The Download

You might have noticed that 2020 has brought way, way more than its fair share of disasters, from hurricanes to fires to a global pandemic. While many good-hearted folks try to help in every instance, it is a serious logistical and systemic challenge to get the most bang for each buck of donations. That’s where Durham-based NeedsList comes in. The startup’s COO, Amanda Levinson, is this week’s subject in The Download Q&A by our own Brooks Malone. Fun fact: Amanda is the first Download subject who carries around essential oil rollers. Read the full Q&A here.

Exit Stories

Fresh off watching the fourth season of The Crown, it’s hard for me to see the name “Windsor Circle” without thinking of the British Royals. Weren’t they super-mean to poor Princess Di? But we’re not here to tell the story of Diana’s exit from the Windsors, but rather the Exit Stories podcast episode featuring Matt Williamson’s Windsor Circle exit. Host Kevin Mosley gets the full download (not to be confused with The Download) from fellow Bronto alum Matt on how he built, and later sold, Windsor Circle. You can read our teaser story here, listen (and subscribe!) to the podcast here, or watch the YouTube video here. Thanks as always to the Exit Stories sponsor Dualboot Partners!

Big Deal

Last October, we wrote about New York-based customer support startup Kustomer opening a new Durham office as its second HQ. Yesterday came news that Facebook is acquiring Kustomer for a reported $1B. The acquisition is viewed as part of Facebook’s efforts to build out the services it provides to businesses on its platform. (Hey, have we mentioned that GrepBeat is now on Facebook?) TechCrunch, which often calls itself “The GrepBeat of America,” has more details.

Bigger Deal

In a much larger deal but one with fainter (but still existing) Triangle ties, S&P Global (which is behind the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500) is acquiring financial data giant IHS Markit for $44B in stock, the largest deal announced this year. IHS Markit (my auto-correct keeps changing the name to “HIS Markit,” which is pretty sexist) is based in London but has an office in downtown Raleigh. TechWire and TBJ have more details.

(3D) Printing Cash

RTP-based Trio Labs, which has developed digital tech to produce precision metal and ceramic 3D-printed components, has raised $1M to further commercialize its “additive manufacturing” technology. The main use case for now is for medical devices, though down the road the custom-produced components could be used in a variety of industries. TBJ has some more details, though it leaves out arguably the most interesting fact: Trio Labs Chief Product Officer Ken Purchase is a former “Where’s Pete?” winner.

Partnering Up

Loyal readers who took the GrepBeat history quiz on our second birthday in August should recall James Kotecki as one of the answers to the question as to which three people besides YHC (Your Humble Correspondent) have written the GrepBeat newsletter. (The other two are Suzanne Blake and GrepBeat Godfather Joe Colopy.) In James’ day job as VP of Marketing & Communications at Infinia ML, he let us know last week that the startup is partnering with Fortune 500 IT services company DXC Technology to use Infinia ML’s AI and machine learning (the “ML” in the startup’s name) expertise to help its own customers. Read more about it here.

Happy Home

This will come as no surprise to anyone who watched our GB: Cribs episode on its downtown Raleigh HQ, but Pendo was just named the fifth-happiest place to work among small and medium-sized companies according to Comparably.com. The pink dinosaur folks were the only North Carolina firm to crack the list of 50.

Attn. Students

Durham’s IDEA Fund Partners is looking for undergrad or grad student Venture Fellows for the upcoming semester. It will be a part-time, remote position of about 10-15 hours a week. Click here for all the details.

Extra Bit

There will be a final info session for the next RAP (RIoT Accelerator Program) tomorrow at 4pm; register here. The application deadline for the next cohort—which will be based in Wilson for the second time—is Dec. 21, and it will run from Feb. 17-May 5, 2021.

Guess where Pete is and (maybe) win a GrepBeat mug!
 

I think this one is going to give the random number generator a workout, but I guess we'll see. Send your guesses here!