Crunch Time

Corporate naming trends come and go, but tossing in some “Crunch” has been a good move going back to at least Cap’n Crunch, still the tastiest of the terrible-for-you sugared cereals. (Don’t @ me.) Cary-based DataCrunch is the latest entrant. The startup uses data science, AI and machine learning to help its customers make sense of the torrents of data that surround us all like milk in a cereal bowl. DataCrunch recently landed a $150K grant from the Department of the Navy and is participating in the current cohort of the RIoT Accelerator Program. Please read our full story on DataCrunch or I’ll be forced to make more cereal similes.

Mix & Mingle

In-person networking is just one of many things that has been dramatically affected by the pandemic, as the (many, many) fans of GrepBeat Happy Hours know only too well. And as veterans of Zoom Happy Hours can attest, simply transplanting that energy and ability to meet new people in an unforced way to a virtual environment is easier said than done. Enter Socialize, a new online networking platform from a Raleigh-based startup of the same name that is one of the semifinalists for NC IDEA’s $50K SEED grants. Read our full story on Socialize here.

Get LOUD

There’s a new VC player in the Triangle. Columbus, Ohio-based early stage VC firm LOUD Capital has opened a Raleigh office, its first in the Southeast and fifth overall (alongside New York, Chicago and Beijing). LOUD focuses especially on social-impact ventures and entrepreneurs from often-overlooked background and has invested across an array of sectors including finance, healthcare and manufacturing. LOUD Partner Marshall Kuremsky, who doubles as an orthopedic surgeon in case anything goes seriously sideways during term sheet negotiations, will lead the Raleigh office. So brush up those pitch decks!

New Home

Loyal readers will recall that a few weeks back we featured Deb Woods, the CEO of Morrisville-based ShiftWizard, in The Download. Now comes news that ShiftWizard has been acquired by Nashville-based public company HealthStream for $32M in cash. ShiftWizard is a resource-management tool to schedule healthcare professionals, especially nurses. After the deal, all of ShiftWizard’s Triangle employees will remain in place under Deb’s leadership. And we’re not saying that the GrepBeat story was responsible for the deal, but we’re not not saying it either. (Here’s more from TechWire and TBJ on the deal.)

Buying Spree

Cary’s Dude Solutions continues its PE-cash-fueled expansion by acquiring the asset management platform Confirm from New York-based Precisely. It’s the Dude’s eighth acquisition in the past six years and the second since private equity firm Clearlake took control in 2019. The deal broadens Dude Solutions’ product portfolio for public-sector clients and extends its geographic reach in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. TechWire has all the details. And while you’re here you can also check out our own Tricia Lucas’ past Meet... Q&A’s with Dude Solutions' CMO (Catherine Harrell) and General Counsel (Kelly Kopyt Caputo).

Sellers' Market

While the pandemic has taketh away many things, it has giveth to the ecommerce sector—a trend that RTP-based ChannelAdvisor continues to mine. On Tuesday the company announced the launch of Shoppable Media, a tool for its customers to better reach “purchase-ready” consumers. UNC’s NCBizNews has more info.

Tasty Option

While the pandemic has slowed the growth of new coworking spaces in the Triangle, it hasn’t stopped it. And if you like having lots of food options without even needing to go outside, then the new Transfer Co. Work Hall in downtown Raleigh might be for you. The Work Hall space is 4,000 square feet and 50-plus desks amidst the Transfer Co. food hall. Transfer Co. Co-Founder Jason Queen tells TBJ that the Work Hall is catering especially to smaller, early-stage startups.

Good/Bad News

OK, the bad news first: the Triangle has fallen out of the Top 10 in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Places To Live,” sliding to No. 11. And to make some folks’ blood boil even more: Austin ranks No. 3, and U.S. News refers to our region as “Raleigh-Durham.” (Only the first thing bothers me.) Boulder, Colo., ranks first, while Charlotte has zoomed up to No. 6. TechWire and TBJ have more info. Now for the good news: in an obviously far more accurate rankings list, the Urban Land Institute and PwC have moved the Triangle into the No. 1 spot among the best markets for real estate prospects. The Triangle sent last year’s top choice—Austin, natch—tumbling all the way down to No. 2, aka “First Loser.”

Extra Bit

In the “news I only saw just before I hit send and thus can’t jam into the numbered items without messing other stuff up” category, former GrepBeat story subject All Elements has graduated from the 14th cohort of the global online accelerator Founder Gym. CEO Mutuk Karpakakunjaram’s HR tech startup is focused on keeping employees happy and productive.

Guess where Pete is and (maybe) win a GrepBeat mug!
 

Sam Weaver is this week’s winner for correctly identifying that I was at Neomonde’s Raleigh location. Here’s more from Sam: "I'm an NC State student and a (budding) software entrepreneur! You can find out everything you need to know about me from my website, which I most definitely spent too much time on!" We respect the personal branding, Sam.