Walgreens buys Rite Aid in $17.2B deal
Walgreens this week confirmed it will acquire Rite Aid for $9.4 billion in addition to taking on the company’s debt, bringing the total deal to $17.2 billion. The transaction is expected to close in the latter half of 2016, with Rite Aid initially expected to continue operating under its existing brand. "The combination of Walgreens Boots Alliance and Rite Aid creates a further opportunity to deliver a high-quality retail pharmacy choice for U.S. consumers in an evolving and increasingly personalized healthcare environment,” the company said in a release. [Walgreens confirms it's buying Rite Aid in $17.2 billion deal: Crain’s] (Photo via dcwcreations / Shutterstock)
J.B. Pritzker gifts $100M to Northwestern’s Law School
Serial venture capitalist J.B. Pritzker, along with his wife M.K. Pritzker, last Thursday donated $100 million to Northwestern’s law school, which will henceforth be called Northwestern Pritzker School of Law. The endowment, which is the largest ever of its kind, will help in part to spur forward-thinking legal scholarship with an emphasis on science, tech, and entrepreneurship. [J.B. Pritzker Behind $100M Gift To Northwestern's Law School, With Focus On Entrepreneurship: Chicago Inno] (Photo via Shutterstock)
Uptake ropes in $45M new round to become Chicago's newest unicorn
Uptake, one of Chicago's fasted-growing companies, announced on Tuesday that the startup has raised a $45 million round of financing. The new round has pushed the data analytics software provider past the billion-dollar valuation line, according to The New York Times, who spoke with someone familiar with the terms of the transaction. Uptake's current valuation reportedly sits at $1.1 billion. The round was led by by GreatPoint Ventures and several returning investors, including New Enterprise Associates, Lightbank, and Caterpillar. [Built In Chicago]
Techstars and Twitter to partner, giving Techstars companies more data access
This week, Techstars announced they will be partnering with Twitter in order to give companies that participate in their accelerator program more access to Twitter data and services. The idea is that Twitter’s data and consulting services will help companies create more innovative and data-driven social solutions within their products. The partnership will begin with Techstars’ spring 2016 sessions. [Read more here]
Techstars’ Tribe celebrates launch of new app
This week, one Techstars company celebrated the launch of its new app. Tribe, which helps workers organize and follow up on group tasks with just about anyone, was one of ten companies to graduate from Techstars Chicago earlier this month.
San Francisco's Doorman heads to Chicago
This week, San Francisco-based Doorman expanded to Chicago to help area residents have an easier way to receive packages they’ve ordered online. Said Doorman founder and CEO Zander Adell in a statement, "About 20 percent of deliveries fail on the first attempt in urban areas like Chicago, but it can be as high as 50 percent in certain zip codes. Doorman doesn't replace traditional delivery methods; it serves as a bridge from our national partners, including FedEx, UPS and USPS, to ensure that you get your package on your schedule–not theirs. We know you work late, so we do too." (Image via Shutterstock)
Will Mark Cuban bite again? Another Chicago company to dive into the 'Shark Tank'
On Friday, another Chicago-based company is diving into ABC’s “Shark Tank.” Rent Like A Champion, an online vacation rental platform catered specifically to college football fans, hopes to join a growing list of local companies who have found success on the hit reality TV show. CEO Mike Doyle said Rent Like A Champion already has presence on 21 campuses and has plans to add another 20 in the future. There are more than 1,300 homes on the platform, Doyle said, and 30,000 fans have already chosen to, well, rent like a champion. [Built In Chicago]
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