Email 3.0...

Workplace Collaboration Tools that Replace Emails:

Spike, a productivity startup, has built an email app that organizes emails into chat bubbles, with an interface that encourages users to keep it short and simple. Spike’s software began with a focus solely on re-skinning the email experience, but now, they’re also launching support for collaborative notes and tasks into their interface as they look to provide a cohesive solution for productivity. The company is fitting an awful lot of functionality into one window, but they hope that streamlining these apps together can leave users spending less time tabbing through separate windows and more time getting stuff done.

Notion, the fast-growing work collaboration tool, has recently hit a $2B valuation. The productivity app has attracted waves of startups and tech workers around the world to adopt its all-in-one platform that blends notes, wikis, to-dos, and team collaboration. 

Founded in 2012, Bluescape is a Silicon Valley-based SaaS company that has created a visual collaboration platform. Launched by Haworth and Obscura Digital, the platform enables individuals and teams to create, interact, and share content. It allows users to keep track of everything that has happened on a project, including meetings, comments, decisions made, and iterations, with cross-device functionality for mobile, tablet, and desktop devices.

Funding & Deal Highlights:

Homeday, a German real estate brokerage startup, raises €40M from Axel Springer and Purplebricks.

Noteable, a Cupertino, Calif.-based collaborative notebook platform for teams, raises over $4M from firms like Wing VC, per an SEC filing.

Immvira Group Company, a Shenzen, China-based biotechnology company focused on the development of new generation oncolytic viruses as potential cancer therapeutics, closes a $58M Series B financing.

Kalderos, a Chicago, IL-based creator of a drug discount management solution, secures $28M in Series B funding.

Localised, a global ecommerce business, raises $6.5M in Series A funding.

Shattuck Labs, Inc., a clinical-stage biotechnology company advancing its proprietary Agonist Redirected Checkpoint platform to develop a novel class of biologic medicines for the treatment of cancer and autoimmune disease, announces the closing of a $118M Series B equity financing. 

Elgia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that aims to eliminate low-grade inflammation, announces seed funding that will accelerate the development of novel treatments for chronic inflammatory and fibrotic diseases.

Square Inc. announced Monday that its Cash App unit had acquired Verse, a startup in Spain that offers the ability to send cash between users. Square's Cash App also allows for person-to-person transfers of funds but is only available in the U.S. and UK.

Earl Enterprises, parent company of Buca di Beppo and Bertucci’s, has acquired Brio Italian Grille and Bravo! Italian Kitchen from FoodFirst Global Restaurants, Inc. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

RedBird Capital Partners agrees to purchase a 24.2% stake in Main Event Entertainment for $80M, valuing the company at $424M. Main Event, a subsidiary of Ardent Leisure Group, is a provider of bowling, laser tag, billiards and other entertainment at 43 centers throughout the US. As part of the deal, RedBird will have the option to acquire another 26.8% stake in Main Event between July 2022 and July 2024.

Novetta, a leader in advanced analytics technology, announces the acquisition of WaveStrike, based in Annapolis Junction, MD.

Accenture is ste to acquire Sentelis, a Paris, France-based independent data consulting and engineering company.