There is never a dull moment working at a PR agency, especially when working with technology companies in 2021. The pandemic showed the world—and investors—how important B2B software and healthcare technology are to drive the optimal customer, employee, and patient experiences. As a result, we are seeing continued momentum in the investment sector with VCs, PE firms, investors, and major tech players eager to back the next-best technology—making for a frothy time for funding rounds, acquisitions, and IPOs.
Many of our clients, all leaders in their respective industries, have been part of this trend over the past few months. Check out the highlights below.
IPOs
Markforged Announces Plans to Go Public Via SPAC
Industrial 3D printing company Markforged announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with one (NYSE: AONE), a SPAC sponsored by Kevin Hartz, cofounder and chairman of Eventbrite. This deal would value the company at $2.1 billion. Check out V2-secured coverage in Forbes and TechCrunch for more.
UiPath Builds a Global Brand and Becomes A Public Company
RPA leader UiPath’s NYSE debut on April 21 marked the third largest software IPO in U.S. history. At the closing bell on April 21, the company was valued at $36 billion. Learn more via V2-secured coverage on CNBC Tech Check, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg Technology.
Four Acquisitions
ASG Acquired by Rocket Software
Rocket Software is acquiring V2 client ASG Technologies, which is best known for providing a configuration management database (CMDB) that is widely employed in IBM environments, enabling Rocket Software to expand the scope of its product offerings to include more infrastructure management tools and software further up the application stack. Read VentureBeat and DBTA for details.
Decibel Acquired by Medallia Insights
V2 client Decibel, a leading digital customer experience analytics company, was acquired by Medallia Insights, enabling Medallia to add vital digital journey and experience capabilities. Read DestinationCRM for more.
DirectPath Acquired by CNO Financial Group
CNO Financial Group (NYSE: CNO) acquired V2 client DirectPath, a leading national provider of year-round, technology-driven employee benefits management services to employers and employees. Find out more about the deal in Seeking Alpha and Indianapolis Business Journal.
Nuance to be Acquired by Microsoft
Microsoft announced plans to buy V2 client Nuance Communications, a conversational AI company. Microsoft’s acquisition of Nuance builds upon the successful existing partnership between the companies that was announced in 2019, doubles Microsoft’s total addressable market in healthcare to nearly $500 billion, and further empowers healthcare providers through the power of ambient clinical intelligence and other Microsoft cloud services. The company also offers AI-powered chatbots, virtual assistants, and biometrics solutions that enhance customer experiences and fraud prevention for 85% of Fortune 100 companies worldwide. Visit WIRED, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times for details.
Lots of Funding
Current Health Raises $43 Million Series B
Current Health, an enterprise remote care management platform that has seen tremendous growth during the pandemic, closed $43 million in Series B financing from top healthcare and pharmaceutical investors. The Boston Business Journal, FierceHealthCare, and Fortune Term Sheet have more details.
Flatfile Closes $35 Million Series A
Flatfile, the groundbreaking data onboarding software company, raised $35 million in Series A financing led by Scale Venture Partners, with participation from Workday Ventures and previous investors including Afore Capital, Google’s AI-focused venture fund, Gradient Ventures, and Two Sigma Venture. More in Axios, Fortune, and TechTarget Search Data Management.
Tellius Secures $8 Million Series A
Tellius, a startup that built an AI-driven decision intelligence platform, raised $8 million Series A. The round was led by Sands Capital Ventures with participation from Grotech, bringing the company’s total raised to $17 million. Check out this TechCrunch feature for more on the round and Tellius’s technology.
WiTricity Announces $52 Million in Funding
Electric vehicle wireless charging technology leader WiTricity raised its most recent round of funding from Tony Fadell’s Future Shape, Stage 1 Ventures, Air Waves Wireless Electricity and Mitsubishi Corporation through its U.S. subsidiary. Fortune Term Sheet has more.