Southeast Startup News for January 27-31, 2025
The week brought various updates from Southeast startups despite slower funding news. Here are the key developments:
Big Stories
- Undaunted, an Atlanta Ventures Studio spin-off, is revolutionizing security with robotic solutions for real estate developers and property owners. Led by co-founder and CEO Bryan Dinner, the company provides real-time proactive security measures.
- OrthoPreserve, an Atlanta-based medical device startup from Georgia Tech, has made significant strides with its meniscus implant technology. The company’s Defender device addresses meniscus dysfunction in patients not yet ready for knee replacement. OrthoPreserve achieved FDA breakthrough device designation and TAP enrollment, accelerating its development process.
Funding News
- Storybutton, based in Indian Land, South Carolina, received a $250,000 investment from SC Launch Inc. The startup offers an audio platform for children to access podcasts and stories without smartphones.
- Frenos, a Charlotte, NC-based OT security assessment platform provider, secured $3.88M in Seed funding led by DataTribe, enhancing its autonomous operational technology security capabilities.
Hiring Stories
The startup service provider space saw significant movements:
- John Yates, founder of Atlanta’s startup legal space, joined Gunderson Dettmer as Partner after leaving Morris Manning.
- Several technology and VC deal lawyers from Morris Manning moved to ReedSmith, marking the firm’s entry into Atlanta’s legal scene.
- Digital.ai appointed Nicholas Grabowski as Chief Product Officer, strengthening their AI-powered software delivery platform.
Other Southeast Stories
- Epicenter in Memphis launched Innovate Xcelerate, a program backed by a $380,000 MassMutual Foundation grant. This initiative aims to build a diverse innovator pipeline through a design thinking workshop, hackathon, and year-long accelerator program.
- Morehouse College hosted its LIFT Demo Day, showcasing Black-led startups from its incubator program. Details about the pitching startups are available on the Hypepotamus website.
- Boreas Monitoring Solutions from Wilmington, North Carolina, introduced The Cryoguardian, its latest product innovation.
