Startup Buzz: Non-Profit Supporter Classy Raises $30 Million Series C Round

Plus: Suja and Seismic make waves on the Entrepreneur 360 list

Follow the Money

The company that gives new meaning to the phrase “Stay Classy, San Diego” has just raised the bar again, in the form of a $30 million Series C round. Classy is a SaaS company offering an online donation platform for non-profit organizations focused on donor engagement. The company took in $18 million in June and has raised $53 million to date. These funds will be used to hire, develop the product, and expand in and outside of the U.S.

With 36 days to go, local startup Gryphon is 81% of the way to its goal on Kickstarter. Billed as WiFi for the modern family, Gryphon is a WiFi router with a smartphone app that lets you limit access for your kids to digital content. The product boasts three bands to reduce congestion and the ability for parents to “pause” the internet.

GoMeta is in the news again for a small $2 million seed round from investors Michael Esiner and former MySpace CEO Mike Jones to put towards its augmented reality universe tools.

Suja and Seismic Make Waves on Entrepreneur 360 List

Each year, Entrepreneur looks for 360 small businesses that are “mastering the continuous process—that keeps all their parts in harmony.” Companies apply and are evaluated based on impact, innovation, growth, and leadership. Six San Diego companies made the list. Suja Juice, an organic juice company, was at #4 and Seismic, a sales enablement platform, was at #31. Others on the list include The Honest Kitchen, Faulkner Media Group, Odgers Law Group, PracticeCFO, and Nomad Technology Group.

Plug N Play Announcement

In 2013, Silicon Valley-based accelerator Plug N Play selected San Diego as its first expansion city outside of the Bay Area. The program has had a virtual-only presence here in San Diego until last week, when they announced they will now have a physical presence at one of the newest co-working spaces in the city, Downtown Works.

Pivots and Opportunities

The director of the Lavin Entrepreneurship Center at San Diego State University, Bernhard Schroeder just published a book for entrepreneurs, Simply Brilliant.

Be There or Be…

Thursday, November 3, 5-7 p.m. in the Qualcomm N Auditorium:
Screening of Dream Girl, a documentary film that tells the story of 10 female entrepreneurs. Brought to you by Qualcomm, Seed San Diego, and Geek Girl.
Thursday, November 16, 2:30-5:30 p.m. at The Alexandria at Torrey Pines:
MetroConnect PitchFest from the San Diego Economic Development Corp.