Want to stay updated on Austin’s latest startup funding, launches, and expansions? 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.

MicroTransponder Inc. 

Austin-based MicroTransponder, a medical device developer, announced a $53 million Series E funding round led by US Venture Partners. Their neuroplasticity-based medical device platform helps stroke survivors strengthen and regain mobility. MicroTransponder also announced Richard Foust as its new CEO and director. 

Co-founded in 2007 by COO Jordan Curnes, MicroTransponder has raised a total of $42 previously in venture and debt funding. 

Apptronik Inc. 

Apptronik Inc, a local robotics company, raised $14.6 million in its seed funding round led by Silverton Partners. This fresh funding will target team expansion, doubling their current team of 52 employees by next year. It will also help expand their recent research and development of multi-purpose humanoid robots.  

Co-founded by CEO Jeff Gardenas in 2016, Apptronik develops robotics for NASA and a wide variety of clients. Their current goal is to create humanoid robots to tackle the labor shortage in the US.

Kickfin

Austin-based Kickfin, a restaurant tech startup, announced $6 million in a Series A funding round led by Silverton Partners. This new round brings their total to $11 million. Kickfin plans to use this new funding to accelerate the company’s growth, with no announcement of how fund spending will be specifically allocated.  

Co-founded in 2007 by Justin Roberts and Brian Hassan, Kickfin allows hospitality industry workers to disperse cashless tips in real time to bank accounts rather than splitting up cash from tip jars. 

Harmonic Bionics

Harmonic Bionics, an Austin-based physical therapy robotics company, announced adding Chris White as its new CFO, with Gusty Denis as their new chief commercialization and strategy officer. This recent hiring comes shortly after news of a $3 million investment from Curexo and $7 million in Series A funding last year. 

Co-founded in 2018 by Ashish Desphande and Youngmok Yun, Harmonic Bionics focuses on creating robotic exoskeletons that assist in physical therapy and recovery of movement for neurological and musculoskeletal movement impairments.

About Lara Tanner: Lara is an Account Associate 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.