Top tech startup news for today, Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Below are some of the top tech startup news for today, Wednesday, August 21, 2019.

Kobiton raises $3 million to grow its mobile app testing business. Kobiton has raised $3 million in seed funding to accelerate growth of its mobile app testing business. The round was led by Kinetic Ventures with participation from KMS Technology and Service Provider Capital. Kobiton will use the money to expand its sales and marketing efforts aimed at the $50 billion mobile app development and testing market. This is the first external financing for Kobiton. Founded in 2016 by by Josh Lieberman and Vu Lam, founders of QASymphony (which sold recently to Tricentis) and Katalon, Kobiton is a mobile device cloud empowering devs to build great products. Access real devices, run manual or automated scripts, & identify issues faster.

Stride Launches Benefits Platform with DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart On-Board. Founded in 2014, Stride has helped over 1 million workers save over $1 billion by providing a more efficient and effective selection process for health plans under the Affordable Care Act. Now, they are disrupting the space once again with the new Stride Benefits Platform, a fully customizable suite of health and wealth benefits and perks that businesses can offer to their independent workers. DoorDash, Postmates, Instacart among first companies to use Stride’s new platform to help their independent workers save on insurance, taxes, car maintenance and more.

Hughes partners with startup to create new solutions for extending LTE coverage using helicopters, UAVs. Hughes Network Systems, one of the leading tech company that provides broadband satellite networks and services, has partnered with Virtual Network Communications (VNC), to extend mobile network connectivity using an integrated combination of VNC’s deployable LTE technology with Hughes JUPITER™ and HM satellite systems. The new solutions support various global applications for government, militaries, first responders, and commercial Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). VNS designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and supports a line of network products for wireless network operators, mobile virtual network operators (MVNO), cable TV system operators, and government and business enterprises that enable new sources of revenue and reduce capital and operating expenses.

JRNI (fomerly BookingBug) secures $6 million Series C extension to further extend into European market and accelerate its U.S. growth. JRNI, formerly BookingBug, a customer engagement platform startup for omnichannel conversion, has closed a $6 million extension to its Series C financing to further extend its global market leadership and further accelerate its explosive U.S. growth. The round, which was led by PeakSpan Capital with participation from Downing Ventures and Somerston Group, brings the total funding to $23.2 million. The latest round builds on JRNI’s $13.4 million Series C financing from April 2018. Founded in 2008 by Glenn Shoosmith and Greg Bock, the London, England-based JRNI is the market leading appointment scheduling, queuing and event management platform.

Quorum Software acquires cloud-based oil and gas accounting software tech company OGsys. Quorum Software (Quorum), a Thoma Bravo portfolio company and the leader in digital transformation for the oil and gas industry, has acquired Fort Worth, Texas-based OGsys, the leading provider of cloud-based oil and gas accounting software for small and medium-sized businesses, to enhance its upstream On Demand suite with cloud-based accounting software for small businesses. The combined company will increase the value proposition for customers of both companies. Quorum’s SMB customers, including more than 200 small businesses, will be able to extend their investments in land management, well lifecycle reporting and production solutions with state-of-the-art accounting software designed for the SMB market. Founded in 1982, OGsys has been providing user-friendly, intuitive oil and gas accounting software that accelerates answers to critical questions impacting daily productivity and overall success. More than 500 oil and gas companies rely on OGsys for its software solutions and expert support.

Voyager secures $1.5 million seed funding to transform the $360 billion global bulk shipping industry. Voyager announced today it has closed $1.5 million seed funding round to to expand the Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) network’s offerings, further acquire and expand its customer base, and grow its engineering, development, marketing and sales teams. The round was  co-led by ATX Venture Partners, by ATX Venture Partners, Blue Bear Capital, GreenHawk Capital, and Phaze Ventures. Founded in 2018, Voyager is a cloud-based workflow management solution for the bulk shipping value chain. Voyager allows users to invite their partners, colleagues and counter-parties into a single environment to coordinate the execution of bulk shipping operations. By moving from phone and email to a fully digitized communication platform our clients gain full visibility of the value chain with complete traceability of all activity and operations.