NYC edtech company relocates HQ to Austin, plans to hire 25
Viridis Learning , an NYC edtech startup, announced this week that it has relocated its headquarters to Austin. Launched in 2009, the company uses data analytics to connect and match college students with potential employers. As part of the move, Viridis Learning plans to hire 25 local employees over the next 12 months. [ Patch ]
 
Baxter Planning Systems raises $25M
Baxter Planning Systems , a 24-year-old Austin-based logistics software company, raised its first big round of funding late last week with $25 million. Polaris Partners, a VC firm out of Boston, led the round. The funding will be used to bring on 10 new hires over the next year in sales and marketing and to extend its international presence. [ Built In Austin ]
 
Dialpad to open new office in Austin
San Francisco-based Dialpad has opened a new local office out of WeWork in University Park. The company develops cloud communication tools like video, messaging and meetings. The Austin team consists of 29 employees and is hiring for six more employees by the end of the year in sales, customer support and professional services. [ Press Release ]
 
Certain Affinity raises $10M in new partnership with Leyou Technologies
Hong Kong-based gaming publisher and developer Leyou Technologies has invested $10 million into Austin-based Certain Affinity in exchange for 20 percent ownership. Under the agreement, Certain Affinity will continue to operate independently while creating a new game under the guidance and financial support of Leyou. Certain Affinity is the gaming developer behind mega-hit games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, DOOM and Halo 4. [ Built In Austin ]
 
Duo raises $70M earning unicorn status
Duo Security announced on Wednesday that it has raised $70 million led by Meritech Capital Partners and Lead Edge Capital. The funding, which tips the company's valuation over $1 billion, will be used to expand its global operations and fund innovation in the TrustedAccess space. Duo launched in 2010 from Ann Arbor, MI, and added an Austin office in 2016. Today, the company has over 60 employees locally. [ Press Release ] 
 
Austin ranks #5 in country as top startup city
Innovation That Matters 2017, a report that ranks cities based on talent, capital, density, industry and more, ranked Austin as the No. 5 top city in America for startups to thrive. Dallas and Houston also placed on the list at No. 7 and No. 21, respectively. [ Innovation That Matters 2017 ]
 
Techstars to launch accelerator specifically for social good startups
Techstars will expand its presence in Austin with a new accelerator program for social impact startups. Applications will open Dec. 1 for its June 2018 cohort. Founders leveraging technology to address social and environmental challenges are encouraged to apply. [ Built In Austin ]
 
Aceable makes 4 executive hires including CFO
Aceable , the mobile edtech platform and creators of the drivers ed app, announced it has made four key executive hires as the startup continues to expand. Randy Jonkers joined the team as CFO, Erin Defossé was promoted to COO, Jacob Rios joined as VP of product and Sarah Montante as VP of brand. According to a press release, Aceable has nearly doubled its user base to 600,000 users in six months and grown its number of employees to 80. [ Press Release ]
 
UT Austin's College of Fine Arts hires tech entrepreneur Jan Ryan
The College of Fine Arts at The University of Texas at Austin announced that it has appointed Jan Ryan to the newly created position of director of creative entrepreneurship and innovation. In her position, she will oversee and lead plans to create a new entrepreneurship program for students in the College of Fine Arts. Ryan will also integrate the college into the broader innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem growing at UT and in Austin. [ Press Release ]

Tech roundup: 2 startups land and expand in Austin, 2 big fundings and...

12 June 2017
Salesforce engages with Viridis Learning
Student employment platform developer Viridis increased its overall funding to $7.5m having added Salesforce Ventures to its shareholders. Author: Robert Lavine, News Editor
US-based student employment platform Viridis Learning took its total funding to almost $7.5m last week, adding Salesforce Ventures, the corporate venturing arm of enterprise software provider Salesforce, to its investor base. This rest of this content is only accessible to Global Corporate Venturing Subscribers
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Salesforce engages with Viridis Learning

