Skip to content
Senior Writer, Startups & Funding

Mara Whitfield

Covers who's raising, who's hiring, and who's next in Austin.

45 stories

Adaptive Insurance adds $5M to sell coverage for a less stable grid
FundingMara Whitfield · 5d

Adaptive Insurance adds $5M to sell coverage for a less stable grid

The Austin insurtech writes parametric policies for power outages and severe weather, betting that climate volatility is a growing line of business.

Barracuda buys Austin's Evo Security to shore up identity defense
StartupsMara Whitfield · 6d

Barracuda buys Austin's Evo Security to shore up identity defense

The deal folds an Austin access-management startup built for IT service providers into Barracuda's platform. Terms were not disclosed.

EnergyX secures $225M from Italy's Eni for its Chilean lithium play
FundingMara Whitfield · 6d

EnergyX secures $225M from Italy's Eni for its Chilean lithium play

The Austin direct-lithium-extraction developer traded a minority stake in a Chilean asset for strategic backing from a European energy major.

inKind lands $320M from Liberty Mutual to bankroll restaurants
FundingMara Whitfield · Jul 6

inKind lands $320M from Liberty Mutual to bankroll restaurants

The Austin platform gives restaurants upfront capital in exchange for food-and-beverage credit it resells to diners. Its newest backer is an insurer's investment arm.

Wander pulls in $64.1M to scale its hotel-grade vacation rental network
FundingMara Whitfield · Jul 5

Wander pulls in $64.1M to scale its hotel-grade vacation rental network

The Austin travel-tech company added to its Series B as it pushes WanderOS, the software layer it uses to standardize service across independently owned homes.

Contract-review startup Librari raises $1.75M pre-seed in Austin
StartupsMara Whitfield · Jul 2

Contract-review startup Librari raises $1.75M pre-seed in Austin

A syndicate of finance and legal operators backed the company's early bet on software that reads and organizes business contracts.

A hiring platform shown on a laptop screen
StartupsMara Whitfield · Jun 29

Meet Aply: The Austin Startup Replacing the Résumé for the Next Generation of Talent

AI made it free to mass-apply, burying recruiters in inflated and fabricated résumés. Founder Nick Dominguez's fix is more AI — and a platform that throws out the résumé entirely, starting with students.

AI and defense tech swallow the week's biggest venture rounds - and Austin keeps showing up
FundingMara Whitfield · Jun 26

AI and defense tech swallow the week's biggest venture rounds - and Austin keeps showing up

The latest tally of the largest U.S. financings was dominated by AI inference and frontier models, with Austin-linked names threading through the list.

Medical-device maker Dyme raises a $10M Series A
FundingMara Whitfield · Jun 26

Medical-device maker Dyme raises a $10M Series A

The Austin company, which builds commercial medical products for healthcare providers, drew a Series A led by Umami Capital.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Jun 24

Traysar surfaces from stealth with $25M to take defense tech underground

The Austin startup, led by former SpaceX and Boring Company engineers, is building autonomous machines to breach and map tunnels for the U.S. and its allies.

FundingMara Whitfield · Jun 24

Austin's Ollin Biosciences lands oversubscribed $330M to take eye-disease drug into Phase 3

The clinical-stage Austin biotech says the round will fund global Phase 3 trials of a drug it is positioning against Roche's blockbuster Vabysmo.

Return Valets raises $2.44M for vehicle-return logistics
StartupsMara Whitfield · Jun 23

Return Valets raises $2.44M for vehicle-return logistics

The Austin startup picked up seed funding for a service focused on valet and vehicle-return operations.

FundingMara Whitfield · Jun 22

NinjaOne hits a $12.3B valuation on more than $400M in new funding

The Austin IT-operations software maker stayed founder-led and profitable as it raised secondary capital from Wellington, Sequoia, ICONIQ and others.

MaverickX lands $8M, with an oil producer leading the round
FundingMara Whitfield · Jun 22

MaverickX lands $8M, with an oil producer leading the round

The Austin startup's chemistry-based technology aims to squeeze more crude out of existing shale wells, and Chord Energy led the funding.

