wednesday, Google announced the launch of Google Express — a delivery service for everything from books and toys to groceries — in Austin. The service partners with retailers like Barnes & Noble, Costco and Guitar Center to deliver goods to customers’ doors. Delivery is free for holders of a $95 yearly membership, and $4.99 for nonmembers. [CultureMap]
Querium raises $720K
Austin’s Querium, which uses AI to give students step-by-step tutoring in math, science and engineering, announced a new $720,000 venture round on Thursday. Investors included the University of Michigan’s Social Venture Fund — a student-led fund centered around impact investing. “Given Social Venture Fund’s mission, this investment is a strong validation of the work Querium is doing to help students hit their STEM education milestones and start college on the right foot,” said founder and CEO Kent Fuka in a statement.
TradeLive launches marketplace for used IT
TradeLive, a new Austin-based marketplace that matches sellers and buyers of used IT, launched this Tuesday. The company aims to help organizations improve their bottom lines and reduce the environmental impact of IT upgrades.
Images via Shutterstock, The Domain and listed companies.
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