Viridis Learning Raises $7.5M
6/8/17
Viridis Learning, Inc. , a New York-based SaaS technology company that uses data analytics to match students with employers, today announced it has raised nearly $7.5 million to date through investments from Salesforce Ventures , Thayer Ventures and others. These new investments will further empower Viridis to achieve its mission of expanding economic mobility around the world, ending the global skills gap, and leading in 21st century workforce development. "Viridis Learning is a technology company at the nexus of data interoperability between education and employment," said Founder and CEO Felix W. Ortiz III. "Viridis Learning will utilize the investment to continue expanding its Skill Passport Accountability Tracking solution adoption and will be opening up an office in Austin, Texas." Ortiz describes this as "a major milestone in our vision to become the leading cloud-based platform connecting the middle-skills workforce to growing economies around the world. We are positioning to scale our platform internationally and create a seamless integration of the employment triangle of students, colleges, and employers. Our goal remains to be the singular hub for colleges and employers to validate student skill sets and using Salesforce will help up fulfill our vision for ending the global skills gap through a connected campus ecosystem." As a Salesforce Ventures portfolio company, Viridis Learning will have access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. Viridis Learning uses a proprietary software platform to close the skills gap by integrating students, colleges, and employers. Utilizing Viridis technologies, colleges can better track and understand their students' performance and outcomes, reduce student time-to-completion rates, and improve students' employment placement. The Viridis platform allows employers to hire more quickly, cut recruitment and retention costs, and reduce churn with skill-based job matching. Viridis will also integrate with Salesforce Trailhead, Salesforce's online, interactive and guided learning platform, to further workforce development within the Salesforce ecosystem. Viridis bolsters its Board of Directors with the addition of Caretha Coleman. A respected professional in Silicon Valley. Caretha's experience spans 40 years in the technology industry in companies such as Interval Research. Prior to Interval, Caretha was EVP, with global responsibility for Human Resources at Software Publishing Corporation, where her leadership was instrumental in pioneering one of the first successful desktop computer software businesses. Caretha began her career in the Silicon Valley companies of Hewlett-Packard and Spectra Physics. Caretha was a founding member of The Angels' Forum, a unique 'angel' investment organization in Palo Alto, where she served on the Advisory Committee and worked closely with entrepreneurs vetting their ideas and providing guidance and coaching. An advocate for women and minorities in business, Caretha demonstrates her commitment to mentoring young professionals and entrepreneurs across the country. Caretha is member of the board of directors for Dignity Health, a $16 billion healthcare system whose mission focuses on the delivery of quality healthcare to the underserved. She chaired the board during a time of significant transition for the organization and the industry. She also chaired their Human Resources and Compensation Committees. She is also a member of the National Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the US Tennis Association; and serves on the National Board of Facing History and Ourselves. Caretha is a Black Corporate Director, and an American Leadership Forum Fellow. She most recently was named as one of the Bay Area's most Influential Women by the San Francisco Business Times, and a 2015 Outstanding Director by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Viridis elevates longtime executive Sudhir Wadhwa to the position of Chief Technology Officer. In his 25+ years of professional experience, Sudhir has held senior leadership positions in leading technology companies including Altera, Allied Telesis and a number of startups, including Canesta (acquired by Microsoft), StarCite, Leap Motion, Pluribus Networks and FixStream Networks. A respected expert in the field, his specialties include market research, product development, machine learning techniques, and cross-platform integration. Sudhir holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mathematics from Delhi University. About Viridis Learning
Viridis is a cloud-based, SaaS technology platform that has developed a proprietary Skills Passport TM, which integrates with existing student information systems, government databases and labor market information to connect students to employers. With the Viridis platform, colleges can create and assess student pathways with the highest precision, leading to a better understanding of their own institutional needs and the needs of their students. Viridis then uses data analytics to validate skills, match students' career aspirations and skill sets with employer demand, a data-driven process which represents the future of human capital acquisition and development. www.viridislearning.com
About Salesforce Ventures
Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Ventures — the company's corporate investment group — invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 200 enterprise cloud startups in 14 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures . Ceo Interviews
Interviewed by Edwin Warfield

