Crusoe, formerly known as Crusoe Energy, reached unicorn status in 2022 with a $1.8 billion valuation after a $350 million funding round. (Courtesy Crusoe)
Colorado startups raised over $1.2 billion last month, nearly tripling the $429 million of October cash infusions.
This was across 23 deals, according to SEC Form D filings. Denver led the way with seven deals and nearly $1.2 billion raised. Boulder put up over $2.5 million across two deals. Fifteen companies based elsewhere in the Centennial State tallied $53 million.
You can view our sortable spreadsheet, which lists every November Form D, here.
BusinessDen defines a startup as a business that’s less than 10 years old and excludes real estate ventures and funds.
Here are some November highlights:
Crusoe Inc: $686 million
The Denver-based artificial intelligence infrastructure company, formerly known as Crusoe Energy, raised $686 million in November, SEC filings show. It hopes to add another $132 million by the end of the round, bringing the total to $818 million.
It is unclear who the main backers were, though Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund recently led a $500 million investment in October, according to the Financial Times.
In mid-October, Crusoe announced a $3.4 billion deal to build a data center in Abilene, Texas. The Information reported that Oracle will lease the building and, in turn, sub-lease it to OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. It is expected to open in the first half of 2025, Crusoe said.
Chase Lochmiller and Cully Cavness founded Crusoe in 2018 as a crypto mining operation, capturing excess natural gas from oil fields to power the data centers. In 2020, the company shifted to focusing more on AI data centers, according to Financial Times.
The $686 million infusion brings Crusoe’s total amount raised to roughly $1.5 billion total, SEC filings show.
Pretred Inc: $17.4 million
The Aurora-based tire and plastic recycler raised $17.4 million this past month, SEC filings show.
It is unknown who is backing this round, but Pretred’s website lists Goodyear Tire’s venture arm and Techstars as two investors. The Heritage Group, a firm that owns over 50 sustainable construction companies, also led a $3 million raise in 2021.
The business takes tires and heavy plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills and turns them into industrial barriers. Those barriers, which you would see blocking or on the sides of roads, are typically made out of concrete. In making its rubber barriers, Pretred emits only 2 percent of the CO2 that comes from the typical process, the company said.
Pretred was born out of fly fishing. During trips with friends, founder Eric Davis would often see tires and other heavy materials floating down rivers and creeks. So Davis, who also founded Drip Drone, which makes alarms for sink and toilet leaks, created the business in 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.
It opened its first manufacturing facility in Aurora in 2022, and its blockers can be found throughout Denver and also at Red Rocks, among other places, its website said.
The company has tallied about $27 million over four funding rounds, filings show.
MySimplePetLab: $100,000
The company that makes home diagnostic kits for pets raised $100,000 this past month, filings show. Though its leadership is based in Minnesota, MySimplePetLab has a lab facility in Centennial, MinneInno reported.
Founded in 2019, MySimplePetLab aims to streamline the testing process by starting it at home. By testing your dog or cat’s stool, skin or ears, pet owners can find out what’s wrong with their furry friend in days, the company said.
The tests can be purchased online through its website or Amazon, and also can be found at stores such as Target and Tractor Supply. MySimplePetLab’s website also said clinics can test as well, effectively outsourcing the process.
In 2022, CEO Jen Hagness told Forbes she believes the company will help both owners and overwhelmed vets alike.
The $100,000 marks over $10 million of total investment in the company, filings show. It is unknown who led this round. Mars Venture Fund, a pet-tech VC, led a $5 million Series A in late 2022, Forbes reported.
Crusoe, formerly known as Crusoe Energy, reached unicorn status in 2022 with a $1.8 billion valuation after a $350 million funding round. (Courtesy Crusoe)
Colorado startups raised over $1.2 billion last month, nearly tripling the $429 million of October cash infusions.
This was across 23 deals, according to SEC Form D filings. Denver led the way with seven deals and nearly $1.2 billion raised. Boulder put up over $2.5 million across two deals. Fifteen companies based elsewhere in the Centennial State tallied $53 million.
You can view our sortable spreadsheet, which lists every November Form D, here.
BusinessDen defines a startup as a business that’s less than 10 years old and excludes real estate ventures and funds.
Here are some November highlights:
Crusoe Inc: $686 million
The Denver-based artificial intelligence infrastructure company, formerly known as Crusoe Energy, raised $686 million in November, SEC filings show. It hopes to add another $132 million by the end of the round, bringing the total to $818 million.
It is unclear who the main backers were, though Paypal co-founder Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund recently led a $500 million investment in October, according to the Financial Times.
In mid-October, Crusoe announced a $3.4 billion deal to build a data center in Abilene, Texas. The Information reported that Oracle will lease the building and, in turn, sub-lease it to OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. It is expected to open in the first half of 2025, Crusoe said.
Chase Lochmiller and Cully Cavness founded Crusoe in 2018 as a crypto mining operation, capturing excess natural gas from oil fields to power the data centers. In 2020, the company shifted to focusing more on AI data centers, according to Financial Times.
The $686 million infusion brings Crusoe’s total amount raised to roughly $1.5 billion total, SEC filings show.
Pretred Inc: $17.4 million
The Aurora-based tire and plastic recycler raised $17.4 million this past month, SEC filings show.
It is unknown who is backing this round, but Pretred’s website lists Goodyear Tire’s venture arm and Techstars as two investors. The Heritage Group, a firm that owns over 50 sustainable construction companies, also led a $3 million raise in 2021.
The business takes tires and heavy plastics that would otherwise end up in landfills and turns them into industrial barriers. Those barriers, which you would see blocking or on the sides of roads, are typically made out of concrete. In making its rubber barriers, Pretred emits only 2 percent of the CO2 that comes from the typical process, the company said.
Pretred was born out of fly fishing. During trips with friends, founder Eric Davis would often see tires and other heavy materials floating down rivers and creeks. So Davis, who also founded Drip Drone, which makes alarms for sink and toilet leaks, created the business in 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile.
It opened its first manufacturing facility in Aurora in 2022, and its blockers can be found throughout Denver and also at Red Rocks, among other places, its website said.
The company has tallied about $27 million over four funding rounds, filings show.
MySimplePetLab: $100,000
The company that makes home diagnostic kits for pets raised $100,000 this past month, filings show. Though its leadership is based in Minnesota, MySimplePetLab has a lab facility in Centennial, MinneInno reported.
Founded in 2019, MySimplePetLab aims to streamline the testing process by starting it at home. By testing your dog or cat’s stool, skin or ears, pet owners can find out what’s wrong with their furry friend in days, the company said.
The tests can be purchased online through its website or Amazon, and also can be found at stores such as Target and Tractor Supply. MySimplePetLab’s website also said clinics can test as well, effectively outsourcing the process.
In 2022, CEO Jen Hagness told Forbes she believes the company will help both owners and overwhelmed vets alike.
The $100,000 marks over $10 million of total investment in the company, filings show. It is unknown who led this round. Mars Venture Fund, a pet-tech VC, led a $5 million Series A in late 2022, Forbes reported.