Zellerfeld raises $30M and scales up 3D-printed shoes in Austin
StartupsMara Whitfield · Jun 21

Zellerfeld raises $30M and scales up 3D-printed shoes in Austin

The footwear startup, which prints shoes without traditional factories, added Series A capital as it deployed its faster next-generation printer locally.

Cameron County clears $211M tax break to lure Saronic's $3.2B 'Port Alpha' shipyard south
StartupsMara Whitfield · Jun 18

Cameron County clears $211M tax break to lure Saronic's $3.2B 'Port Alpha' shipyard south

The Austin defense-tech company's autonomous-warship buildout would land in Brownsville under a 19-year abatement, drawing both cheers and pushback.

Saronic launches its first Marauder unmanned vessel, built in under a year
StartupsMara Whitfield · Jun 2

Saronic launches its first Marauder unmanned vessel, built in under a year

The Austin defense-tech company put its first medium unmanned surface vessel in the water and began on-water trials less than a year after the design started.

StartupsMara Whitfield · May 21

Firefly Aerospace spreads across three Cedar Park buildings as it scales production

The space company now occupies roughly 144,000 square feet across a three-building Central Texas campus to support spacecraft assembly and mission operations.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Apr 30

Colossal Biosciences adds the bluebuck to its de-extinction roster

The Austin biotech named the extinct South African antelope as the sixth species in its de-extinction portfolio and its first project on mainland Africa.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Apr 22

AI healthtech firm Biorce plants a U.S. flag on Congress Avenue in Austin

Fresh off one of Iberia's largest-ever Series A rounds, the company is opening a second American office downtown.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Apr 21

AI clinical-trials startup Biorce opens a U.S. office in downtown Austin

The Barcelona-founded health-tech company picked Austin for its second U.S. base, citing the city's mix of deep-tech and healthcare talent.

TerraFirma, founded by ex-SpaceX engineers, moves its headquarters to Buda
StartupsMara Whitfield · Apr 9

TerraFirma, founded by ex-SpaceX engineers, moves its headquarters to Buda

The earthmoving-robotics startup is leaving its Southwest Austin 'Robot Ranch' for a 40,000-square-foot integrated headquarters and test facility in Buda.

Augment's 'Augie' pulls in $85M Series A to automate the freight back office
StartupsMara Whitfield · Apr 8

Augment's 'Augie' pulls in $85M Series A to automate the freight back office

The AI logistics startup from Deliverr's founder says its assistant now touches $35 billion in freight under management.

FundingMara Whitfield · Mar 19

Austin neuromodulation startup raises $25M Series A for non-invasive ultrasound therapy

The company is developing non-invasive ultrasound treatments aimed at immune-mediated diseases.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Mar 16

Capital Factory launches STATION Austin to carry its programming forward

The new nonprofit takes over Capital Factory's community and innovation initiatives and adds a 23,000-square-foot center focused on dual-use and defense startups.

Ontic raises $230M Series C as KKR bets on Austin's connected-security platform
FundingMara Whitfield · Mar 12

Ontic raises $230M Series C as KKR bets on Austin's connected-security platform

The protective-intelligence company plans to fold AI and automation into its software as corporate physical-security budgets grow.

ICON opens its 3D-printing system to outside builders with the launch of Titan
StartupsMara Whitfield · Mar 11

ICON opens its 3D-printing system to outside builders with the launch of Titan

The Austin construction-tech company is, for the first time, selling its full robotic printing stack to other builders, with walls it says can be printed for about $20 a square foot.

FundingMara Whitfield · Mar 6

Nominal hits $1B valuation as Founders Fund leads $80M round for its engineering data platform

The Austin company that powers hardware testing for mission-critical programs says it grew revenue sevenfold and tripled its headcount.

Founders Fund leads $80 million bet on Austin's Nominal at a $1 billion valuation
FundingMara Whitfield · Mar 5

Founders Fund leads $80 million bet on Austin's Nominal at a $1 billion valuation

The hardware-testing software company became a unicorn on a Series B extension led by Founders Fund.

Ownwell raises $50 million Series B to take its property-tax appeals national
FundingMara Whitfield · Feb 25

Ownwell raises $50 million Series B to take its property-tax appeals national

The Austin fintech, backed by Alpha Edison and Mercato Partners with Intuit Ventures participating, is expanding a service that helps homeowners challenge overassessed property values.

