Follow the Money

News on capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and grant funding across Dallas-Fort Worth. From early-stage funding to public exits, here’s a look at deals making business news in the region.

Barnston Agtech showed off its swarm farming robotic driverless tractors at the Barnstorm R&D Center in a recent YouTube video. [Video screenshot]

Robotic Agtech Startup Closes $217K Equity Raise for ‘Barnstorming’ Autonomous Tractor Swarms via Fort Worth’s Harvest Returns

by Lance Murray | Dec 28, 2022

Barnstorm Agtech, a Canadian startup developing driverless robotic tractors known as 'Barnstormers,' has closed on a $217,500 equity capital raise through Fort Worth-based Harvest Returns' investment platform.

The company, co-founded by a fourth-generation farmer and a robotics expert, plans to deploy 'swarms' of the tractors as a service to farmers in the U.S. Midwest and Canadian Prairies to address chronic labor scarcity and other "pain points" of traditional tractor systems.

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Partnership Acquires Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club of Las Colinas

by Lance Murray | Dec 22, 2022

Dallas-based Century Golf Partners and Japan-based HKI America have teamed up to buy the storied Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club of Las Colinas. Century Golf Partners, one of the world's leading golf and club ownership and management teams, was founded in 2005 for the purpose of acquiring and managing private clubs, public courses, and golf resorts and is the partnership’s managing partner. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Congress Authorizes Nearly $26.6M in Funding for 15 North Texas Projects

by Lance Murray | Dec 22, 2022

Fifteen North Texas projects have secured at a total of $26,597,414 in funding as part of the bipartisan federal Omnibus spending package, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred (Texas District 32) of Plano announced....

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Metropolitan Life Unit Takes Over Ownership of Galleria Dallas Mall and the Westin Galleria

by Dallas Innovates | Staff Report | Dec 22, 2022

st days before Christmas—amid the busiest shopping week of the year—an iconic mall in North Dallas just changed hands. According to the Dallas Morning News, a unit of Metropolitan Life Insurance has taken over the deeds to both Galleria Dallas and the Westin Galleria, the 432-room hotel that looms above it.

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Grata CEO Patrick Brandt (left) and Founder Mark Bunting [Photos: LinkedIn]

Grata Raises $6M in Seed Funding for Recognition Platform, Adds Industry Experts to Executive Team

by Lance Murray | Dec 16, 2022

Founded in 2019 by Mark Bunting, Grata is a first-of-its-kind online platform for consumers to convey recognition directly to a brand's frontline employees in real-time. The company said that investors who have joined to support the success of Grata include Capital Factory, Clutch, Hall Group, and Perot Jain. The startup has assembled a team of entrepreneurial veterans and industry experts including Patrick Brandt, Wesley Bryan, Allison Swope, and John Rabara.

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‘Going Dark’: Drive Shack Plans to Delist from NYSE, Focus on Growth Without ‘Undue Distraction’

by Quincy Preston | Dec 15, 2022

Dallas-based Drive Shack Inc., creator of the modern mini-golf brand Puttery, plans to voluntarily delist from the NYSE in order to focus on running the business and achieving growth.

Entertainment venues and "competitive socializing" are a driver of that growth: Puttery has expanded to five locations since its debut in North Texas in 2021. "Going dark" will allow management and employees to focus on running the business and achieving growth—without the distractions of being a publicly traded company, it says.

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Six Pillars Partners Leads Recapitalization, Merger to Form ‘Largest Gaming-Focused Creative Agency’

by Lance Murray | Dec 14, 2022

Addison-based Six Pillars Partners led the recapitalization and merger of two independent marketing agencies, Red Square Agency and Foundry, to form Good Giant.

As a newly combined platform, Good Giant is the largest gaming-focused creative agency in the country, according to a news release....

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Texas-Based Poppi Pops the Top on Funding Round, Proves Small Players Can Thrive in Beverage Space

by Quincy Preston | Dec 13, 2022

Poppi, a prebiotic soda brand launched in Dallas in 2015 by husband and wife team Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, has raised $25 million in a Series B funding round led by CAVU Consumer Partners....

