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Jan. 13, 2025
First Off Announcements and the like. Brent: Welcome back to the work week, y'all. There's a new joint called Curry Pizza House coming to Cedar Park later this week. And, I gotta say, their pies sound pretty delicious, especially in this crisp fall weather.
Alright, let's get rolling with today's top local tech news... The Big One A breakdown of the day's biggest Inno story. Austin tech-forward trucking company raises $21M
Brent: Austin-based trucking startup AI Fleet said today that it has raised $21M in new funding.
The series A round was led by San Francisco-based Obvious Ventures, with participation from Compound, Ibex Investors and Tom Williams. The round is one of the first big announcements to come from AI Fleet, which launched last year. This brings its total funding to $24.5M, a company spokesperson said.
The company, led by co-founder and CEO Marc El Khoury, says it is a carbon-neutral carrier and that it plans to scale its operations and expand driver benefits with the new round of financing. The company uses data science and a proprietary algorithm to manage its operations and make transportation more efficient.
AI Fleet has 60 employees, most of whom are drivers. Of that, 20 people are Austin-based. The company, which has an office at 6th and Congress, said it plans to hire 10-15 people per month.
AI Fleet also aims to have an impact on the truck driver shortage that's currently playing a role in the global supply chain crisis. Part of the strategy there is pleasing drivers. The company's website says it has a minimum guaranteed salary of $67K.
Making Moves Inside the people, companies and organizations making moves in Austin. 🔥 2021 Fire Awards: CPG🔥
Throughout the week, we'll be highlighting startups on the 2021 Austin Inno Fire Awards list. Today, we look to one of Austin's strongest ecosystems – CPG. This year's CPG winners include Boxt, Canteen Spirits and Cantina, HumanCo LLC, Siete Family Foods and Sips By. Learn more about why these companies had a banner year right here.
Zilliant scooped up
PE firm Madison Dearborn Partners said it's acquired Austin-based software provider Zilliant for an undisclosed price. Chicago-based Madison Dearborn Partners said Zilliant makes software that allows companies to make informed decisions about pricing. Zilliant has offices in the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. The company is led by President and CEO Greg Peters. The company had raised about $92M since its founding in 1999 by Peter Zandan, according to Crunchbase. Its backers have included Goldman Sachs, Main Street Capital, Austin Ventures and others. Read more.
Apple to provide coding classes in Austin
Apple is teaming up with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to help kids learn to code. Austin is among a dozen-plus cities that will get the new "Everyone Can Code" curriculum and access to iPads. In addition to Austin, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Miami and a few other areas will launch the new coding initiatives. Featured Jobs Below are featured jobs from our Careers Directory. To feature a job in this newsletter, read more.
In the Know The tech stories you need to read today.
Elsewhere in Inno Stories from around the Inno network we think you'll dig. Sign up for Inno+ to access the entire Inno network. In the Community The events and happenings to know in the ecosystem
For more upcoming events, be sure to browse the Inno events directory. December
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Keeping Austin Weird & Wired The fun stuff.
Feelin' prickly
The little ground level camera I put in my backyard has captured fleeting images of armadillo, skunk, possum, raccoons and a cat or three. But we have yet to spot a porcupine. But it's probably just a matter of time, even though they spend a lot of their time in trees. KXAN reports that the little fellas are increasingly finding their way into Austin. The story notes that porcupines are pretty chill, despite their well-known defenses. But, as is true with most of nature, observe from a reasonable distance.
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