Chicago’s hot startup scene cools off, February’s 10 biggest rounds, and more - March 1, 2023

March 1, 2023 [Chicago’s varied startup scene takes a breather]( After two years of record-setting investment in everything from health care and education to finance and manufacturing, the Midwest city’s diverse startup scene has cooled. We dig into the numbers in a wide range of sectors. [February’s 10 top rounds: Real estate and AI startups score big]( February may be the shortest month of the year, but it can still fit in some large rounds. Six startups raised a quarter-billion dollars or more, with artificial intelligence helping push some big numbers. [Dreamscape]( and [SandboxAQ]( lead the way. [Bain Capital Ventures closes $1.9B worth of funds]( Venture funding may be slowing, but venture fundraising sure isn’t. San Francisco-based [Bain Capital Ventures]( — known for its investments in companies such as [LinkedIn]( [DocuSign]( and [Twilio]( — announced the close of two funds totaling $1.9 billion. [Bitwise announces $80M to train tech workers]( [Bitwise Industries]( raised $80 million in funding led by existing investors [Kapor Center]( and [Motley Fool](. The startup’s network helps users learn code and get real-world experience, with a recent expansion to bring coding skills to historically underrepresented minorities. [The Megadeals Leaderboard: Track $100M+ rounds]( Keep track of the largest startup funding deals in 2023 with our new curated list of $100 million-plus venture deals to U.S.-based companies. Powered by Crunchbase’s comprehensive data, this leaderboard is updated weekly as companies raise large rounds. [Take our reader survey: Two months in, how are you feeling about 2023?]( Crunchbase News readers started 2023 feeling gloomy. Most readers who responded to our survey at the beginning of the year predicted we’d head into a global recession. Now in Q1, we’re checking back in to see what your thoughts are so far this year. [Cool? Catchy? Funky spelling? The latest trends in startup names]( Founders selecting a company name would prefer one that has it all: Cool, catchy, original, evocative and legally unencumbered. Crunchbase data shows that simple names composed of recognizable words have gotten super popular. We dive into other naming trends. [Crunchbase ROI Calculator]( [See the number of new accounts Crunchbase can add to your funnel with our advanced prospecting ROI calculator powered by Crunchbase data.]( [Calculate]( Crunchbase Pro: Searches and Lists Name Type Entries [Seed and early stage venture investments in recruiting companies in the past 2 years]( Funding Rounds 448 [U.S. top schools with founder alumn counts]( Schools 257 [Healthcare companies that raised $20M+ in the last 3 months]( Companies 241 [More Featured Searches and Lists]( [Check out our Crunchbase solutions here]( – prospecting tools made for everyone Recent Investments [Humana]( [$1.2B]( / [Post-IPO Debt]( Humana creates innovative solutions and resources that help people with their healthcare needs. Categories: Health Care • Health Insurance • Insurance • Venture Capital Founders: [David A. Jones, Sr.]( [Wendell Cherry]( [Bitwise Industries]( [$80M]( / [Series C]( Bitwise is an ecosystem that provides apprenticeships to students to learn tech skills and connects them to tech opportunities. Categories: Education • Information Technology • Software • Training Founders: [Irma Olguin]( [Jake Soberal]( Investors: [Kapor Center for Social Impact]( (Lead), [Motley Fool Ventures]( (Lead), [Citibank]( [+ 1 more]( [Typeface]( [$65M]( / [Series A]( Typeface is a generative AI application for creating enterprise content. Categories: Artificial Intelligence • Content • Enterprise Software • Software Founders: [Abhay Parasnis]( Investors: [Lightspeed Venture Partners]( (Lead), [Google Ventures]( [M12 - Microsoft's Venture Fund]( [+ 1 more]( More Fundings Company Amount / Round Lead Investor [Novata]( $30M / [Series B]( [Hamilton Lane]( [Foxtrot]( $19M / [Debt Financing]( - [Tricog Health]( $5.0M / [Series C]( - [Finmap]( 1.0M EUR / [Seed Round]( [SMOK Ventures]( [Plusgrade]( Unknown / [Funding Round]( [Calin Rovinescu]( [Milwaukee Bucks]( Unknown / [Secondary Market]( - [All Recent Funding Activity]( Recent Acquisitions [Focus Financial Partners]( Pending acquisition by [CD&R LLP]( for $7.0B More Acquisitions Company Acquired By Amount [Uni-Select]( [LKQ Corporation]( 2.8B CAD [All Recent Acquisition Activity]( Upcoming Tech Events [Collections & Recovery Summit - Middle East]( March 14, 2023 - March 15, 2013 in Dubai Collections & Recovery Summit - Middle East is a conference and exhibition for the latest technology and digital transformation strategy. Accelerator Deadlines Date Accelerator Location Mar 13, 2023 [Tastech by Sigma]( San Pedro Mar 17, 2023 [FoundersBoost Toronto]( Toronto [More Upcoming Deadlines]( Don’t see your event? Reach out to us at events@crunchbase.com. #{Rails.configuration.daily.cb_url} Discover innovative companies and the people behind them. [Follow Us on Crunchbase]( [View Jobs on LinkedIn]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Like Us on Facebook]( 564 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94104 © 2023 Crunchbase Inc. All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy]( | [Terms of Service]( [Unsubscribe]( from Crunchbase Daily.