It was a busy week for Chicago tech startups. Companies closed deals while others launched new services. Catch up on EeroQ’s $7.25 million seed raise or read up on NockNock’s hourly rental platform in Chicago. This is the Built In Chicago Weekly Refresh.
EeroQ raised $7.25M. EeroQ is a quantum computing startup that recently relocated to Chicago. The company is based out of the Terminal building and manufactures chips for quantum computers that can be used to analyze molecular data. The $7.25 million seed funding round will be used to increase access to quantum computing. [Built In Chicago]
NockNock launched in Chicago. NockNock is a short-term rental platform similar to Airbnb, but instead of renting property for a night, users can rent property on an hourly basis. On the platform, spaces such as private gyms, rooftops, swimming pools and many other spaces can be rented by the hour for low prices. The company is based in Berkeley, California but is launching its service in Chicago before doing a national rollout. [Built In Chicago]
Chicago tech Quote of the week
OnBrand was featured in Built In Chicago’s Future 5 series. OnBrand was launched by Brian McEuen and helps men find and shop for clothes. Through the company’s site, users can take a short quiz and have curated clothes selections sent to their email. Users also get styling recommendations and fit guides for the clothing that is recommended. [Built In Chicago]
We revisited the Chicago startups from Shark Tank. The show has featured many tech startups in its 13 years, and Built In took a trip down memory lane to highlight the Chicago startups that swam with the sharks. The Players Trunk, a collegiate sports e-commerce site, appeared this year but did not secure a deal with investors. Rent Like A Champion secured 200,000 from Mark Cuban in 2015. In 2014, PackBack secured $250,000 on the show and went on to raise $10 million. Resultly secured a deal in 2014 but has since shut down. [Built In Chicago]
Chicago announced it will host tech events. Last week, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the city will host two tech events in collaboration with World Business Chicago and 1871, a local accelerator and incubator program. The city will host a Supply Chain Innovation Summit with early-stage logistics startups on Oct. 5. On Oct. 5-6, the city will host the inaugural Chicago Venture Summit Future-of-Logistics, where early-stage companies will have a chance to connect with venture capital firms. [Business Wire]