Apptronik's Series A swells past $935 million as humanoid-robot race heats up
FundingMara Whitfield · Feb 13

Apptronik's Series A swells past $935 million as humanoid-robot race heats up

A February extension co-led by B Capital and Capital Factory, with Google participating, pushed the Austin robotics company's Series A near $1 billion total.

Apptronik moves toward commercial-scale Apollo deployment, expands in Austin
StartupsMara Whitfield · Feb 13

Apptronik moves toward commercial-scale Apollo deployment, expands in Austin

The humanoid-robot maker is scaling Apollo production and growing its Austin footprint as it pushes toward broader factory and warehouse deployments in 2026.

Texas Instruments to buy Austin's Silicon Labs for $7.5 billion
FundingMara Whitfield · Feb 4

Texas Instruments to buy Austin's Silicon Labs for $7.5 billion

The all-cash deal is TI's largest acquisition since 2011 and would fold an Austin wireless-chip pioneer into the Dallas semiconductor giant.

Saronic raises $600 million Series C at $4 billion valuation for autonomous warships
FundingMara Whitfield · Feb 4

Saronic raises $600 million Series C at $4 billion valuation for autonomous warships

The Austin defense-tech company's round, led by Elad Gil, quadrupled its valuation as it builds an autonomous shipyard called Port Alpha.

FundingMara Whitfield · Feb 2

CesiumAstro closes $470 million to scale satellite communications and a new Austin HQ

The space-comms company combined a $270 million equity Series C led by Trousdale Ventures with $200 million in financing from EXIM and J.P. Morgan.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Jan 12

Togetherwork moves its headquarters to South Congress, with 250 jobs to follow

The membership-software and payments firm is leaving Atlanta for a 20,000-square-foot office on South Congress and plans to staff it from the local talent pool.

NinjaOne hits $5 billion valuation with $500 million in Series C extensions
FundingMara Whitfield · Jan 6

NinjaOne hits $5 billion valuation with $500 million in Series C extensions

The founder-controlled Austin IT-management company raised funding led by ICONIQ Growth and CapitalG to fund autonomous endpoint features and an acquisition.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Jan 6

IBM takes over Meta's empty Domain 12 building in North Austin

IBM assumed Meta's lease on the entire 320,000-square-foot Domain 12 building, consolidating its Austin workforce after walking away from a larger planned hub.

FundingMara Whitfield · Dec 22

Truemed raises $34 million Series A to route HSA and FSA dollars to lifestyle health

Andreessen Horowitz led the Austin fintech's round as it expands access to tax-advantaged spending for preventive products.

Mythic raises $125 million to challenge Nvidia with analog AI chips
FundingMara Whitfield · Dec 17

Mythic raises $125 million to challenge Nvidia with analog AI chips

The Austin chip company, led by DCVC with Honda and Lockheed Martin participating, capped a turnaround with an oversubscribed round.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Dec 12

ICON completes its first 3D-printed model home at a luxury Lake Travis resort

The Austin company finished a model home at The Canyon Club, where five of 25 planned residences will be built with its 3D-printing technology.

FundingMara Whitfield · Dec 2

Curative becomes a unicorn with $150 million Series B for its zero-cost health plan

The Austin health insurer reached a $1.275 billion valuation on a round led by the Upside Vision Fund as it plans a national expansion.

Function Health hits $2.5 billion valuation with $298 million Series B
FundingMara Whitfield · Nov 19

Function Health hits $2.5 billion valuation with $298 million Series B

The Austin preventive-health testing company raised an oversubscribed round led by Redpoint Ventures and launched a medical intelligence lab.

StartupsMara Whitfield · Nov 10

Austin trucking startup AI Fleet lays off nearly 60 after losing a key supplier

The AI-driven trucking operator cut 56 jobs at its downtown Austin headquarters after a sudden supplier loss forced the board to downsize operations.

FundingMara Whitfield · Oct 8

Base Power closes $1 billion Series C, plans downtown Austin battery factory

The Austin home-battery company raised one of the largest private rounds in city history and is building its first factory on the old Austin American-Statesman printing site.