Seed rounds may not be as big and flashy as, say, a Series F or venture round — but they carry just as much important information about the state of the tech world. Examining what venture capitalists are investing at the earliest stages can provide an important look at the major players in tomorrow’s tech landscape. In 2018, companies in a range of tech niches raised seed rounds, but these are the top five to know:
5. Spring Health, $6M, May 23
What they do: Spring Health helps mental wellness patients and their doctors achieve better outcomes in a shorter amount of time. The Spring Health platform helps HR professionals navigate the mental health landscape for their employees; helping them feel better, faster.
The funding: Spring Health locked in its funding round mid-year, with the $6 million round being led by Rethink Impact. Work-Bench, the William K. Warren Foundation, RRE Ventures, and BBG Ventures also participated.
4. SAY, $8M, April 10
What they do: SAY wants to help stockholders take full ownership of their rights as stakeholders. The platform, which has yet to launch in its entirety, will help stockholders take action using the power of their stocks.
The funding: The SAY seed round that closed back in April is valued at $8 million. Point72 Ventures led the funding, and Struck Capital, Quiet Capital and Core Innovation Capital also participated.
3. Spatial, $8.3M, Oct. 24
What they do: Spatial knows that the world of work is changing, and aims to use technology to help us be more collaborative and creative. Spatial’s launch product utilizes virtual reality to help teams, both remote and non, collaborate in the digital space.
The funding: Spatial’s $8.3 million seed funding may have come later in the year, but it was worth the wait. The company caught the eye of a multitude of investors, including iNovia Capital, The E14 Fund, Social Capital, Samsung NEXT, Neoteny, Lerer Hippeau Ventures, Kakao Ventures, Garage Capital, Expa, as well as numerous individual entrepreneurs.
2. Cherre, $9M, Oct. 1
What they do: Cherre helps real estate professionals (insurers, brokers, investors) make data-empowered decisions with its centralized platform for the latest in real estate data, gathered from thousands of sources both public and private.
The funding: Cherre scored $9 million in its seed round, with the lead portion coming from Navitas Capital. iLOOKABOUT, Red Swan Ventures, Dreamit and Carthona Capital also participated in the round.
1. Kronos Bio, $18M, May 23
What they do: Kronis Bio is on a mission to beat cancer. This tech company is committed to researching and developing the latest in cancer-fighting technology.
The funding: Outshining its closest competition by double, Kronos Bio raised $18 million, and therefore was the largest seed round of the year. Investors in the round include Vida Ventures, Omega Funds, Bellco Capital, and individuals Norbert Bischofberger and John Martin.
