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

Icon Technologies Inc. 

At the beginning of August, we shared that Icon Technologies, an Austin 3D-printing startup, joined a partnership with NASA to create a structure designed to imitate what  life would be like on Mars. Now , this startup has even bigger news as it just announced closing a $207 million Series B funding round. The funds  will assist in doubling its company headcount as well as finding solutions for the global housing shortage. 

In addition to being one of Austin’s largest capital raises  in 2021, Icon Technologies continues to create homes that’ll suit a variety of different environments, such as life on Mars and on the moon. According to Austin Inno, this funding round was led by Northwest Venture Partners, with contributions from 8VC, Bjarke Ingels Group, BOND, Citi Crosstimbers, Ensemble, Fifth Wall, LENx Moderne Ventures, and Oakhouse Partners. This startup continues to see an increase in customers and is currently working with companies, like NASA, on multimillion-dollar projects. 

EarBuds 

According to Built In Austin, Austin-based startup EarBuds has raised a $3 million Series A funding round. EarBuds is an app that allows people to share and listen to music with friends and celebrities for free. Specifically, the users connect their preferred streaming service with the appthat enables them to share music in real-time and discover other soundtracks. The new funding will help EarBuds expand both its employer and artist count on the platform. This startup is currently hiring product designer and Android developer positions and hopes of  creating room for new artists to showcase their talents and build their platform on the app. 

Sisu Cinema Robotics

Whether it’s filming a movie or a TV show, it can take hundreds and hundreds of tries to get the perfect shot. Luckily, Round Rock-based company Sisu Cinema Robotics has found a solution to getting the perfect shot in just a matter of hours with the help of robotic arms. These robotic arms help the camera follow a still and precise path, limiting errors and cutting film time. 

Founded in 2010, Sisu creates easy-to-use robots used explicitly for filming. In addition to creating robotic arms, this company has also made robotic knife sharpeners and welders, used by large meat packing plants. The company continues its progression in 2021, as it’s currently building a robotic track meant for high-speed camera movements and frame adjustments. According to Austin Inno, these robotic arms sell for $100,000; however, the price varies depending on the model. 

Tech companies moving to Austin 

2021 has been a crazy year for everyone. With covid cases decreasing at the beginning of the year and rapidly increasing as soon as places  started opening up, what are some positive outcomes we can take from this year so far? Well, for one, Austin’s tech scene is thriving and showing no signs of slowing down.

Even in the middle of a pandemic, Austin has seen an influx of tech startups. East and west coast companies continue to move to Austin, and many have already impacted the city’s startup scene tremendously. For example, Oracle, who announced relocating to Austin at the end of 2020, has now become one of Austin’s major employers drawing in many tech professionals and talents. According to Built In Austin, the following companies have relocated their headquarters to Austin in 2021: Green Dot, NinjaRmm, GovOS, iFly.vc, Markaaz, Blockcap, INVZBL, and Harmonate. 

About Michelle Vernaza: Michelle is a Business Development Associate Intern for Swyft, which is a tech PR firm in Austin and Houston and a top digital marketing and PR agency in Denver since its founding in 2011. Swyft also has a small satellite office where it offers tech PR in San Francisco. Swyft has been listed as one of the top tech PR agencies in Texas for two years running by the B2B services review site, Clutch.co.