6 Companies to Watch This Summer

While Austinites have spent the summer unwinding with paddleboard outings on Lady Bird Lake and picturesque hikes up to Mount Bonnell, the local tech scene hasn’t slowed down one bit. 

Since the summer season began, local companies have been busy making major business moves. For instance, CertifID, a company dedicated to combating real estate wire fraud, just secured $47.5 million in fresh funding, which will be put toward enhanced platform capabilities, hiring initiatives and more. On the other hand, IT inventory platform provider Lansweeper recently acquired asset discovery company Redjack, which will put the company in an even better position to help organizations stay secure and productive.

Besides fresh capital and new partnerships, there are many other factors at play that put Austin at the forefront of the nation’s tech industry growth. At robotics company Apptronik, the company’s technologists have been working with teams at Google DeepMind to further the development of AI-powered humanoid robots, while Hypori has been busy solidifying its status as a leader in secure mobile access, an undertaking made easier by a new authorization.

As these four companies and two others focus on refining their technical acumen, they’re also ensuring their people have access to the best technologies and benefits to excel in their roles and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Read on to learn about the innovation taking place at these six companies and how each one is supporting its people in the process. 

 

What Apptronik does: Apptronik aims to reduce labor shortage with its general purpose humanoid robot, Apollo, which is designed to perform tasks related to logistics, manufacturing and more. 

In the news: Late last year, the company announced its decision to partner with Google DeepMind to further the development of AI-powered humanoid robots. “We’re building a future where humanoid robots address urgent global challenges,” Apptronik CEO and Co-founder Jeff Cardenas shared in a statement. “By combining Apptronik’s cutting-edge robotics platform with the Google DeepMind robotics team’s unparalleled AI expertise, we’re creating intelligent, versatile and safe robots that will transform industries and improve lives.”

 

 

What LogicMonitor does: LogicMonitor’s unified observability platform is designed to enable IT and business teams to prevent disruptions, resolve issues more quickly and safeguard critical services. 

Leading with enthusiasm: Last year, LogicMonitor Chief Marketing Officer Brooke Cunningham caught up with Built In Austin to share insight into her role at the company and her career journey so far. “As the global marketing team leader, my primary objectives are to elevate LogicMonitor’s brand presence and drive increased interest and demand for our hybrid observability solution,” she said. 

 

 

What CertifID does: CertifID’s platform is designed to prevent real estate wire fraud by enabling individuals and businesses to verify identity and bank details before transferring funds. 

In the news: The company recently announced it had raised $47.5 million in a Series C funding round led by Centana Growth Partners. According to a press release, the fresh capital will be put toward expanding the company’s capabilities across identity verification, transaction monitoring and securing payments in addition to increasing headcount, expanding partnerships and accelerating the rollout of new security features. In a statement, CertifID Co-founder and Executive Chairman Tom Cronkright shared, “With this investment, we’re doubling down on innovation to stay ahead of shape-shifting fraud and deliver the highest level of protection to our customers.”

 

 

What PEAK6 does: PEAK6 is an investment firm that builds and invests in businesses spanning a variety of industries, from insurance to education. 

Creating a well-rounded team: PEAK6 Engineering Manager Leonard Schwartz II caught up with Built In last year to share how he helps those on his team avoid burnout. He shared that, in addition to keeping a pulse on how team members are doing, he strives to get them involved in meaningful growth opportunities, such as mentorships and internal talks and workshops, as a way to help them stay creative and step away from the daily grind. “By promoting these diverse opportunities, we’re able to cater to individual interests, fostering a culture of continuous growth and engagement and resulting in a well-rounded team equipped for success,” Schwartz said. 

 

 

What Lansweeper does: Lansweeper’s platform is designed to offer security teams full visibility into their IT, operational technology and IoT assets, therefore helping them reduce risk, increase efficiency and make smarter decisions. 

In the news: Last month, the company announced its acquisition of Redjack, a company that specializes in asset discovery. According to a blog post on the company’s website, the acquisition will enable Lansweeper to enhance its platform by strengthening its capabilities in attack surface management, business continuity planning and third-party risk management. “With Redjack on our side, we can now promise total visibility for our customers — the most crucial step in any cybersecurity strategy,” Lansweeper CEO Dave Goossens shared in a statement. “Together, we will pair Redjack’s unparalleled network-level discovery and application dependency mapping with Lansweeper’s rich asset intelligence to help organizations to be more secure and productive.”

 

 

What Hypori does: Hypori’s virtual mobile access platform is designed to enable organizations to empower their employees to access data securely and privately from their personal devices.

In the news: Earlier this year, the company announced it had achieved Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program High Authorization. According to a blog post on the company’s website, this milestone signifies that Hypori provides the highest level of security and compliance for federal agencies, defense contractors, and enterprises handling Controlled Unclassified Information and Federal Contract Information on mobile devices. “Achieving FedRAMP High Authorization underscores our unwavering commitment to protecting CUI and FCI while enabling secure, seamless mobility for federal agencies and defense contractors,” Hypori Chief Security Officer Matt Stern shared in a statement. “This milestone is a testament to Hypori’s innovation in zero trust architecture and our leadership in secure mobile access.”