Los Angeles tech companies kicked off April with million-dollar funding rounds and a billion-dollar acquisition. Read on to learn more about a storytelling app, drone delivery company, game design and development brand and more. This is the Built In LA Weekly Refresh.
Scopely announced plans to be acquired for $4.9B. LA-based Scopely is a mobile games company that developed titles like Scrabble Go, YAHTZEE With Buddies and Star Trek Fleet Command. The company announced plans to join Savvy Games Group, an esports and gaming business, in a deal worth $4.9 billion. The acquisition is expected to help Scopely expand its live games, team and tech. According to Crunchbase, Scopely has raised nearly $1 billion in funding, including two rounds totaling $540 million in 2020. [Scopely]
Prism launches with $26M. Prism is a lending solution for pre-IPO tech startups valued at $1 billion or more and their employees. It allows staffers to borrow money against their company’s equity to finance a down payment on a home, pay off debt or other personal uses. Prism’s $26 million in funding comes from seed and Series A rounds led by Pantera Capital and Human Capital. [PR Newswire]
LA Tech Quote of the Week
“I love traveling, history and storytelling and I felt drawn to creating the app as an authentic venture into the digital audio space. Autio really fills the gap in terms of historical and landmark storytelling, and when you’re traveling or enjoying free time at home, it offers a unique opportunity to explore the places around you in the form of short stories.” — Autio co-founder Woody Sears
Autio secured $5.9M. The LA startup appeared on ABC’s Shark Tank in mid-March, declining an investment from Kevin O’Leary. Autio went on to raise a $5.9 million round last week and inked a partnership with iHeartMedia. The audio storytelling app uses a person’s GPS data to share recorded stories about the user’s current location or a locale of interest, such as Yellowstone National Park or San Diego. Autio plans to expand its network and hire for its engineering, project management and marketing teams. [Built In LA]
Flyby Robotics got $4M. Flyby Robotics was co-founded by former Yale University students Jason Lu and Cat Orman. Having raised a pre-seed round led by MaC Venture Capital, the drone delivery company will partner with eateries in Arizona to offer customers drone-based delivery. This offering will launch with popular chain restaurants in the Phoenix area, including MAD Greens and Tokyo Joe’s. [Built In LA]
5 LA tech companies raised a collective $1.28B last month. Several LA-area tech companies found success in March having raised millions of dollars. The five largest venture capital rounds went to businesses in the gaming and entertainment, fintech and security industries. These companies will use their fresh capital to hire and expand their tech solutions. [Built In LA]
