With the end of 2017, the So Cal tech scene saw a spree of local companies announcing rounds of funding, and as the first month of 2018 comes to a close, it appears that trend has continued into the new year. This week, three local companies collectively raised $37.7 million. Here's who got paid:
PacketFabric, a connectivity-as-a-service platform and a member of the NantWorks family of companies, announced late last week that it had closed a $25 million Series B to help the company scale expand its services.
Founded in 2017, PacketFabric uses an automated SDN-based network architecture to enable real-time connectivity services between carrier-neutral colocation facilities, servicing more than 150 such facilities across 17 markets in the U.S. The company also announced that former NantWorks CTO Chad Milam will be the new president and COO of PacketFabric.
The round was led by NantCapital, the venture capital arm of the NantWorks family. [Press Release]
LA-based enterprise hybrid cloud manager Unitas Global got in on the funding action this week, adding a $10 million round led by Boathouse Capital, with participation from existing investors MK Capital and Azure Capital.
With the round, the company plans to rapidly scale its organization, while also investing heavily in its proprietary software platforms, expanding solutions and accelerating global growth.
Founded in 2009, the company has now raised $20.6 million to date, with the most recent round being the largest investment the company has received since its $5.7 million Series A in February 2014. [Press Release]
Mars Reel, a sports media startup that develops and harnesses content for a millennial audience, announced this week that it had received a $2.7 million round of funding, which came as part of an initial $4.7 million funding.
In addition to the funding, Mars Reel announced it had entered into a strategic partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter's digital media company, UNINTERRUPTED, which is also based in LA. The partnership will allow both brands to continue to grow, with Mars Reel providing its high school basketball-centric content.
Founded in 2010, Mars Reel has developed huge social media followings on social media, offering viewers digestible highlights from the next wave of basketball superstars.
