The Term Sheet: Startup funding roundup for September 2023

HopTea

HopTea is made by brewing tea and hops. (Courtesy Hoplark HopTea)

Colorado startup funding was down over $560 million month over month in September. 

According to a tally of Form Ds filed with the SEC, 41 startups raised $86.4 million last month. In August, 47 startups raised $654.4 million, while 28 startups raised $277 million in September 2022. (You can see our sortable spreadsheet here).

BusinessDen defines a startup as a business that’s less than 10 years old and excludes publicly traded companies, real estate ventures and funds. 

Startups outside of Denver and Boulder raised the most with $70.4 million across 27 deals, followed by Denver with $9.4 million across 11 deals. Three Boulder startups raised $6.5 million last month – the bulk of which came from the beverage company Hoplark. 

Here are some highlights from September: 

Hoplark (Boulder): $5.9 million 

The 5-year-old beverage company raised just shy of $6 million last month. 

Founded by Dean Eberhardt and Andrew Markley, the Boulder-based company brews non-alcoholic tea that’s made to taste like beer. 

According to its website, Hoplark sells 21 different flavors of tea blends, which includes monthly releases like September’s “Saaz Hops” and August’s “Summertime Hop Blend.” The 21 options is a spike from January, when the company sold just three beverages. 

This is the company’s third raise this year: it raised $16 million in January and $3.69 million in February, bringing its total funds raised t0 $25.69 million. 

Apex Cool Labs (Boulder): $65,000

The 1-year-old Apex Cool Labs raised $65,000 of its $800,000 goal last month. 

Founded by Evyenia Wilkins and Ariel Paul, Apex Cool Labs sells a portable device that cools people’s hands for avid gym-goers. According to its website, using the palm-cooler can help a person work out longer and lift more weights, just like a “performance enhancing supplement.” 

According to the company website, the patent-pending device, dubbed Narwhals, stays at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and is made of copper pipes. Users hold the device in between workouts to cool their palms. A pack of two retails at $395. 

This is the company’s first raise, according to SEC filings. 

SA Aspen Restaurant (Aspen): $4.6 million

SA Aspen Restaurant raised $4.6 million of its $5 million goal last month. 

The restaurant group’s parent company is New York-based SA Hospitality Group, which has three restaurant concepts, including Sant Ambroeus coffee shop. 

The coffee shop, which has locations in New York, Florida and Europe, opened its first location in Aspen this year. The Aspen location offers breakfast and lunch, and has menu items like $24 smoked salmon avocado toast. 

According to SEC filings, this is the first capital raise for SA Aspen Restaurant.

HopTea

HopTea is made by brewing tea and hops. (Courtesy Hoplark HopTea)

Colorado startup funding was down over $560 million month over month in September. 

According to a tally of Form Ds filed with the SEC, 41 startups raised $86.4 million last month. In August, 47 startups raised $654.4 million, while 28 startups raised $277 million in September 2022. (You can see our sortable spreadsheet here).

BusinessDen defines a startup as a business that’s less than 10 years old and excludes publicly traded companies, real estate ventures and funds. 

Startups outside of Denver and Boulder raised the most with $70.4 million across 27 deals, followed by Denver with $9.4 million across 11 deals. Three Boulder startups raised $6.5 million last month – the bulk of which came from the beverage company Hoplark. 

Here are some highlights from September: 

Hoplark (Boulder): $5.9 million 

The 5-year-old beverage company raised just shy of $6 million last month. 

Founded by Dean Eberhardt and Andrew Markley, the Boulder-based company brews non-alcoholic tea that’s made to taste like beer. 

According to its website, Hoplark sells 21 different flavors of tea blends, which includes monthly releases like September’s “Saaz Hops” and August’s “Summertime Hop Blend.” The 21 options is a spike from January, when the company sold just three beverages. 

This is the company’s third raise this year: it raised $16 million in January and $3.69 million in February, bringing its total funds raised t0 $25.69 million. 

Apex Cool Labs (Boulder): $65,000

The 1-year-old Apex Cool Labs raised $65,000 of its $800,000 goal last month. 

Founded by Evyenia Wilkins and Ariel Paul, Apex Cool Labs sells a portable device that cools people’s hands for avid gym-goers. According to its website, using the palm-cooler can help a person work out longer and lift more weights, just like a “performance enhancing supplement.” 

According to the company website, the patent-pending device, dubbed Narwhals, stays at about 50 degrees Fahrenheit and is made of copper pipes. Users hold the device in between workouts to cool their palms. A pack of two retails at $395. 

This is the company’s first raise, according to SEC filings. 

SA Aspen Restaurant (Aspen): $4.6 million

SA Aspen Restaurant raised $4.6 million of its $5 million goal last month. 

The restaurant group’s parent company is New York-based SA Hospitality Group, which has three restaurant concepts, including Sant Ambroeus coffee shop. 

The coffee shop, which has locations in New York, Florida and Europe, opened its first location in Aspen this year. The Aspen location offers breakfast and lunch, and has menu items like $24 smoked salmon avocado toast. 

According to SEC filings, this is the first capital raise for SA Aspen Restaurant.

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