Let’s catch up with the latest innovation news in Texas.
—Essentium, maker of a 3-D printing system for manufacturers, has raised $22.2 million in a Series A funding round led by BASF Venture Capital. Materialise, Genesis Park, and previous seed round investors also participated in the deal, according to a press release. The funding will be used by the College Station, TX-based company to pay for additional manufacturing and engineering capabilities, as well as international distribution and sales and marketing.
—Seismos, an Austin, TX-based energy startup, has raised $10.5 million in funding, according to media reports. The round was reportedly led by Quantum Energy Partners with participation from Javelin Venture Partners, Osage University Partners, APT Fund, Hicks Oilfield, and others.
—SigmaSense, a startup that makes sensor technologies, has raised $3.5 million in equity and debt funding, according to documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Austin-based company changed its name to SigmaSense earlier this month from 3AxisData.
—Austin startup Ontic Technologies announced it has raised $4.65 million in a seed funding round led by Silverton Partners, with participation from Floodgate and Village Global, according to a press release. Ontic makes “predictive intelligence” software that could be used to alert authorities prior to a mass shooting or similar event. “Prior to acts of violence occurring, there exist signs, behaviors, or initial warnings,” Lukas Quanstrom, Ontic’s co-founder and CEO, said in a prepared statement. “Today, with the amount of data we have available in digital conversations and behavior tracking hardware, we have the opportunity to prevent threats from materializing.”
—Techstars Austin announced its latest class of companies. The startups feature innovations in e-commerce, healthtech, fintech, and other technologies. Among the companies is Dearduck, which makes software to create personalized recommendations that retailers use to market to consumers who are looking to buy gifts for others.
