It was a busy week for Seattle startups, with many companies closing deals while others secured unicorn status. Catch up on Swiftly’s Series C round or read up on BMW’s investment in a Bellevue startup. This is the Built In Seattle Weekly Refresh.
Spot raised $5.5M. Spot is bringing the metaverse into the workplace with its communication platform. With Spot, companies can create a virtual copy of their office that is then populated by avatars created by employees. According to the company, the platform has been used by teams at Google and Apple. Last week the company raised $5.5 million in seed funding. [Built In Seattle]
Amazon secured a deal for low-carbon trucks. Amazon announced that it would begin to use low-carbon fuel in its diesel trucks next year. The trucks will first be used in southern California and will be made in a Texas facility that is powered by renewable energy. [Puget Sound Business Journal]
CHEQ raised seed funding. CHEQ raised $8 million in seed funding in a round that was led by WestRiver Group. CHEQ is a mobile payments platform that allows friends to buy and send drinks to each other. Since launching, the company has secured partnerships with several sports teams, including the Miami Marlins and Miami Dolphins. [PR Newswire]
Seattle Tech Quote of the Week
Swiftly reached unicorn status. After raising two $100 million rounds in 2022, Swiftly reached a $1 billion valuation. Swiftly is an e-commerce and software company that makes API integrations to help SMD retailers optimize their digital stores. The company primarily works with grocery retailers but has started expanding to other retail industries. [Built In Seattle]
Littlebird was featured in Built In’s Future 5 series. Littlebird was founded by Monica Plath after a scary experience with a babysitter. The company helps parents keep track of their children with wearables that track the child’s location and health vitals. Since launching, the company has raised $2.2 million in funding. [Built In Seattle]
BMW invested in a Bellevue startup. BMW’s venture capital firm announced that it led a $10 million round in Bellevue-based Alitheon. Alitheon’s technology digitizes physical objects to protect against counterfeits. BMW previously invested in the company’s seed round. [PR Newswire]
