The Chicago tech scene continues to grow and expand. Here are some things you might have missed last week. This is the Built In Chicago weekly refresh.
Chicago is close to doubling its annual VC funding record. Chicago has almost doubled its annual record for venture capital funding with one quarter left in the year. Chicago companies have netted $5.5 billion in deals so far this year — an 84.4 percent increase over its previous annual record. [Built In Chicago]
Oak Street Health acquired RubiconMD. Oak Street Health acquired healthtech company RubiconMD in a $130 million cash deal with an additional $60 million contingent based on future performance. The healthtech company provides value-based care to those on Medicare that leads to higher patient satisfaction and financial success for providers. [Built In Chicago]
CHICAGO TECH QUOTE OF THE WEEK
Uber opened a new office. Uber’s new Chicago office is now open and the company plans to hire hundreds of employees over the next few years. The new location is within the Old Post Office building and can host over 2,000 employees. [Built In Chicago]
These startups could make the next big thing in Chicago tech. Chicago is seeing new innovations and new solutions through various industries. Here are ones to watch this quarter: [Built In Chicago]
- Cravosity is an app that allows users to host dinners and social events. Users create a social group in which individuals can edit food preferences, availability, allergens and how much they’re willing to spend.
- Lava is a new social platform that allows people to share audio. The company aims to be like TikTok but for audio content. The app is only available on iOS through its beta program.
- Thoughtful Automation is designed to take away repetitive tasks during your work day through automation. This software is sold at a cheaper rate than the competition, making it more accessible to other businesses.
- Sanarai is a platform that connects mental health professionals to Spanish speakers. The company wants Spanish speakers to have better access to mental health resources across the U.S. and Latin America.
- StoryBolt allows companies to find a short film about a topic that might be discussed in the workplace, such as diversity and implicit bias, and then schedules a screening and Q&A with the director for the company.
