š [11/30/20 - 12/6/20] DWDG Weekly Digest #10
original link: https://thegoodaipod.substack.com/p/113020-12620-dwdg-weekly-digest-10
Dec 08, 2020
_šš½ Welcome to Doing Well by Doing Good, a newsletter and podcast series highlighting the companies aiming to be profitable with a purpose. _
Happy Tuesday folks! Starting to feel the Christmas spirit? Well if youāre anything like these Minions, youāve put your Christmas tree up and are already celebrating
āTis the season to Do Well by Doing Good. Hereās your latest in DWDG news, fundings, and jobs.
DWDG News
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Check out Episode 5 of our latest podcast where we chat with Series B startup One Concern CEO Ahmad Wani about the intersection of climate, sustainability, and Doing Well by Doing Good. Podcast Link
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On Dec. 4th, Ireland signed the āToledo Declaration on Social Enterpriseā committing to strengthening the role of social enterprises in helping the health, social, and economic recovery of the EU from the COVID-19 epidemic. Learn More here
DWDG Fundings
- GoSite , a 7.5-year-old, San Diego-based website building platform for small and medium-size businesses, has raised $40 million in Series B funding led by Left Lane Capital. Other participants in the round include Longley Capital , Cove Fund , Stage 2 , Ankona Capital and Serra Ventures. [TechCrunch Report]
Doing Good : GoSite helps vulnerable small businesses traditionally underserved by digital tools to expand their reach and grow their business.
- Heru , a 1.5-year-old, Mexico City, Mexico-based startup that offers software-based services for gig workers, has raised $1.7 million in seed funding. Mountain Nazca led the round, joined by Magma Partners , Xtraordinary Venture Partners , Flourish Ventures , Y Combinator and a handful of angel investors. [TechCrunch Report]
Doing Good : Heru provides low-cost insurance and tax services for gig workers (and eventually all freelancers) in Latin America, giving them the peace of mind usually reserved for full time workers in the market.
- Virta Health , a six-year-old, San Francisco-based startup that helps individuals improve metabolic health and manage diseases like diabetes without medication, has raised 1.1 billion. Sequoia Global Equities led the round, joined by Caffeinated Capital. The company has now raised $230 million altogether. [TechCrunch Report]
Doing Good : Virta Health leverages a technology-first approach to help those vulnerable patients with chronic diabetes manage their condition and improve outcomes.
- Shop-Ware , a seven-year-old, San Francisco-based maker of management software for independent auto repair shops, has raised $15 million in Series A funding led by Insight Partners. [TechCrunch Report]
Doing Good : Shop-Ware is helping smaller repair shops stay independent and have a fighting chance against consolidation and new entrants through better operations.
- Henry , a year-old, Buenos Aires, Argentina-based startup behind an online computer science school for would-be developers from low-income backgrounds, has raised $1.5 million in funding led by Accion Venture Lab , Emles Venture Partners and Noveus VC. [TechCrunch Report]
Doing Good : Henry is using the Lambda School model to provide opportunities to low-income students in Latin America vulnerable to a lack of access to good education, obtain the training to be a software developer and only pay when they get a well paying job.
- MedArrive , a four-month-old, Bay Area-based startup that works with EMTs and paramedics to provide in-home, non-emergency care has raised $4.5 million in seed funding from Define Ventures and Kleiner Perkins (where Define founder Lynne Chou OāKeefe was formerly a partner). [Business Insider Report]
Doing Good : MedArrive is helping bring home care to those that need it most especially during lockdown. They are working with Medicare patients and are aiming to serve those systems traditionally not served by home care services.
- Pockit , a six-year-old, London-based fintech that offers a contactless prepaid Mastercard to underserved customers, has raised Ā£15 million ($20 million) in Series B funding. Investors included Concentric , Jatania Family , Harold Mechleynck , Perscitus and former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. [FinExtra Report]
Doing Good : Pockitās product enables customers traditionally unable to get cards, to enjoy the rewards and benefits of card ownership bridging the financial divide.
- Rheaply , a 5.5-year-old, Chicago-based resource management company thatās right now working with universities, companies, and the U.S. government to increase their transparency into and access of personal protective equipment supplies, raised $1 million from Revolution , Opportunity Hub , 100 Black Angels & Allies, and Morgan Stanley ās Multicultural Innovation Lab.
_Doing Good : Rheaplyās products enables a circular economy increasing sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. _
- Step , a two-year-old, San Francisco-based mobile banking service aimed at teens (including to help them build positive credit, it says), has raised $50 million in Series B funding. Coatue led the round, joined by earlier backers Stripe , Crosslink Capital , Collaborative Fund and Will Smithās Dreamers VC. The startup also added some celeb investors to this round, including TikTok star Charli DāAmelio , singer-actor Justin Timberlake and the DJ duo The Chainsmokers. [TechCrunch Report]
Doing Good : Step enables teenagers 13-18 to access bank account to start building credit early. Typically teenagers arenāt able to access such products before 18, but it also doubles as a financial literacy education platform to build good habits.
DWDG Jobs
- Change.org (Public Benefit Corporation) [Series D, Mission]
Jobs: https://www.change.org/careers
Jobs: https://livongo.eightfold.ai/careers
- Buoy Health [Series B, Mission]
Jobs: https://www.buoyhealth.com/careers/
Until next time, Happy Holidays, and be sure to spread some cheer like these kids š
āš½Anand