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Tax Software Giant Ryan Acquires Consulting Firm Kane, McKenna and Associates

by Lance Murray | Dec 9, 2022

Dallas-based global tax services and software provider Ryan has acquired Kane, McKenna, and Associates Inc., a specialized consulting firm focused on delivering economic development solutions and providing municipal financing strategies for development projects.

Ryan said that the strategic acquisition will further strengthen its expertise in tax increment financing and expand the service offerings in the Firm’s Credits and Incentives practice....

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Southlake Biotech Renibus Therapeutics Garners $33M in Bridge Financing

by Lance Murray | Dec 8, 2022

Southlake-based Renibus Therapeutics—a clinical-stage biotech company developing innovative products for cardiorenal diseases—has received $33 million in bridge financing to help it advance three drugs in its pipeline. The drugs are currently in various phases of trials.

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Dallas Hover Energy Acquires Shine Ahead of Global Rollout of Wind-Powered Microgrid

by Lance Murray | Dec 7, 2022

As the demand for renewable energy solutions continues to increase, Dallas-based Hover Energy is proactively positioning itself in the market. With its strategic acquisition of Shine Development Partners—a firm with decades of experience financing solar and battery storage projects—Hover plans to expand on its patented wind-powered microgrid technology ahead of scale production rollouts.

CEO Chris Griffin notes that this move enables them to manage growth effectively by providing "depth of value and expertise" around worldwide Microgrid development initiatives.

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Berkshire Biomedical Awarded Second Phase of $2M Research Grant

by Lance Murray | Dec 7, 2022

Dallas-based Berkshire, innovating for improved patient wellness with personalized drug dispensing technology, has been granted a total of $2 million across two phases. This funding will aid the development and eventual introduction of their tech to provide opioid users at-home access to vital methadone treatment.

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Dustin Marx [Images: Stellar; IFM; DI composite]

Dallas PropTech Startup Stellar Reports $20M Series B Funding Round

by Lance Murray | Dec 1, 2022

Stellar's platform leverages AI and machine learning to reimagine home maintenance. The startup partners with property managers and contractors to take care of homes and people—with a "mission of delivering hassle-free maintenance done right."

"We have caught lightning in a bottle," Founder and CEO Dustin Marx said of the new raise.

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Dallas-Based GlassView Invests in Wearable Brain Tech Startup To Test Digital Ads on ‘Thousands’ of Volunteers

by David Seeley | Dec 1, 2022

Cogwear's headband directly measures a user's engagement, emotion, and memory straight from the brain, GlassVIew says. The company plans to use 5,000 of the devices to test digital ad content, using the feedback to help customers fine-tune their ads. "From now on, emotion will be the most important metric in advertising.," says GlassView's founder and CEO. "With neuro-data we can shape campaigns and truly connect with people at scale."

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Frisco-based XR Sports Joins Mastercard Start Path, Aims for the Future of (Social) Commerce

by Quincy Preston | Nov 30, 2022

“Mastercard has an interest in the future of commerce, specifically at the intersection of "Creator Economy" and "Fintech" and that’s where XR Sports lives,” said XR Sports founder and CEO Kedreon Cole.

XR Sports is one of five startups added to the fintech giant's program.

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Waste Removal and Bespoke Sustainability Company CheckSammy Gets $15M Investment

by Lance Murray | Nov 30, 2022

Founded in 2018, CheckSammy's story has its beginnings in Co-Founder and CEO Sam Scoten's realization that there was an increased shortage of landfill space. He also wanted to tackle one of the last unregulated utilities —the waste services sector. "It's an industry that's long overdue for disruption," said FirePower Capital's Trevor Simpson.

CheckSammy says it brings greater transparency to bulk waste removal and sustainability services by leveraging data to empower fiscally and environmentally responsible decision-making.

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Follow the Money

News on capital raises, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, and grant funding across Dallas-Fort Worth. From early-stage funding to public exits, here’s a look at deals making business news in the region.

Robotic Agtech Startup Closes $217K Equity Raise for ‘Barnstorming’ Autonomous Tractor Swarms via Fort Worth’s Harvest Returns

Grata Raises $6M in Seed Funding for Recognition Platform, Adds Industry Experts to Executive Team

Tax Software Giant Ryan Acquires Consulting Firm Kane, McKenna and Associates

Dallas PropTech Startup Stellar Reports $20M Series B Funding Round

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