AdSwerve acquires Seattle marketing analytics company for $24 million
This week, Denver-based AdSwerve announced it would acquire Seattle company Analytics Pros. The deal creates one of the first end-to-end Google marketing and analytics firms, uniting AdSwerve's status as a "leading Google Marketing Platform Partner" with Analytics Pros' expertise with the Google Cloud and Google Analytics 360 platforms. The deal — which will officially go into effect on January 1, 2019 — brings AdSwerve's headcount to over 120, and the companies expect to bring in a combined revenue of over $100 million in 2018. [Built In Colorado]
Backbone lands $8M Series A to help your favorite brands bring products to market
Boulder-based PLM software startup Backbone announced the close of an $8 million Series A funding today in a round led by Signal Peak Ventures, with participation from Grotech Ventures, Spider Capital, Novel TMT Ventures, Beanstalk Ventures, Brainchild Holdings and Peterson Ventures. The investment, which includes $6.7 million in equity funding plus a convertible note, is the first round of VC funding for the company. The Series A will help accelerate the growth of Backbone’s team as well as the development of its platform. The startup expects to expand its team from 25 people to as many as 60 by the end of 2019, with a focus on client success, sales, engineering and product. [Built In Colorado]
TrainingPeaks adds Claudette Stevenson as senior director of product development
Endurance training software company TrainingPeaks brought on Claudette Stevenson as its new senior director of product development, a role in which she’ll lead the company’s product and engineering teams. Stevenson spent the last 15 years at Garmin, starting as a software developer and working her way up to product manager, where she played a critical role in the development of Garmin’s fitness products. Her experience in the endurance and fitness markets will enable the company to expand its offerings and grow the business. [Press release]
Pie Insurance lands $11M Series A to expand workers’ comp insurance offerings
Workers compensation insurance startup Pie Insurance closed an $11 million Series A funding to scale the company's operations and expand its offerings nationally. The round was led by Greycroft, with participation from Aspect Ventures, as well as existing investors Sirius Group, Moxley Holdings and Elefund. Founded in 2017, Pie uses advanced analytics to more accurately identify risks for SMBs and streamline the purchase process for workers compensation coverage, which is mandatory for employers in most states. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the bulk of the company's employees are local — and with the funding, Pie Insurance plans to expand its Denver office. [Press release]
LA tech startup Honey signs lease on Boulder’s Pearl Street
Honey, the developer of a browser extension that helps online shoppers save money, locked down a space for its Boulder office. The LA-based company leased a 2,500-square-foot office in downtown Boulder, where it plans to grow its local footprint, with a focus on the engineering side of the product. Honey has already hired seven people in Boulder and plans to continue its expansion in the months and years ahead. The company expects to move into the new space in mid-September. [BizWest]
Veritone to acquire Denver-based Wazee Digital for $15M
AI operating system creator Veritone signed an agreement on Monday to acquire Denver-based cloud video management company Wazee Digital for $15 million. Veritone will begin offering Wazee’s applications and service through its marketplace, enabling its customers to monetize and enrich their existing video, still images and audio assets. Wazee’s Denver team will integrate with Veritone’s as part of the deal, which is slated to close by the end of the month. [Press release]
Tata Consultancy Services partners with Kids2Glow to get students excited about STEM
On Tuesday, Boulder students competed in the goIT competition, a STEM education camp where students design their own mobile apps. The event was hosted by Tata Consultancy Services in partnership with Kids2Glow, a local organization focused on teaching STEM skills outside the classroom. To date, the goIT program has reached more than 17,000 students in 59 cities throughout North America, with the goal of inspiring more kids to explore careers and hobbies in STEM. [Media advisory]
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