A couple of deals have perked up this week among New York-based startups in digital media and dirty jobs. Content recommendation platform Outbrain announced Wednesday it raised $35 million in a round led by HarbourVest. Others participating in the round include new backer Vintage Partners and existing investors Index Ventures, Carmel Ventures, GlenRock Israel, Gemini Israel Funds, Lightspeed Venture Partners, and Rhodium.
Outbrain said it plans to use the new funds to expand its business to more overseas markets and further develop its technology. The company’s platform suggests content links to readers of websites published by such media outlets as ESPN, The Telegraph, Fox News, and CNN. Thus far, Outbrain has raised $99 million in funding.
On Tuesday, Handybook said it raised $10 million in a Series A round co-led by Highland Capital Partners and General Catalyst Partners, with David Tisch and others participating
Handybook, founded in Boston, where it still maintains offices, is an online service for booking handymen, maids, and other professionals who provide household services. The company’s website and app can be used to clean up households in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. By the end of October, Handybook plans to expand to Dallas, Houston, Seattle, San Diego, and Atlanta.
Earlier this year, Handybook entered into a collaboration that put its services on the website for New York’s RentShare, a site that lets roommates split their expenses.
