On June 14, 2022, Verizon hosted an event “Home & Connectivity” in partnership with the Housing Action Coalition to explore how the residential digital divide can be bridged. Panelists Jackie Flinn, Executive Director at A. Philip Randolph Institute; Dave Hickey, Vice President of West Business Markets for Verizon; and Rey Lachaux, Digital Equity Manager for the City and County of San Francisco, had an illuminating conversation on how we can bring digital equity to every neighborhood. Their conversation explored how public, private, and nonprofit innovations and partnerships are helping to deliver essential technology resources to underserved communities. Their full conversation is below.
Bay Area
Built in SF: Hello Heart Raises $70M for Mobile Blood Pressure Monitor
One company is making it easier for those with hypertension to keep an eye on blood pressure and take steps to manage it. Hello Heart, which closed a $70 million Series D on Monday, is a smart heart monitor that easily pairs with a mobile app. Approved by the FDA, Hello Heart uses AI to give users real-time data about their blood pressure and alert them when it rises too high. The app also makes suggestions for how to manage one’s high blood pressure through easy-to-implement lifestyle changes.
Built in SF: The Leaders Making Quora’s Knowledge-Sharing Mission Possible
In practice, enacting a sweeping change to go remote-first can cause a disruptive shift, even for a well-established company. Yet for the team behind the Q&A-centered online platform at Quora, the intentional, employee-focused decision came naturally.
Built in SF: At These 6 Growing Companies, Strong Cultures Fuel Exciting Futures
At product research platform Sprig, Director of Marketing Operations Matt Sturm and his peers lean on intentionality in order to foster a focus on ownership and strong communication as the company scales. In his mind, this environment encourages employees to grow alongside the organization.
Built in SF: Point Raises $115M to Help Homeowners Unlock Real Estate Equity
One company helping homeowners unlock home equity early is Point, an HEI company that gives homeowners access to anywhere between $25,000 and $500,000 depending on their home’s value and mortgage. The company recently raised $115 million in Series C financing to scale its offerings and expand its presence nationally.
Protocol: DocuSign’s chief diversity and engagement officer on how to use data to improve DEI
Earlier this year, DocuSign made a little more room around the proverbial C-suite table. In March, the company announced it would appoint Iesha Berry as its first-ever chief diversity and engagement officer.
Tech Crunch: Banking giant Truist acquires fintech startup Long Game in effort to reach younger demographic
Truist — one of the nation’s largest financial institutions — has acquired Long Game, a 12-person fintech startup that has raised over $20 million in venture capital, executives told TechCrunch exclusively.
Tech Crunch: As supply chain issues mount, Fictiv helps companies get from prototype to manufacturing
It used to be getting from prototyping to manufacturing meant long, expensive trips to places like Shenzhen and a whole lot of trial and error. Fictiv was founded back in 2013 to address some of the biggest pain points of bringing products to market. The San Francisco startup runs what it calls a Digital Manufacturing Ecosystem, which is, effectively, a user-friendly service for doing just that.
Built in SF: Remote Gained $300M, Clarify Health Raised $150M, and More SF Tech News
The San Francisco tech scene had a big news week. See what these companies are up to, and what they have in store. This is the Built In SF weekly refresh.
Bay Area Inno: This HR startup just opened a new office in S.F. after being remote for 2 years
Many of San Francisco’s largest employers are trying to bring employees back to the office, but what about startups? The pandemic shifted our work habits, and for some, the transition to fully remote work has become permanent. This is true for a lot of software startups, in particular, which have smaller, more nimble teams and no hardware or research labs that tie them down to a physical location.
