Chicago cybersecurity startup Kenna Security announced today that it has closed a $15 million Series B round of funding to expand its tech team, as well as its sales and marketing efforts. Founded in 2011, Kenna is the maker of a Big Data platform that helps companies understand the cybersecurity threats they face and establish better priorities […]
This year, we added a new category to our annual 50 on Fire awards event – Supporters. Supporters are anyone, individuals or organizations, that are committed to strengthening and supporting the ecosystem, whether it’s through capital, community, real-estate, mentorship, education, and more. That’s why this is our most eclectic and varied list – it has venture capitalists and […]
In technology, there are few buzz terms that capture the public’s collective imagination as intensively as the “internet of things.” Yet, as the IoT market matures and grows, two main lingering questions remain: what is its real potential and how can technologists get there? To find out, we spoke with two of the most qualified […]
Bot creation platform Motion.ai now allows people to create bots with Node.js modules that can be used to do things like call on APIs or interact with databases. Motion.ai utilizes the cloud-based AWS Lambda service to bring Node.js to its platform. The integration was announced today at AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas. “Up until today, users looking to manipulate their Motion AI bots […]
Although it’s 135 miles away, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is responsible for developing the most entrepreneur alumni in the greater Chicago area. LinkedIn data showed as much earlier this year, putting UIUC ahead of DePaul and Northwestern. Meanwhile, a recent report by venture capital database Pitchbook affirmed that the school produces the most undergraduate venture-backed startups out […]
Development teams may build cool stuff, but sales teams are vital for the success of Chicago’s tech ecosystem. We talked to three Chicago startups about what they look for in sales candidates, and it turns out a background in sales isn’t vital. Check out their answers below to see what it takes to join their […]
Galesburg, Illinois is a long way from Silicon Valley. There are no Google or Apple offices in the west-central Illinois city, population 32,000, but it is home to at least one scrappy tech firm reinventing how we use an everyday product. Intellihot is the brainchild of Sridhar Deivasigamani, who in 2005 came home from a […]
If you missed Hyde Park Angels’ Entrepreneurial Education Event or just want a quick recap, read on for highlights from the discussion. The event brought together world-class entrepreneurs and investors Jim Gray (CEO, G-Bar Limited Partnership; Co-Founder, OptionsXpress), Amanda Lannert (CEO, Jellyvision), Badal Shah (Co-Founder and CEO, TurboAppeal), Michael Small (CEO, gogo), and Kevin Willer (Partner, Chicago Ventures) to share their insights on attracting and managing advisors, investors and board members with panel […]
A report on the state of mental health in the United States shows that while more people have insurance, there are still shortcomings in meeting the needs of those suffering from mental health issues. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention said suicides are at a 15-year high. Now some startups are offering a […]
Randolph Restaurant Row lacks an abundance of weekday breakfast options, and that’s the void the Eastman Egg Company wants to fill. Ownership today opened their West Loop location, the third restaurant for the burgeoning local mini-chain. While the first two restaurants serve a downtown/commuter crowd, founder and CEO Hunter Swartz is excited to serve locals in more of a […]
