Austin AI Startup Mentium Raises $3.2M Seed Round with Participation from Matchstick Ventures The round was led by Lerer Hippeau, with participation from Matchstick Ventures, Tower Research Capital, Antler, MBA Ventures, and angel investor Michael Witte. Next In the North • VC News
Groove Capital Invests in St. Paul Startup Maxwell Labs, Building on $500K U.S. Army Energy Tech Grant Groove Capital announced that it has added Maxwell Labs, a St. Paul–based startup pioneering laser cooling technology for AI hardware and high-performance computing (HPC) systems, to its investment portfolio. Next In the North • Tech
AI Startup Blank Metal Raises $3M to Accelerate Enterprise AI Deployment Blank Metal, an AI-native engineering company, has raised $3 million in seed funding to help enterprises move artificial intelligence projects from pilot to production in under 90 days. Next In the North • Funding
Minneapolis Health Tech Startup DUOS Secures $130M Growth Investment Led by FTV Capital DUOS, a Minneapolis-based digital health startup, announced it has secured a $130 million strategic growth investment led by FTV Capital, with participation from Forerunner Ventures, its earliest institutional investor. Next In the North • Funding
Minneapolis-Based Vertical Insure Raises $8.5M to Expand Embedded Insurance Platform Vertical Insure, a Minneapolis-based InsurTech startup, has raised $8.5 million in equity financing, according to a recent SEC filing. Next In the North • Funding
