Updates

Global Newswire: Zymergen Inc. (“Zymergen” or the “Company”) today announced it has expanded its agreement with Octant to further scale their next-generation platform to develop breakthrough medicines.

TechCrunch: Northflank, a startup from a couple of guys in their 20s, has been working on a full-stack DevOps platform in the cloud since their first year at university in 2016. Today the startup announced a $2.6 million seed investment and the launch of that platform.

ModernRetail: Italic is trying to become a luxury brand in its own right. The company has been around since 2018 and has gone through many iterations. At the same time, the underlying model has remained consistent: Italic forges partnerships with the manufacturers of well-known brands like Staub and Samsonite and sells unbranded products directly from the facilities at a fraction of the price. While the company has seen growth over the last few years, it’s changed some of its business mechanics. Most recently, for example, it decided to halt its membership-only model.

Business Africa Online: SA Motor Lease, a division of PACE Auto Group, will become the latest leasing company in South Africa to offer long-term car subscriptions on the FlexClub network.

Torch Blog: Torch, a leading people development platform that harnesses the power of trusted relationships to fuel employee growth and success, today announced a $40 million Series C financing round, led by 137 Ventures.

OpenAPI Initiative: The OpenAPI Initiative, the consortium of forward-looking industry experts focused on evolving and implementing the OpenAPI Specifications (OAS), is welcoming Optic as a new member!

Clay & Milk: Data security company Basis Theory announced last week that it has launched out of its beta and has raised $17 million in funding from Bessemer, Kindred, Conversion Capital, BoxGroup, Offline Ventures, and others to make securing, using, and managing sensitive data easier for developers.

Yahoo Finance: Almost anyone who has moved to a new country knows that setting up the basics, like a bank account, are the hardest tasks to do.

PR Newswire: Conceive, the digital health platform on a mission to transform fertility, announced today that the public beta of its integrated solution is now live.

TechCrunch: OpenPhone, which provides a business line and related phone services to users by way of a smartphone app, becoming a user’s business phone separate from their private cell phones, has raised $40 million, a Series B that it will be investing in continuing to expand the communication and collaboration services it provides and building deeper integrations with the other productivity tools that its customers already use.

Crunchbase News: Stock trading platform Public has purchased Otis, a startup that allows individual investors to buy fractional ownership in alternative assets including NFTs and sports memorabilia.

Fintech Finance News: After closing a seed round of $3M led by Kindred Ventures, fintech Noh is preparing to enter one of the hottest untapped markets in Brazil: multi-player or shared finances. Brazil is one of the world’s top nations for making joint purchases. Noh promises to automate the division of expenses, taking away the stress of chasing money owed by friends and the hassle of transferring cash for every individual bill. Noh’s ultimate goal is to become the country’s main payment method.

Businesswire: -Smarter energy company Linear Labs has launched production of its new High Torque and Ultra High Efficiency electric motor and new intelligence drive system, called the HET Light, aimed at meeting the increased demand of the Light Electric Vehicle (LEV) industry.

Domain Name Wire: Namecheap is making an acquisition related to blockchain-based domains and reported strong growth in 2021. The acquisition of Namebase bolsters the company’s position with Handshake, one of the competing blockchain-based domain name alternatives. Namebase is the leading marketplace and onramp for Handshake domains.

TechCrunch: As we head full throttle into a new year, the continued state of uncertainty is enough to make anyone have some sleepless nights.

TechCrunch: The upcoming tax season is likely to prove particularly complex for crypto investors, many of whom will be paying taxes on their crypto holdings for the first time ever.

PR Newswire: Seashell, the fintech company dedicated to building a consumer-first, modern banking and investment experience, emerged from stealth with the announcement of Seashell Save, an easy-to-use, high yield finance app offering up to 10% interest to users.

Forbes: Before Covid-19 shifted work from the office to our, bedrooms, living rooms or an Airbnb in Costa Rica, there was a code for professional appearance. It mostly centered around dressing smart and having a firm handshake. But, now that we only see our colleagues as squares on a screen, what does professionalism look like? In the era of Zoom, perhaps looking professional is less about khakis and more about cameras.

TechCrunch: Z1, a Brazilian neobank focused on offering digital accounts and a linked prepaid card to teenagers and young adults, secured $10 million in Series A funding just six months after taking in $2.5 million.

LinkedIn: Ramin and I first met when I was interviewing at WeWork; he was one of my interviewers. We hit it off right away. He took me out to lunch, and I remember him saying that he wanted me there, but I had to know what I was walking into. (Which, in retrospect… yeah.)