Viridis Learning Raises $7.5M

Viridis Learning Raises Additional Investment Capital to Effectively Connect Students to Employers and Improve Educational Outcomes at Scale
Viridis also adds Caretha Coleman to Board of Directors, and Elevates Sudhir Wadhwa to Chief Technology Officer
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 6, 2017-- ViridisLearning, Inc., a New York-based SaaS technology company that uses data analytics to match students with employers, today announced it has raised nearly $7.5 million to date through investments from Salesforce Ventures, Thayer Ventures and others. These new investments will further empower Viridis to achieve its mission of expanding economic mobility around the world, ending the global skills gap, and leading in 21st century workforce development. "Viridis Learning is a technology company at the nexus of data interoperability between education and employment," said Founder and CEO Felix W. Ortiz III. "Viridis Learning will utilize the investment to continue expanding its Skill Passport Accountability Tracking solution adoption and will be opening up an office in Austin, Texas." Ortiz describes this as "a major milestone in our vision to become the leading cloud-based platform connecting the middle-skills workforce to growing economies around the world. We are positioning to scale our platform internationally and create a seamless integration of the employment triangle of students, colleges, and employers. Our goal remains to be the singular hub for colleges and employers to validate student skill sets and using Salesforce will help up fulfill our vision for ending the global skills gap through a connected campus ecosystem." As a Salesforce Ventures portfolio company, Viridis Learning will have access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. Viridis Learning uses a proprietary software platform to close the skills gap by integrating students, colleges, and employers. Utilizing Viridis technologies, colleges can better track and understand their students' performance and outcomes, reduce student time-to-completion rates, and improve students' employment placement. The Viridis platform allows employers to hire more quickly, cut recruitment and retention costs, and reduce churn with skill-based job matching. Viridis will also integrate with Salesforce Trailhead, Salesforce's online, interactive and guided learning platform, to further workforce development within the Salesforce ecosystem. Viridis bolsters its Board of Directors with the addition of Caretha Coleman. A respected professional in Silicon Valley. Caretha's experience spans 40 years in the technology industry in companies such as Interval Research. Prior to Interval, Caretha was EVP, with global responsibility for Human Resources at Software Publishing Corporation, where her leadership was instrumental in pioneering one of the first successful desktop computer software businesses. Caretha began her career in the Silicon Valley companies of Hewlett-Packard and Spectra Physics. Caretha was a founding member of The Angels' Forum, a unique 'angel' investment organization in Palo Alto, where she served on the Advisory Committee and worked closely with entrepreneurs vetting their ideas and providing guidance and coaching. An advocate for women and minorities in business, Caretha demonstrates her commitment to mentoring young professionals and entrepreneurs across the country. Caretha is member of the board of directors for Dignity Health, a $16 billion healthcare system whose mission focuses on the delivery of quality healthcare to the underserved. She chaired the board during a time of significant transition for the organization and the industry. She also chaired their Human Resources and Compensation Committees. She is also a member of the National Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the US Tennis Association; and serves on the National Board of Facing History and Ourselves. Caretha is a Black Corporate Director, and an American Leadership Forum Fellow. She most recently was named as one of the Bay Area's most Influential Women by the San Francisco Business Times, and a 2015 Outstanding Director by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Viridis elevates longtime executive Sudhir Wadhwa to the position of Chief Technology Officer. In his 25+ years of professional experience, Sudhir has held senior leadership positions in leading technology companies including Altera, Allied Telesis and a number of startups, including Canesta (acquired by Microsoft), StarCite, Leap Motion, Pluribus Networks and FixStream Networks. A respected expert in the field, his specialties include market research, product development, machine learning techniques, and cross-platform integration. Sudhir holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mathematics from Delhi University. About Viridis Learning
Viridis is a cloud-based, SaaS technology platform that has developed a proprietary Skills Passport TM, which integrates with existing student information systems, government databases and labor market information to connect students to employers. With the Viridis platform, colleges can create and assess student pathways with the highest precision, leading to a better understanding of their own institutional needs and the needs of their students. Viridis then uses data analytics to validate skills, match students' career aspirations and skill sets with employer demand, a data-driven process which represents the future of human capital acquisition and development. www.viridislearning.com
About Salesforce Ventures
Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Ventures — the company's corporate investment group — invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 200 enterprise cloud startups in 14 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures. Keep up with Viridis Learning on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Contact:

Viridis Learning Raises Additional Investment Capital to Effectively Connect Students to Employers and Improve Educational Outcomes at Scale

