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.

MeBeBot

After finishing in second place last year, MeBeBot emerged victorious in Austin Inno’s Tech Madness 2021 championship. For the competition, readers nominated and voted for startups they would most like to invest in. This year’s competition saw 64 startups in the lineup, with MeBeBot and Disco competing for the top spot in the final bracket. 

Founded in 2018, MeBeBot is an AI-powered assistant that provides automated question-answering regarding employees queries across human resources, operations and information technology. 

FTC Solar Inc. 

Austin-based solar equipment company, FTC Solar Inc. plans to raise up to $423 million this year according to a recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filing cited by Austin Inno. 

Founded in 2017, FTC Solar has developed a solar tracking system using software, engineering and hardware to maximize energy generation. The company has seen immense growth in the past year. FTC Solar logged $187 million in revenue last year, and grew from 64 full-time employees in 2019 to 178 full-time employees by the end of 2020. 

Canteen Spirits and Cantina 

Canteen Spirits, an Austin-based canned cocktails company that makes vodka-based drinks, announced that it has raised a $31 million round of equity and debt funding led by ATX Global Co-invest which is part of ATX Venture Partners, according to Austin Business Journal.

Since launching in 2019, Canteen was profitable less than a year after launching its products, according to CEO Brandon Cason who previously co-founded Waterloo Sparkling Water. The beverage startup has also secured celebrity angel investors including Brooklyn Decker and Andy Roddick, Maren Morris and Ryan Hurd. Canteen is planning to open a 50,000-square-foot warehouse in Southwest Austin as well as expanding nationally.