New funding rounds, hiring initiatives and a new AI and machine learning robot were some of the announcements that came out of Colorado this past week. Keep reading to catch up on the details you might have missed. This is the Built In Colorado weekly refresh.
Evolve gained $100M. Based out of Denver, Evolve is a hospitality startup that manages vacation rental listings, including some on Airbnb and Vrbo. Evolve raised $100 million led by Durable Capital Partners. Evolve says it plans to grow its current 800-person team by around 25 percent this year. [Built In Colorado]
Nomad got $20M. Nomad raised $20 million in a Series A round led by Silicon Valley Bank Capital. Nomad guarantees rent for small landlords while finding potential renters for vacant homes and helping with property management. The $20 million will help Nomad expand into 10 other cities over the next two years. So far, Nomad operates in Denver and Phoenix. The company is also looking to grow its team, with seven positions available, but plans to add more than 50 people this year. [Built In Colorado]
Tilled raised $11M. Tilled extended its Series A round and raised an additional $11 million led by G Squared. Tilled is a payment facilitator (PayFac) that works with B2B software companies to help them earn revenue from processed payments. Tilled is planning to triple its employee base to 150 throughout the year. [Built In Colorado]
COLORADO TECH QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Swell raised $10M. Swell Financial is creating a banking app to help users manage debt and spending. The app will offer no-fee and no-overdraft checking accounts. With direct deposit, the app will also allow users to access their paycheck two days earlier. Swell raised $10 million in Series A equity financing that will go toward increasing its employee headcount from 12 to 20 or 25 this year. Hiring software developers is a primary focus for the company right now. [Built In Colorado]
Beyond Imagination introduced its robot Beomni. Beyond Imagination created Beomni, a robot that moves on wheels that can lift 35 pounds of weight with each arm. Using a virtual reality headset and gloves, the robot can be trained to do almost any task. Founder Harry Kloor says the robot’s AI brain will not gain consciousness but will learn over time and eventually become autonomous. Beyond Imagination is currently raising a post-seed round to increase its employee headcount. [Built In Colorado]
Havenly acquired The Inside. Havenly is an online interior design service that helps customers find a stylist to personalize their space. Havenly acquired The Inside, an online retailer offering customized and made-to-order home furnishings. The acquisition will allow Havenly to provide custom-made furnishings and expand on its at-home design experience. Financial details of the acquisition have not been revealed. [Havenly]
