Want to stay up to date on the latest startup fundings, launches, and expansions in Austin? Startup Over Coffee’s weekly roundup of startups to watch in Austin will keep you in the loop on the latest Austin tech news. 

Green Revolution Cooling

According to the Austin American-Statesman, Green Revolution Cooling, a company that designs and builds immersion cooling systems for data centers, raised $7 million in a recent funding round. The recent round brings the total amount raised to $15 million. Green Revolution Cooling, which was founded by a University of Texas engineering alumnus, will use the funds for activities to sustain growth such as product development, hiring new employees and training sales agents for partners like Dell. 

Because technologies are becoming more advanced and people are relying on technology more often, the power modern technology systems require is becoming greater. The more power a system requires, the more heat it gives off. Conventional air cooling systems are having a difficult time keeping up with demand, so Green Revolution Cooling found a solution. The systems designed by Green Revolution Cooling use liquid immersion as a cooling agent instead of the more common means, air.

Upswing

Upswing International Inc., an app designed for non-traditional and diverse students, was chosen for the Google for Startups Accelerator: Black Founders Program. The Austin-based startup will be part of the inaugural class amongst 11 other businesses. Austin CultureMap reports the program, which is part of Google’s commitment to supporting Black-owned businesses and Black startup founders, will be three months long and will provide the twelve startups with technical and business industry knowledge from experts.

After receiving a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2018, Upswing set out to help at least 500,000 students graduate by 2020 and raised $2 million in a funding round last year. The company offers around-the-clock access to online coaches, chatbot assistance to students, and online connections to various college services. Google’s Accelerator Program will help Upswing improve their chatbot as well as create more tools to help non-traditional students succeed.

Spyderbat

Spyderbat, a cybersecurity company based in Austin, just earned a $4.2 million seed funding round. The seven-person startup intends to use the funds to develop its tech and launch its product before the end of the year. 

Spyderbat’s tech helps risk analysts and chief information security officers (CISO) easily detect past, present and future security beaches on their computers. Currently, risk analysts track breaches manually which can be time consuming and overwhelming. The startup’s new tech will identify false positives and which breaches are related as well as streamline the process of investigating claims.

SciPlay

SciPlay, a digital game developer and publisher that specializes in casino themed web and mobile games, is seeking to expand its team in Austin. The Las Vegas-based company currently has 500 employees, with 130 employees based in Austin. According to Built in Austin, Sciplay is looking to add 30 more hires to the Austin team to fill roles for software engineers, project managers, game artists and more.

SciPlay is one of the companies who has seen increased success due to the pandemic. The company’s revenue rose 20% in the first quarter of 2020, largely in part because the circumstances of the pandemic drew people to computers and mobile devices rather than crowded casinos. 

CEO Arron Shurman plans to move from developing games that require interaction between players to more casual games that are targeted at a larger audience. Shurman’s long-term goal is for SciPlay to one day be the largest mobile game developer in the world.

Built In Austin reports that whenever the company goes commercial later this year, it plans to sell to service providers who will in turn market to small and medium-sized businesses. Spyderbat is the third company launched by co-founders Marc Willebeek-LeMair and Brian Smith. The two previously founded and sold Click Security and TippingPoint.

About Savannah Burns: Savannah is a marketing and communications intern for Swyft, which has been listed as one of the best PR firms in Austin and Houston and a top digital marketing agency in Denver since its founding in 2011. Swyft recently opened a satellite office where it offers PR in San Francisco.