Weekly Refresh: Capsule Scores $200M and Body Care Brands Get Personal

by Tatum Hunter
September 16, 2019
NYC tech startup funding news jobs
photo via shutterstock

Pharmacy app Capsule raised a whopping $200 million to expand into other large cities. The company delivers prescription drugs to users within 2 hours of their in-app orders in New York. It is in the process of applying for pharmacy licenses in other states. [Built In NYC]

Magic Spoon raised $5.5 million to keep up with demand for healthy cereal. It’s the cereal of your childhood but without corn, wheat, rice, soy, corn syrup, cane sugar, gluten or GMOs. With flavors like Cinnamon, Frosted, Fruity and Cocoa, the company sold out three months’ worth of stock in the first weeks after launch. It plans to use this new funding to add to its team. [Built In NYC]

Men’s personal care brand Hawthorne raised $8 million to sell upscale body products direct to consumer. According to Hawthorne, the “dad brands” at the drug store don’t cut it for today’s men — neither does an inconvenient trip to a department store. I took Hawthorne’s 21-question personal care quiz — and a critical look at my partner’s soap preferences. [Built In NYC]

Billie debuted a blue wine to raise awareness of gender bias in marketing. Speaking of gender and body products, shave and body company Billie rolled out its limited-edition “Château de Blué” wine, which it calls a “full-bodied wine with notes of oak, blueberries, and just a hint of gender bias.” The wine costs 13 percent less than comparable pink wines, just like women pay 13 percent more on average for health and beauty products marketed to them. I’ll toast to Billie. [AdAge]

Blockstack raised $23 million in two SEC-qualified token offerings. Blockstack is a decentralized computing platform for blockchain-based apps. A main goal of these rounds was to attract strategic investments from Asia, the company said in a statement. The funding will go toward a variety of growth efforts, including hiring. [Press release]

Caper raised $10 million for AI-driven shopping carts. These carts will scan items as customers drop them in. Backed by VC names like Lux Capital, Caper’s technology will likely be a boon for retailers who don't want to be lapped by Amazon’s foray into in-store automation. [TechCrunch]

Nanotronics will open a high-tech manufacturing facility at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Currently a tenant of the Navy Yard’s New Lab, Nanotronics develops advanced imaging systems that help with research and manufacturing in the advanced materials, pharmaceutical, life sciences and aerospace industries. Rising demand led to this move, which will create 190 new jobs. [Press release]

Women’s healthtech company Kindbody opened its flagship clinic in Flatiron. Kindbody provides IVF, egg freezing, egg and sperm donations, gynecological care, nutrition counseling, mental health services and return-to-work coaching on site and online. It has received $22 million in funding to date. [Press release]

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