TreeHouse raises $2M
Following last May’s $7.6 million funding, greentech home improvement company TreeHouse announced it had raised an additional $2.1 million this week. Eight investors participated in the round, according to an SEC filing. [FormDs]
AI startup New Knowledge raises $1.9 seed round
New Knowledge, an AI cybersecurity startup, has secured $1.9 million in seed funding to power scaling efforts. Moonshots Capital led the round with participation from Haystack, GGV Capital, Geekdom Fund, Capital Factory and Spitfire Ventures. The company launched its platform in November 2017 to identify fake accounts spreading propaganda on social media. [Press Release]
Two Austin startups selected as finalists in Women Startup Challenge
Last week, Women Who Tech announced the 10 finalists who will pitch their startups to an audience of investors and executives at Google’s NYC office. The winner will receive $50,000. Of the 10 startups, two hail from Austin: Astral AR, led by Leah La Salla, and re:3D, led by Samantha Snabes. The competition will be held on March 6. [Press Release]
Dell considers VMware merger to go public again
Reports surfaced this week that Dell is considering a reverse merger with VMware. Dell currently owns 80 percent of VMware as a result of the company’s $67 billion acquisition of EMC in 2015. The move would allow Dell to skip an initial public offering and go straight to public status. If Dell heads in this direction, it would most likely mark the largest tech deal to date, exceeding that of Dell’s own record-breaking purchase of EMC. [Built In Austin]
Bazaarvoice’s plan to go private receives shareholder approval
In November, Bazaarvoice announced its plans to be purchased by Marlin Equity Partners — a move that would take the Austin company private. This week, the company announced that its shareholders have approved the $521 million buyout. The deal is expected to close this quarter. President and CEO Gene Austin said going private would provide Bazaarvoice with more flexibility. [Austin Business Journal]
LivingTree acquires EdBacker, names new CEO
Edtech startup LivingTree announced on Tuesday that it has acquired EdBacker, the school fundraising platform. As part of the deal, EdBacker’s CEO Gary Hensley will lead as LivingTree’s new CEO. LivingTree offers a communication and parent engagement platform, a district-wide fundraising solution and a messenger service for teachers. [Press Release]
Competitor acquires Kimbia
Kimbia, a local startup offering nonprofits a fundraising, crowdfunding and events platform, has been acquired by GiveGab, a nonprofit giving solution. Details of the acquisition were not released. Kimbia, led by CEO Mark Perkins, was founded in 2007. [Press Release]
eRelevance names two new executives
On Tuesday, eRelevance announced the hiring of two new executives, adding Rafael Landestoy as VP of business development and Travis Skidmore as VP of client success and retention. Landestoy’s resume boasts over a decade of sales experience in healthtech startups, including PatientPop and Counsyl. Skidmore previously served as VP of client success at SpiceCSM, where he achieved 100 percent retention in the customer account base. January’s news follows eRelevance’s October hiring of Chris Greta as its first chief creative officer. [Press Release]
