NYC tech startups continue to push tech into new industries. Last week, NYC-based tech companies launched platforms that can be used to book a cruise, boost an e-commerce startup or become a tastemaker in the Web3 fashion world. Catch up on all the latest local tech news with our Built In NYC Weekly Refresh.
Beaconstac captured $25M. Fresh off a pandemic-fueled boom in QR code usage, NYC tech company Beaconstac raised Series A financing to further develop its platform and increase its employee headcount from 75 to 200 employees. The company, which doubled its revenue last year, has worked with large enterprises such as Revlon, Nestlé, FedEx and Marriott. [Built In NYC]
Chord scored $15M. Chord helps e-commerce startups boost their business by gathering data, generating data insights and providing headless e-commerce technology that makes it easier for brands to launch new products and functionalities. This $15 million Series A extension will help the company evolve its product and add another five to seven people to its 33-person team. [Built In NYC]
NYC Tech Quote of the Week
“We designed Cruisebound to sell cruises and only cruises. We offer an easy-to-use site that is optimized for mobile, which is where younger travelers prefer to research and book vacations. Then we combine the instant booking of an online travel agency with the live customer service of an offline agent.” — Pierre-Olivier Lepage, co-founder and CEO of Cruisebound
Cruisebound lifted its anchor. Cruisebound announced last week the launch its mobile- and desktop-friendly travel website. The platform, designed by several alumni from Rocket Travel, is targeted toward millennial and Gen Z travelers booking their first cruise. The company has raised $12.7 million in funding, including a recent $10 million Series A co-led by former Booking Holdings CEO Jeff Boyd and PAR Capital Ventures. [Built In NYC]
Syky landed $9.5M. Syky is a Web3 fashion startup founded by Alice Delahunt, the former chief digital officer for Ralph Lauren. The startup is launching its first NFT, which provides members with access to events, curated reports and advance notice of future NFT drops. This Series A round was led by Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s VC firm Seven Seven Six. Syky will use the fresh capital to hire. [Vogue Business]
