Icebrkr launches dating app with real-time dating advice
Love hurts. But thanks to a new app by online dating coach Icebrkr, Boston singles can improve their odds of being hit by Cupid’s arrow. Launched on Valentine’s Day, the North Attleboro company’s app serves as an on-demand dating coach. The app includes an AI chatbot named Hootie, suggested conversation topics, and the best date spots to set the mood. Bad profiles are an “epidemic,” according to the company, and they are on a mission to eliminate boring profiles and help Boston daters put their best digital foot forward. [Icebrkr]
Tank Utility raises $6M in funding, uses IoT to monitor propane levels
Tank Utility, the company digitizing propane monitoring and delivery, has secured $6 million in funding. The IoT-supported tank monitoring company will use the funding to fuel (no pun intended) the growth of their team. The round was led by Bullpen Capital with contributions from Energy Foundry, Blue Fog Capital and Generac. According to Founder and CEO Amos Epstein, there are millions of homes that use propane as a primary source of heat. But only a small fraction of those homes use technology to monitor propane levels. Tank Utility monitors over 750 fuel providers’ tanks across the country. [Built In Boston]
Student loan startup Gradifi hopes to alleviate student debt with a little help from Congress
Student loan repayment startup Gradifi has its sights set on a “game-changing” bill that was introduced to Congress last week. The legislation seeks to permit companies to provide up to $5,250 in annual tax-deductible payments to employees with student debt. CEO David Chang said the bill confronts the “missing incentive” preventing many companies from offering such a service. [Xconomy]
Microsoft Corp. leads $12M investment in nsKnox Technologies
Boston and Israel-based fintech startup nsKnox Technologies secured a $12 million Series A round led by Microsoft’s M12 fund with contributions from Discount Capital and Viola Ventures. Almost 80 percent of businesses were the target of payment fraud in 2017, and nsKnox Technologies aims to solve that problem with software that helps companies make secure payments. They plan to use the funding to grow their customer reach and continue updating their software. [SiliconANGLE]
Nasuni plans to double engineering team, scores $25M in funding
Goldman Sachs just contributed to a $25 million round of funding for cloud storage startup Nasuni. The round follows a $38 million investment Goldman Sachs made back in September 2017. The investments will help accelerate Nasuni’s record-breaking growth. The company plans to expand to new markets, enhance their go-to-market strategy and double the size of its engineering team. The company also plans to invest in other areas of their team, as well as product and partnerships, according to President and CEO Paul Flanagan. [Built in Boston]
