Brandeis International Business School announces 5 global finalists, 3 with local ties
Brandeis International Business School hosted the Boston Finals for its first-ever “Smart Fifty” competition, a competition for 50 innovators who are addressing India’s major socio-economic issues. Three few of the five companies moving forward to compete in India have local roots, with PlenOptika from Boston; Nonspec from Lowell, and Sukriti from MassChallenge Israel. The competition focuses on early-stage startups working on everything from sustainability and agriculture to health and smarter living. The Boston round winners will also be flown to Calcutta to present their solutions and compete for a spot in the finals in Delhi and $1.5 million in funding. [Press Release]
XebiaLabs closes $100M Series B to help companies build better software
XebiaLabs, a Burlington-based startup, announced a $100 million Series B funding round this week, led by Susquehanna Growth Equity and Accel. The funding comes shortly after the company introduced a brand new DevOps solution, XL Impact, the industry’s first goal-based DevOps intelligence platform designed to optimize performance and measure impact in the development and deployment of software. According to XebiaLabs, their technology allows development teams to regain between 25 and 30 percent of the time they typically devote to low-lift projects, enabling them to more fully focus on strategic software development. [Built In Boston]
Cybereason announces record-breaking growth in 2017
Cybereason, the Boston startup offering a cybersecurity data analytics platform that includes endpoint detection and response, announced a record-breaking 2017 this week in terms of revenue growth, new customers, new hires and product innovation. Cybereason more than doubled its year-over-year global revenue in 2017, growing by 140 percent, and increased its customer base by more than 200 percent, adding new customers across industries like retail, energy, higher education and financial services. The startup also hired more than 200 new employees in 2017, bringing its global workforce to 350 people. [Press Release]
Jobcase raises $18.5M to empower modern workers
Boston-based Jobcase aims to ensure that no matter the new technology or shifting economy, workers will remain prepared and empowered. And with a fresh $18.5 million Series A round under its belt, the company is one major step closer to bringing their goal to fruition. Founded in 2009 by CEO Frederick Goff, Jobcase operates as both a social media and professional development platform for more than 80 million users. The site features honest company reviews, job seeker profiles, co-worker testimonials and an active community message board. [Built In Boston]
Boston startup CampusInsights acquired by Harvard Student Agencies
The Soward Brothers are still in college but that hasn’t stopped them from founding and selling a startup. Their startup Campus Insights, a company offering UX research that analyzes Gen Z and Millennial demographics, was acquired by Harvard Student Agencies this week. Campus Insights dives into people’s opinions about products and brands via user interviews across the United States and abroad. HSA says it acquired the company as part of its expansion into technology-related offerings. To date, Campus Insights has a pretty impressive roster of clients, including Airbnb and Chegg. According to a press release, HSA plans to continue scaling Campus Insights, which has seen 100 percent year-over-year revenue growth over the past three years. [Press Release]
