Spyce raises $21M to open more restaurants with robotic kitchens
The robots are coming ... to a kitchen near you. Spyce, the world’s first restaurant with a kitchen manned by robots, raised a $21 million Series A round on Monday. The funding, which was led by Collaborative Fund and Maveron, will be used to open “a number” of robotic restaurants on the East Coast and double Spyce’s employee headcount over the next year. Spyce currently employs nine people in Boston (robots not included). [Built In Boston]
Could Dorchester be the next Kendall Square?
University of Massachusetts Boston has been searching for a developer for over a year to reimagine the old Bayside Expo Center site, a property they bought out of foreclosure in 2010 for $18.7 million. UMass Boston officials recently said they might have settled on a vision — one that could transform the area where Dorchester and South Boston meet into a hub for business and tech much like Cambridge’s Kendall Square. Officials said they would like to bring “big-name” businesses to their doorstep to create a bustling center and cash cow for the school. [The Boston Globe]
Nanoramic Laboratories closes $5M Series D round
Nanoramic Laboratories, a Boston-based energy storage tech company that rebranded from FastCAP Systems in May 2018, closed a $5 million investment round today. The financing includes investments by NGK Spark Plug Co. and Marubun Corporation — both headquartered in Japan. The investment will support Nanoramic as it scales up its suite of breakthrough products, including thermal interface materials, composite electrodes for batteries and ultracapacitors. [Press Release]
Data storage company Wasabi raises $68M in funding
Data storage company Wasabi raised $68 million on Wednesday in a non-traditional Series B round that shirked conventional venture capital in favor of funds from industry veterans and family offices. The startup said the financing would be used to expand internationally, invest in their brand, and ultimately to compete for the largest storage deals in the world. Co-founded in 2015 by David Friend and Jeff Flowers, Wasabi aims to offer storage faster, cheaper and more securely than anyone else. [Built In Boston]
ProfitWell acquires BTMetrics
ProfitWell, a software company that offers subscription companies intelligence, announced that they have acquired BTMetrics this week. BTMetrics is the first subscription financial metrics product built for Braintree Payments. Both companies have shared the goal of helping operators understand their subscription businesses and glean insights that help them make crucial business decisions — so they joined forces. [ProfitWell]
