A work week shortened by the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday didn’t seem to slow new capital from venture firms and strategic investors from flowing into Boston technology businesses this week. Read on for more:
—The Predictive Index, a workforce talent optimization technology company in Westwood, MA, has raised $50 million in growth-stage capital led by General Catalyst Partners. The business says it provides managers with “people science,” data, and strategy to make objective hiring decisions. More than 7,000 customers use the platform, including Nissan, Citizens Bank, Docusign, Subway, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Omni Hotels, the company says.
—Boston startup Catalant Technologies is opening a new office in a renovated building in downtown Rochester, NY, for up to 45 employees, as it expands its software engineering team. New York State offered Catalant up to $900,000 in tax breaks in exchange for the job promises. In June 2017, Catalant raised $41 million in a round led by Highland Capital Partners and General Catalyst Partners. Founded in 2013 as HourlyNerd by four Harvard MBA students, Catalant helps companies hire freelance business experts for project work.
—Sales and marketing data platform ZoomInfo has moved into new headquarters in Waltham to accommodate its growing Boston-area workforce. ZoomInfo says it’s shifting its focus from providing contact data to becoming a content and intelligence company.
—Another startup space, offering a new spin on the accelerator and co-working model, is opening on Court Street in Boston, according to a press release. Venture Lane promises a “carefully curated” experience that follows “a unique set of standards to create a positive, collaborative working environment” and also provides educational and social programs for the companies working there. It is scheduled to launch Feb. 6.
—Bevi, the software and hardware company that developed a smart water cooler for the workplace, raised $35 million in a round led by Bessemer Ventures. The company is working on upgrading its beverage dispensers to have more custom options for drinks, like flavor level and carbonation strength. It is also developing a mechanism to have the unit recognize users by radio-frequency bottles, phone apps, or badges.
—Desktop Metal raised a $160 million Series E round led by the innovation arm of Koch Industries, the multinational industrial conglomerate owned by billionaire philanthropists and right-leaning political donors Charles and David Koch.
—Boston online-notarization startup Notarize has partnered with San Diego-based startup Will & Trust, an estate planning business, to provide a Nevada man with what it believes to be the first end-to-end digital will.
