Want to stay up to date 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.

Smarter Sorting

Smarter Sorting, a waste management company, raised $25 million in funding led by their G2 Venture Partners. They plan to hire 25 new employees and further grow their company. Smarter Sorting added Jacqueline Claudia as their CEO, replacing Chris Ripley. 

Smarter Sorting uses data science to give retailers and brands accurate information on different products, including how to move them, their chemical composition, and classification rules to avoid fines and reduce environmental impact. 

This consumer goods and sustainability company was founded in 2015 by Charlie Vallely and Chris Ripley and has thus far raised $31.6 million. This startup was named one of Fast Company’s 10 most innovative companies in data science for 2022. 

Boom & Bucket

Boom & Bucket, co-founded by CEO Adam Lawrence, is an online platform for buying and selling heavy equipment such as bulldozers or cranes without price gouging. This startup raised $5.5 million in seed funding co-led by Human Capital and Brick & Mortar Ventures. The new funding will further national expansion and partner with tech platforms and financial institutions. 

Boom & Bucket allows sellers to find a buyer, get an appraisal, and close sales online. Buyers can also read inspection reports, qualify for financing, and get delivery for heavy equipment with the guarantee that B&B will repair, replace, or refund any equipment that differs from inspection reports or photos in the online listing. 

Phantom Neuro

This Austin-based neurotech startup raised $3.26 million, led by Israel-based LionBird Ventures. Phantom Neuro focuses on developing robotic orthopedic technologies for better control and precision. With their new funding, this startup plans to expand its system to help control prosthetics such as robotic arms and legs.

SparkCognition

This AI software solutions company announced the acquisition of Integration Wizards, a visual AI leader. The acquisition will allow SparkCognition to expand its capabilities to offer computer vision, including drone footage, CCTV feeds, and videos from handheld devices. This agreement was announced only two months after SparkCognition raised $123 million in Series D funding and became a tech unicorn at $1.4 billion. 

SparkCognition’s AI software solutions can be deployed to help address problems for global organizations, including safety, security, productivity, visual inspection, and situational awareness. 

About Lara Tanner: Lara is an Account 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.