Tovala raises $1.6M to bring smart oven to life
Origin Ventures led a $1.6 million seed round in Tovala, the maker of a smart countertop oven that steams, bakes and broils prepackaged food for high-quality meals. The company is planning to make the product widely available next year, thanks in part to this funding round. [Tovala Medium post]
Florida-based Pandera launches incubator in Chicago
A Florida-based business intelligence and analytics solutions provider is coming to Chicago and looking to hire 30 people for a product incubator. Pandera chose Chicago due to its strong base of product-oriented talent. New hires will include design specialists, data scientists and sales reps. [Built In Chicago]
Morningstar spends $180M on Seattle-based Pitchbook
Morningstar is bringing Pitchbook under its wing, acquiring the Seattle-based private capital research firm for $180 million. The deal values Pitchbook at $225 million and builds on Morningstar’s early 20 percent stake in the company. Pitchbook will remain a standalone brand after the acquisition is finalized later this year. [Built In Chicago]
Bucketfeet debuts photography-inspired shoe line
Bucketfeet has always allowed users to wear art on their feet, but this week it announced that photography is now part of that art. The company teamed up with Chicago-based black-and-white photographer Jason Peterson to put captured moments on various models of men’s and unisex shoes. [Press release]
ThoughtWorks named top workplace for women
The Anita Borg Institute named Chicago-based ThoughtWorks the winner of its 2016 Top Companies for Women Technologists program. The award is due in part to hiring practices that resulted in 40 percent of all new tech recruits being women, along with more female representation across the organization. [Blog post]
Snapsheet takes home $20M
Mobile insurance claims management service Snapsheet raised $20 million, with strategic investments from insurance providers like Liberty Mutual Strategic Ventures and Intact Financial Corporation. More than just a cash infusion, the investment will lend credibility to the white-labeled service, according to co-founder and president C.J. Pryzbyl. [Built In Chicago]
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