Viridis Learning Raises Additional Investment Capital to Effectively Connect Students to Employers and Improve Educational Outcomes at Scale
Viridis also adds Caretha Coleman to Board of Directors, and Elevates Sudhir Wadhwa to Chief Technology Officer
PALO ALTO, Calif., June 6, 2017-- ViridisLearning, Inc., a New York-based SaaS technology company that uses data analytics to match students with employers, today announced it has raised nearly $7.5 million to date through investments from Salesforce Ventures, Thayer Ventures and others. These new investments will further empower Viridis to achieve its mission of expanding economic mobility around the world, ending the global skills gap, and leading in 21st century workforce development. "Viridis Learning is a technology company at the nexus of data interoperability between education and employment," said Founder and CEO Felix W. Ortiz III. "Viridis Learning will utilize the investment to continue expanding its Skill Passport Accountability Tracking solution adoption and will be opening up an office in Austin, Texas." Ortiz describes this as "a major milestone in our vision to become the leading cloud-based platform connecting the middle-skills workforce to growing economies around the world. We are positioning to scale our platform internationally and create a seamless integration of the employment triangle of students, colleges, and employers. Our goal remains to be the singular hub for colleges and employers to validate student skill sets and using Salesforce will help up fulfill our vision for ending the global skills gap through a connected campus ecosystem." As a Salesforce Ventures portfolio company, Viridis Learning will have access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. Viridis Learning uses a proprietary software platform to close the skills gap by integrating students, colleges, and employers. Utilizing Viridis technologies, colleges can better track and understand their students' performance and outcomes, reduce student time-to-completion rates, and improve students' employment placement. The Viridis platform allows employers to hire more quickly, cut recruitment and retention costs, and reduce churn with skill-based job matching. Viridis will also integrate with Salesforce Trailhead, Salesforce's online, interactive and guided learning platform, to further workforce development within the Salesforce ecosystem. Viridis bolsters its Board of Directors with the addition of Caretha Coleman. A respected professional in Silicon Valley. Caretha's experience spans 40 years in the technology industry in companies such as Interval Research. Prior to Interval, Caretha was EVP, with global responsibility for Human Resources at Software Publishing Corporation, where her leadership was instrumental in pioneering one of the first successful desktop computer software businesses. Caretha began her career in the Silicon Valley companies of Hewlett-Packard and Spectra Physics. Caretha was a founding member of The Angels' Forum, a unique 'angel' investment organization in Palo Alto, where she served on the Advisory Committee and worked closely with entrepreneurs vetting their ideas and providing guidance and coaching. An advocate for women and minorities in business, Caretha demonstrates her commitment to mentoring young professionals and entrepreneurs across the country. Caretha is member of the board of directors for Dignity Health, a $16 billion healthcare system whose mission focuses on the delivery of quality healthcare to the underserved. She chaired the board during a time of significant transition for the organization and the industry. She also chaired their Human Resources and Compensation Committees. She is also a member of the National Diversity and Inclusion Committee for the US Tennis Association; and serves on the National Board of Facing History and Ourselves. Caretha is a Black Corporate Director, and an American Leadership Forum Fellow. She most recently was named as one of the Bay Area's most Influential Women by the San Francisco Business Times, and a 2015 Outstanding Director by the Silicon Valley Business Journal. Viridis elevates longtime executive Sudhir Wadhwa to the position of Chief Technology Officer. In his 25+ years of professional experience, Sudhir has held senior leadership positions in leading technology companies including Altera, Allied Telesis and a number of startups, including Canesta (acquired by Microsoft), StarCite, Leap Motion, Pluribus Networks and FixStream Networks. A respected expert in the field, his specialties include market research, product development, machine learning techniques, and cross-platform integration. Sudhir holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Mathematics from Delhi University. About Viridis Learning
Viridis is a cloud-based, SaaS technology platform that has developed a proprietary Skills Passport TM, which integrates with existing student information systems, government databases and labor market information to connect students to employers. With the Viridis platform, colleges can create and assess student pathways with the highest precision, leading to a better understanding of their own institutional needs and the needs of their students. Viridis then uses data analytics to validate skills, match students' career aspirations and skill sets with employer demand, a data-driven process which represents the future of human capital acquisition and development. www.viridislearning.com
About Salesforce Ventures
Salesforce is the fastest growing top five enterprise software company and the #1 CRM provider globally. Salesforce Ventures — the company's corporate investment group — invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Intelligent Customer Success Platform, helping companies connect with their customers in entirely new ways. Portfolio companies receive funding as well as access to the world's largest cloud ecosystem and the guidance of Salesforce's innovators and executives. With Salesforce Ventures, portfolio companies can also leverage Salesforce's expertise in corporate philanthropy by joining Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 200 enterprise cloud startups in 14 different countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures. Contact:

Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) is an enterprise cloud computing provider. The Company supplies a customer relationship management service to businesses worldwide providing a technology platform for customers and developers to build and run business applications. Clients use salesforce.com to manage their customer, sales, and operational data. Products include Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Community Cloud, Salesforce Analytics, and App Cloud.

Salesforce

Salesforce.org Working with Viridis Learning to Get Students Jobs - Salesforce.org

SoFi

Funding Date

Pre-Money Valuation

Post-Money Valuation

Amount Raised

Shares Authorized

Issuance Price

Dividend Rate

Liquidation Preferences

Liquidation Price

Participation

Conversion Price

Anti Dilution

General Voting

Board Voting

Par Value

 HR tech startups are helping companies manage critical pain points in HR processes such as recruitment, automation, career development, compensation, and benefits management, through a mix of software and services.

HR Tech

Education Technology (Edtech)

Series A

Series A - II

The Viridis platform integrates all three points of the employment triangle: Students, Colleges, and Employers. The Company links college databases to employer job requirements and systematically match students to specific job openings based on verified ability. This makes recruiting smarter, faster and cheaper. Virdis also provide real-time feedback to colleges to improve the alignment of their programs to the local employment market. As a result, colleges become more competitive in attracting new students and are finally able to track students post-employment.

Name	Work History	Title	Status
Martin Scaglione		Chief Executive Officer	Former
Alex Carstens		President, Chief Financial Officer	Former
Jing Liao	SoFi	President	Former
LaMar Bunts		Chief Operating Officer	Former
Sudhir Wadhwa		Chief Technology Officer	Former

Name	Martin Scaglione	Alex Carstens	Jing Liao	LaMar Bunts	Sudhir Wadhwa
Work History			SoFi
Title	Chief Executive Officer	President, Chief Financial Officer	President	Chief Operating Officer	Chief Technology Officer
Status	Former	Former	Former	Former	Former

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3M Success Story

Platform Overview

Viridis Learning

Executives

Viridis Learning Management Team

5 Team Members

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