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. 

Featured image by Spruce.

Spruce

Spruce is a proptech startup that offers on-demand homecare, petcare, and laundry services for apartment dwellers. The Austin-based company recently received a Series A funding round of $8 million. Spruce plans to use the funds toward new hires and developing it’s tech. As far as long term goals, the proptech startup hopes to be used to create efficiencies of scale for various residential microeconomics, according to Built In Austin. 

Founder Ben Johnson first got the idea for Spruce when he noticed multiple dog walking services entering his apartment building, all for different dogs. Assigning one dog walker to a single building could save management companies time, reduce cost for customers and give the dogs more time to walk. Johnson realized that dog walking is not the only residential service his model could be applied to. Hence Spruce, which now has contracts with over 50 national apartment management companies. 

AppBrilliance

For decades, companies such as Visa and Mastercard have stood in between businesses and consumer spending by charging processing fees which ultimately reduce profit margins for businesses. AppBrilliance is here to change that. According to a press release, AppBrilliance bypasses payment processing networks and risky data aggregators with its open banking and open payment tools. 

With a fresh $3 million seed funding round to lay a foundation for open banking and open payments, AppBrilliance plans to liberate businesses from relying on traditional payment processors. The fintech startup is able to do this by using patented technology and smart API to remove barriers to bank accounts so consumers are able to instantly and safely push payments directly to the business they are purchasing from. Ultimately, AppBrilliance strives to empower consumers to control their money and financial data. 

Yotta Energy

Yotta Energy, an Austin-based solar energy company, recently raised a $5 million seed round led by Fiftysix Investments, EDP Ventures, Skyview Ventures and more. The seed funding will be used to finalize UL certification and start commercial production of it’s disruptive panel-level, PV-coupled energy storage technology. 

According to AltEnergyMag, Yotta’s thermal management system for batteries enables a decentralized format for solar-plus storage. This thermal management system is ideal for rooftop commercial and industrial applications. Furthermore Yotta’s thermal management technology for batteries is able to withstand severe weather and extend their lifespan. 

Eagle Eye and Smart Century AI 

After securing a $40 million Series E funding round earlier this month, Eagle Eye is now partnering with Smart Century AI. Smart Century AI is a leading creator of AI-powered video analytics for physical security and safety. Eagle Eye, on the other hand, is a cloud-based video surveillance company enabling customers to access surveillance footage remotely and off the internet. 

So what does the partnership mean for the two companies? According to a press release, Eagle Eye customers can now seamlessly deploy Smart Century AI analytics including Intrusion Detection, Proactive Monitoring, and Smart Safety. In addition, Eagle Eye customers can now create custom behaviors they want to monitor with just a few clicks. Users can use Smart Surveillance Platform for Camera Management, Alert Management, Smart Patrol, and Smart Reports to boost operational efficiency by tenfold. 

About Savannah Burns: Savannah is a Business Development Associate for Swyft, which is a tech PR agency in Austin and Houston and a top digital marketing and PR agency in Denver since its founding in 2011. Swyft recently opened a satellite office where it offers tech PR in San Francisco. Swyft was also listed as one of the top tech PR agencies in Texas by the B2B services review site, Clutch.co.